Despite the bad press sharks have been getting lately, there’s one place that a shark citing is less scary, and way more fun. It’s still perfectly safe on the dancefloor at #CRANKPARTY, the only D.C. rave hosted by a shark.

Liv Nightclub was turned up again Saturday night for the 18th experiential party. And while the original aluminum shark balloon has been absent from the event for a while, the excitement for the music and the scene was still strong as ever.

As the open bar started the constant flow of drinks to eager guests, DJ Bo played a variety of crowd-pleasing tunes– scratching through Nirvana and Beyonce, and even “Surfin’ Bird (Bird is the Word).”

A little after 11:00 p.m. Basscamp took over, and new #CRANKPARTY t-shirts were thrown into the crowd, featuring Mt. Rushmore modified with the crankshark. We aren’t sure how George Washington feels about being replaced by a toothy shark, as he did have wooden teeth himself.

Despite the successes of #CRANKPARTY, coordinating some great DJs and producers to headline each of these events, it’s still an environment much like a party with your closest friends. No one is getting away without some funny jabs from friends on social media– not even #CRANKPARTY managin quartermaster, Basscamp:

@BSSCMP is so rockstar he still wears his leather jacket in JULY for @CRANKSHARK

— Mathias. (@Mathias301) July 26, 2015

But let’s cut to the main event. Swizzymack, the Diplo-discovered Philadelphia DJ, came with one agenda for the evening.

“I’m Swizzymack, and I’m here to make you twerk ‘n shit!”

And he worked toward that goal with gusto. It was truly one of the more physical performances by a #CRANKPARTY artist. He wasn’t twerking, but he sure was busting some moves.

We caught him outside the venue after his set, which was cut a little short because of a power-glitch. He said he wanted to get the club going with some recognizable jams to start before diving into the Philly Club and Trap collision that has become his unique brand.

During his set, he requested that everyone sing along to his mix of Zedd’s “Clarity” if they knew it. Everyone did.

Once the technical issues were overcome, Rex Riot assumed the position at the table, and closed out the party. No dangerous shark attacks tonight. Just plenty of dancing, swimming together in a sea of sound.

Check out theMUES slideshow below and the Facebook Album for a glimpse of the evening.

Blog by Cristina Rayas, Photos by Toby Mues