The night was young, and the dance floor was nearly empty when the Trifecta Tour kicked off at Flash Nightclub on Wednesday night– the Beltway Banditz leading the charge.
Was it because it was the last week before back to school? Or we collectively felt the end of summer creeping closer and refused to let go? Maybe it was simply the undeniable seduction of Flash’s incredible sound and lights. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it was, with Johnny Diaz, Jalleel Khan, and Shawn Lucas behind the tables, the space upstairs took a short time to fill up.
Flanked by their exuberant friends, including other favorite local DJs (we see you Seba Yuri), in the beginning, there were almost as many people behind the stage as could fit without edging out the Flash light tech. Shawn called people to dance, and soon more drinks and skirts are spotted shaking their way to the dancefloor.
Just last month, the Banditz were heard at Moonrise Festival at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. And a few weekends ago, they were featured in Philadelphia for a Spy vs. Spy-themed night, out-mixing the shenanigans of their opponent DJs at Trilogy.
Johnny Diaz told theMUES it took a little bit to read the crowd at Spy vs. Spy. “We didn’t even know what we were going to play when we got there. We ended up playing a lot of house and techno. I mean, they loved it. We played a little trap and they weren’t digging it, so we switched back. But I mean, overall it’s just crazy that we can go to Philly and people know us there.”
But at Flash, under a ceiling of disco balls of all sizes, it’s a very different place to hold the attention of a crowd compared to a massive outdoor music festival in Baltimore, or a themed-rave outside their DMV namesake.
Johnny said, “I came here (to Flash) maybe 3 weeks after it opened, and it was apparent. It’s not another regular ass club. The people that come here really love music… You want to play here.”
Lyrics behind the Banditz beats blasted messages of partying, drinking, and smoking: all the elements needed to erase the thoughts of work and responsibilities regrettably upcoming on a Thursday morning. The music– repeating and driving, climbed to a big kick and that’s when the signature Flash lightbulbs boosted into overdrive. By 11:00 p.m., Shawn on the mic hyping, “As we take you on the tour, we the Beltway Banditz!”
The set was fun. You never get the same show from these guys. Jalleel is even seen greeting friends and thanking people for coming mid-show. The wide smiles that can be seen in the crowd and by the trio is enough to be contagious.
“I’m fucking about to break a sweat!” Shawn later clamored to the crowd. It wasn’t until after the show that theMUES learned this was the point their show was supposed to end. Johnny was ready to wrap up at 11:30 p.m. like planned, when he was asked to play another 30 minutes. Without missing a beat, he improvised– and in his words, “went the way of moombah.”
Johnny shared with us that the dynamic personalities between the three really makes a great mix. He’ll start with one sound, then Jalleel will jump in and suggest something to play. Or, he laughed, “if there is just a little malfunction, Shawn will step in there.” Even during the interview with Johnny, almost as if on cue, Jalleel jumped in and shouted, “Oh, you talking about those Beltway Banditz?!” That’s these guys in action.
In a world where your ears can’t tell if you are hearing are kitchen instruments, or computer generated sounds, or your favorite Destiny’s Child track mixed up, the Banditz string together a catchy cacophony that makes you move. The draw also is that you can look forward to the next show for a new scene and new sound, but another guaranteed fun and lively time.
Don’t forget to check out the other summer adventures of the Banditz, including the Off the Deep End Pool Party at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. And soon to come, theMUES will have a look at the Spy vs. Spy show!
Article by Cristina Rayas – GIFs by Toby Mues from Spy v Spy Rave in Philadelphia