Throwing down the biggest show on the tour (so far), you D.C. ninjas were definitely trained in the fine art of dirty dubstep.
DATSIK was the headlining assassin of the raging 7-hour show. The line-up was like selections of different parts of DATSIK’s sound: U.K. roots by Trolley Snatcha. Bass-heavy electro by Loudpvck. Hip-hop by Atlanta’s Waka Flaka Flame. All coming together for one raucous show.
The crowd assembled early, way ahead of DATSIK’s 1:15 a.m. set. From the front, to the 20-foot tall projector that carved out some of dancing space in the back, the place was obviously sold out.
Trolley Snatcha was on the stage at 10:00 p.m., warning his Facebook fans just an hour and a half before that he expected everyone to be ready to get rowdy.
Kennedy Jones, who “puts the G in Ginger”, was the perfect mix of sing-along favorites and filthy dubstep, perfectly woven together. From “Livin’ on a Prayer” to “Comandos Del M.P. (500 Balazos)” by Voz De Mando, he played a whole gamut of music. You never had enough time to get comfortable in a song before he was mixing into something different, and better than what your ears were enjoying a few seconds before.
All so quickly, the club was swirling into the set of Loudpvck. The dab smoking, trap bumping duo has been in D.C. now three times in the past year. But never stagnant, their sound has changed since we first covered them back in July at U Street Music Hall. In the summer, their show was all things trap. On Friday, however, you could hear the evolution as they’ve found their place right at home between bass heavy lines and well-placed lyrics, making them prominent members of the Twonk team. Their showmanship and set leaves us wondering, when are they coming back to town?
As Loudpvck left the stage, the house lights came on and background music brought the volume down. It’s rare to have breaks between performances at Echostage, but what was next required some extra set up.
Soon, the black curtains that had been behind the decks all night dropped, revealing the huge DATSIK vortex. Visually awesome, the projections worked like an actual vortex, pulling everyone’s eyes front and center. But the sound that detonated into the club, exploded with with such massive bass, you could feel the shake in your grundle.
Shaking the upper level, DATSIK was a literal force of nature. Toilet paper was even being passed out in the front rows to stuff the ears of those brave enough to stand up close.
If you were standing upstairs, you might start wondering if Echostage has ever been earthquake proofed. Was this venue ever tested to stand up against seismic waves?
His sound might be super aggressive, but in the tradition of those nice Canadians, he knows how to acknowledge his fans. On Twitter, DATSIK gave a heartfelt shoutout to the ninjas who showed up and made the show wild and memorable.
Thank you to all U guys who come to the shows and make my wildest dreams come true with these sold out shows and mad vibes.
— DATSIK (@datsik) February 8, 2015
The place was still packed when Waka Flaka’s show started just before 3:00 a.m. Standing upstairs during Flosstradamus’ “Mosh Pit”, you could literally see the crowd surging. The whole place was getting even more wild.
More than a dozen girls were invited on stage for a good old fashioned twerk-off. One talented young lady even tried to show off, climbing up the side-scaffolding of the stage, but was quickly brought back down by the larger than life security.
But that didn’t stop the fun. The stage was soon packed with more girls ready to shake it as Waka showed off his own moves, as illustrated by his impressive whip-like dreads.
The dubstep on this tour was so dirty, by the show’s end everyone was in need of a shower. And if you were in the front rows, you had the opportunity to be showered with your choice of booty sweat, water sprayed from bottles like champagne, or… oh yes, handfuls of cash.
Ninja Nation, you are a hardcore group of party warriors.
Article by Cristina Rayas – Photos by Toby Mues