Oh, clubbing in New York in the winter! Standing on long cold lines to get inside. Waiting on long hot lines to check your coat. It’s an ordeal that sometimes, just isn’t worth the effort. But when Porter Robinson plays at Lavo on a Thursday night you have to tough it out.
i'm playing at lavo in nyc tonight. come on out, i have some fun stuff ready~
— 【＝◈︿◈＝】ｐｏｒｔｅｒ【＝◈︿◈＝】 (@porterrobinson) February 6, 2014
I chuckle at the underage fangirls asking for their ID’s back as I make my way past security. What did they expect? This isn’t Roseland or Terminal 5; it’s a models and bottles ordeal catered for the club kids of New York; not ravers.
Generally, clubs like New York's Lavo don’t cater to the true EDM fanatic, made apparent by the bottle service staff kicking at my feet to tend to their VIP’s, and more so by the patron who ordered all those bottles of Veuve to his table; as he remarks on the phone whilst taking a piss next to me in the lavatory.
“Yeah come through in an hour or so, we’re just waiting for [Porter] to get off…I know, fucking hate ticketed events.”
To each his own, but are you really that much of a club rat to be at the club when you hate the atmosphere?
All criticism’s aside, the venue’s merit lies in its aesthetic and layout. Splendid flat screen displays glaze over the dance floor ceiling, whilst golden clad dancers groove amongst crystal encrusted disco balls. The table room even reduces their sound output so that guests can talk amongst each other comfortably. A thoughtful consideration, however I’m here to listen.
And boy does Porter sound tight. With his quick fire mixing it’s hard to identify each track, as he jumps from lyrical trance leads into grinding electro drops, into tech house, complextro, etc. Reading my description might make it sound messy, but it all worked…which even surprises me as a first hand witness. It’s a different, impactful style that’s probably credited to the young lads fresh approach to mixing.
Beyond the handful of tracks I recognize I notice a lot of weird cutty electro that I’ve never heard before. And by that I mean sounds I’ve never heard before. Could it be his new material? Doubtful as these are club tracks, and his album is expected to stray from that sonic atmosphere.
I attempt to move closer to the booth to see his hands at work, only to be blocked off by velvet rope, a security guard, and what’s at least two yards of space reserved for VIP’s. Scratch that, what’s reserved for an old guy and a cast of young girls staring at their phones.
I now know what Deadmau5 was complaining about in Miami. But Porter doesn’t bother himself with the club/nightlife politics, and has never even been in a club he hasn’t played at. So can you blame the guy? No, but I’m getting kicked at by the staff again so I grab my warm coat, head out in the cold and call it a night.
- Nick AM
