Once again, here’s your latest dose of THE Hysteria.
As a public service to DJs everywhere, I tend to think that any track that features “You don’t bring a gun to a snowball fight” as a hook is a winner. Ridiculous. More entertaining likely than ANY party or track I mentioned last week.
TONIGHT! BALTIMORE BASS CONNECTION XMAS PARTY TONIGHT! GET CHOPPED AND SCROOGED!
NINJASONIK is booked, so I’ll advise that tonight at Sonar in Baltimore is a party so crazy that “somebody’s gonna get pregnant.” Add in Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, The Death Set, Dave Nada, Devlin and Darko, Sick Weapons, Blu Jemz, DJ Hoff, Cullen Stalin, Adam Gonzo and D Lake, and when I advise that if you only had to attend JUST one party in any calendar year, this would ABSOLUTELY be the one to choose. Capacity crowds filled the venue last year, as it looked like a scene from Sodom and Gomorrah last year in there in the best way possible. From Ninjasonik rocking a set with literally 50 people onstage behind them to other assorted tomfoolery of the DJ variety as well, it’s just an entirely too quality shindig and the best of the best of the universe of underground music in one space. Special times.
NOUVEAU RICHE CLOSE THE YEAR STRONG ON SATURDAY NIGHT!
Really, Nouveau Riche has become the standard setter for the hipster underground in DC this year. All of the guys have a full slate of tracks, and are currently ALL busy at work on new material as well. Easily the best part of Nouveau Riche in the past year is seeing how seamlessly well the tracks from the DC homies fit in with the enormous bangers of the international heavyweghts played as well. Also, seeing tracks take shape month to month, from hearing an extended sample, to hearing vocals, to the tweaks and pulls and finished products has been a pleasant journey as well. Yeah, STEVE STARKS’ “Boricua” if dropped is a crusher, as is NACEY’s “Lose Your Love,” and GAVIN HOLLAND’s freestyle take on Amanda Blank may be just as awesome as the Christmas goodies I’m quite sure the guys have in store.
HOT CONTENT!
Ol Head Records, Mad Decent and Brick Bandits affiliate DIRTY SOUTH JOE played Gavin Holland’s C U Next Tuesday party last week. He’s an underground DJ staple with an absolute love of all music. With roots in DC, NY and Philadelphia, he’s been an important part of the development of the reigning underground musical subculture that dominates the dancefloors worldwide these days. Having worked in probably every major record store in the Northeast corridor, and having been a resident at the old 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, he has the chops to definitely know exactly what he’s talking about. At every key moment of the underground’s development, Joe has been there, either as a premier selector of the tunes being played, or lending management or distribution assistance to the purveyors of the sound who needed it. Be it dirty south bounce music, Baltimore club and its Philly and Jersey derivations, and now even extending into dubstep with Flufftronix, Joe is a nexus for the American underground. .Noted as well in this interview is a particularly deep and thoughtful set of answers about club music and its inner city influences, plus Joe’s thoughts on dubstep and namely his “Luvstep” mix with new collaborator and co-conspirator Flufftronix that once it drops will be true in the attempt of getting so many of the sound’s detractors to change their tune entirely. Do enjoy this interview!
OTHER EVENTS OF NOTE THIS WEEK
Wednesday, December 23rd
KIMOZAKI joins SEAN GONE for the last time at Steve’s Bar Room for Mechanix with Joey B’s fantastic horn, as well as the Handsmiths for some fantastic house sounds.
Ill Element w/ LIL’ EL and guest SHARKEY at Science Club. LIL’ EL continues to have the most eclectic and fun guest roster in the city for her open format weekly.
Presuming that REED ROTHCHILD will be dropping club bangers while donning a jheri curl wig and not wearing pants at “A Reed Rothchild Christmas” at Heaven and Hell. I’m likely quite serious.
ROB P., ROYCE HAVEN, BARRETT, FRED MASLAKI and LEE BRIDGES & RAMIRO bring deep and exciting techno grooves to the Transit party in Fairfax at Uptown. Maslaki, who may have been on par insofar as talent and ability when he played after FELIX CARTAL at Ibiza this summer is a favorite.
ROCK MASTER RUS B, JOE L., STEVEPMX of VERSION SOUND present the FESTIVUS! party at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar. Presuming there will be only the deepest house at this birthday celebration.
Thursday, December 24th
Super soulful yet sometimes sketchy Christmas Eve with enough bass, funk and dance to shake a stick at? Check LUCAS SMUDGE, SHARKEY, TREVOR MARTIN
BLAKE9, KEENAN ORR and DJ STYLUS at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar.
STEREO FAITH starts his weekly party at Sutra in Adams Morgan this week. No cover, and expect a slightly more pop friendly and mainstream hip hop, house and electro format. I’m 100% positive he’ll still slay.
Friday, December 25th *CHRISTMAS*
In Bmore? Stuffed from turkey and ham? Wanna break in those new dancing shoes you got for Christmas? Well, It’s my opinion that Ottobar’s Friday night Moustache Party has the most criminally underrated young club DJ on the planet JAMES NASTY, alongside the MOUSTACHE CREW, LOGAN and H. MAZZ. Recommendation to check out if you want something a bit different.
JAMES BROWN DANCE PARTY AT THE BLACK CAT. Celebrate a man that dances in that manner. Really! Get up, get into it, get involved! I can’t say enough about the awesomeness of this. There’s Lyn Collins, Ann Peebles, The JBs, Maceo Parker, the Horny Horns, and so so so much more goodness also expected. If in town, GO. Completely worth it.
ANDY ROURKE of THE SMITHS DJs with MARC-ALAN GRAY for Liberation Dance Party. That sounds kinda awesome.
What Would Jesus Drink? Dance Party with DJ MAJR (Mikey Adolphson of Shift) gets the title of most ridiculously close to offensive to Catholics party title this week, and features an open format.
Saturday, December 26th
WILL EASTMAN closes the year out at bliss with a hopefully pants wearing TITTSWORTH collaborator REED ROTHCHILD and STEPHEN VALLIMARESCU and Neon Gold Records (Passion Pit, Yes Giantess, Ellie Goulding) owner DEREK DAVIES. As always, Eastman’s events are consistently solid and set a standard of excellence that every other DJ/promoter in the city can follow.
DAVE NADA’s at Little Miss Whiskeys’. Intimate grooves in an intimate room most likely. Expecting the ORLANDO VILLEGAS side of the homie.
French house exciter JOACHIM GARRAUD at Fur for Glow!
SUNEEL AND MONSTERS UNDER THE BED bring VERY funky house stylings to Ibiza.
The monthly STANK Dance party is at Rock and Roll Hotel with DJ THE METAPHYSICAL
Real Talk at Sticky Rice with TREVOR MARTIN. Trevor’s really getting out there these days, and with a website and mixtape expected to drop VERY soon, expect to hear a bit more out of the consistently solid DC selector.
What Would Jesus Drink? Dance Party with DJ MAJR (Mikey Adolphson of Shift) gets the title of most ridi
Bmore’s Black Hole, one of my least favorite drives but favorite spots with the most unique vibe in the area is another spot goin in on the drum and bass and jungle sounds as of late. They bring the Jungle Juice 2 event to the venue with Seraph, Vinyl Fatigue, Madam Bliss, Kyng Of Thievez, Jmilly, Deviate & more
NEXT WEEK
New Year’s Eve plans, and the format goes back to covering the ENTIRE week hopefully!
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