Though it may be called future bass, everyone was present in the moment during this past Friday’s festivities at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood. The doors opened at 10:15, with the performances to start soon thereafter, and all were waiting in anticipation for the neon night ahead.
Photography by Anastasia Velicescu
The music began with a set from a surprise artist addition – Fool's Gold Record's Shash’U. The Montreal-based DJ/producer has been around for a hot minute (decade), and his performance was a warmly welcomed add-on to the night’s entertainment. Starting his mixing career as a DJ-beat producer for street dancing performances, Shash’U developed a heavily percussive breakbeat sound that sometimes verges on hyperactive – in the best possible sense of the term. His act at the Roxy really showcased his years of DJ experience, controlling the dance floor with combinations of hip hop and experimental trap beats, and incorporating his obvious skills of live scratching. The half hour he was allotted proved more than enough time to get the crowd warmed up and moving.
Next up on the roster was Shawn Wasabi. We had a chance to exchange a quick “what up” with Shawn just before he had to jet on to stage, and we could tell he was stoked to perform. After using the mic to tell the crowd just how much fun we were going to have, he began his set with fall’s hilarious faux-track “Snoop Dogg Doesnt Like Migos”.
If there were any of the Roxy’s occupants not having fun during that set, Shawn surely wasn’t among their like. Jumping around with a smile on his face clearly showed just how much Shawn loves what he does, and we loved watching him do it.
Wave Racer opened to a crowd that was primed and ready for his brilliance, starting off the set with an unreleased from his forthcoming EP to catch us off guard. The performance kept the room in a bounce, taking us on a bubbly ride through sparkling waves on a platinum Lamborghini. He played out most of his well-known remixes, as well as the few singles he has released. With the drop date for Flash Drive quickly approaching, we have to assume we heard the entirety of the EP throughout his set.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Js_-DtskxM?rel=0]
There was just the right number of tracks we did not recognize that reeked of the signature Wave Racer style. By the end of the night, he had everyone in the club dripping sweat and pixels.
With fall now officially here, we could not think of a better way to bring our favorite season to a close. The night provided the opportunity for all in attendance to bask in the last remnants of the summer’s vibes. The evening's performers pushed the crowd (and the monitors) to go their hardest, and the response was nothing less than pure elation.
