The Yost in Santa Ana, CA has been host to some of the best talent Southern California has seen so far this year. This past Thursday proved no different. With an over abundance of events, festivals and everything in between, California continually sets the pace for the rest of the country and is always at the forefront of what should be paid attention to especially when it comes to music. One of the best kept secrets we have to offer is The Yost. While providing an epic and memorable experience each and every night, The Yost, HAVOC and the White Rabbit Group have officially taken control of Orange County. And with little opposition, it seems White Rabbit Group is only getting started. The same can be said for the artists they had lined up for April 24. BLVCK LVBEL, Ghastly and NGHTMRE all stepped up to the decks and delivered a night The Yost is not likely soon to forget.

With White Rabbit Group family member BLVCK LVBEL opening up the evening, it was apparent from the start that tonight was something special. Hands down one of my favorite openers featured at The Yost and by throwing down a chill bass and trap set, the grime fest was put in motion. BLVCK LVBEL featured some of the tightest snares I have heard in a set in a long time, which rang out throughout The Yost and outside into the smoking patio. By the time his set was over, The Yost was already drenched in the sweet sweat of the hyped up attendees. The future looks bright for BLVCK LVBEL, as he has graced The Yost main stage numerous times and looks ready to have a breakout year. And with his handling of the main stage last Thursday, it appears BLVCK LVBEL is definitely one to keep your eye on this year.

Coming in with style in the form of the Pokemon theme song, Ghastly showed us that he deals with the deepest of future houses. Mixing "Every Night" with "Latch" samples, Ghastly left off right where he started when I saw him and Mija at Expose earlier this year, which is also put on by White Rabbit Group on Fridays in Anaheim. "Crank It", Ghastly's track with Mija, was among those dropped as well as his track with Sullivan King, who even made a surprise appearance. A "fresh" new track was even thrown in the mix by Dr. Fresch who was also in the building and really got The Yost on another level with its heavy hitting bass. I have been following Ghastly for some time now and his journey through life is quite unique when compared to most other artists. This translates to the unique way he mixes and the content of his set. The thumping bass was mixed and transitioned extremely well for a relatively fresh face in the DJ world. I couldn't help but feel as if I was at a house party throughout his set, and when "Bitch You Ghastly" came on, the house party got turned up a notch. Proving to be able to handle crowds both small and large, Ghastly is another young talent to watch this year. He seems to already be at the forefront of future deep house music and is also comfortable on the decks. With four-on-the-floor, The Yost wobbled, bounced back and forth, and I quickly realized that this was the most packed I've ever seen The Yost.

NGHTMRE. And what a beautiful nightmare it was. If I thought The Yost was packed before, by now it was definitely at capacity and then some. Opening with the anthem "Only Getting Younger", NGHTMRE set the tone early and before you knew it we were all raging our faces off to "We Like To Party". NGHTMRE has been on my radar for a while now, ever since his work with Slander I have been anxious to see him in a live setting. The Yost couldn't have been a better place to witness the NGHTMRE. The Yost was terrified in the best way possible. And speaking of Slander, one half of the Orange County duo even showed up threw down on the decks. Madness ensued as the walls of The Yost shook and the twerking commenced from the dance floor to the balcony throughout the evening. Slander and NGHTMRE also just dropped a EP today, Nuclear Bonds, and they do not disappoint. What sets NGHTMRE apart from the other trap producers today is the fact that he uses such an organic and original sound. His trap is dark, mysterious and futuristic while being somewhat industrial and in your face at all times. Banger upon banger were unleashed and as "All The Small Things" by Blink-182 and "Make It Bounce" by Dillon Francis were dropped, I was standing  amidst a heavenly hell.   Photo Credit: Scotch Photography