The Dirtybird Players are a world-renown band of house DJs originating out of San Francisco California. If you love electronic music then you have probably seen them hold it down as their brand of seducing tech-house can usually be heard at festivals throughout the country.
Their roots as a crew holds its foundation in the heart of San Francisco in the form of BBQ renegade dance parties. The original Dirtybird BBQs were hosted with this lowkey attitude of daytime house music paired with savory outdoor grilling. Although their team has grown to become some of the most sought out DJs around, they continue the tradition of hosting BBQs only on a larger scale, this year with parties happening in Austin, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
Although we reside in LA, we wanted to experience the BBQ in the Bay Area as it originated, bringing us to the beach of Oakland’s Middle Harbor Shoreline Park.
Usually the Bay Area has a chill gloomy vibe but on this Saturday the sun was shining bright as attendees began to flood into the park to the funky sounds of Ardalan [checkout our recent interview with him here].
We felt like we were in the right place when we took a look around at the beautiful landscape. The venue sat next to the beach where anyone could enjoy the feel of the water while dancing. Across the bay was an amazing view of San Francisco as well as the Bay Bridge.
The food trucks and Dirtybird BBQ station was the center of attention here in the park, whereas the line of bars and DB inspired cocktails kept everyone jolly as they pounded their way through Worthy’s bouncy performance. My personal favorite was the Walay drink, a premixed cocktail with Tequila, Lime, Prickly Pear Puree, Ghost Pepper, and Agave.
By 2PM it felt as though everyone had arrived and the views from the hill above the venue looked phenomenal. The afternoon was full of surprises such as a fashion show and boy scout-style games. Although the heat kept everyone sweating hard, the breeze began to kick in as J.Phlip dropped her melodic acid-house beats.
Afterwards Christian Martin began slaying with his unique brand of Trippy Ass Techno, consisting of obscure breakbeat bangers. Dancing around the floor we could feel the cult-like energy that the Dirtybird crew had on the people of the Bay Area. We noticed people dressed in ridiculous outfits and some rocking Dirtybird gear from long ago. This party attested to their long-standing influence over this region and we could tell that their long-time fans continue to proudly represent their fellow birdies who have since gone on to do some amazing things.
Claude VonStroke hit the decks at 5PM and we could tell everyone was beyond stoked to see the Dirtybird master at work. He laid it down with glitchy bangers and intense build ups, an eclectic blend of chunky house and daytime techno. Totems were swinging through the air as fans gave praise to their leader.
Finally it was time for Justin Martin’s headlining set. He spent the entire day on-stage waving at his fans in the crowd and we were ready to see what he was going to bring to the table. His set was nothing short of dirty funk-driven beats. As always he got the crowd working with zany bangers that lifted the audience to the next level. He later went on to introduce his parents to the audience and share how they have never missed a single Dirtybird BBQ!
Overall we could not get over how beautiful of a venue the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park was. It perfectly displayed the beautiful bay as well as the city’s skyline which was a plus for tourists such as ourselves. After seeing how beautiful the Bay Area BBQ was we think this will definitely become a new tradition to kick-off every Summer!