When the show was announced, tickets sold out almost immediately. And then the eager wait followed. Time seemed to pass extra slow, the hot summer testing our patience for a long awaited performance. But finally, on a clear Thursday, the night was finally here: Spor was performing live at U Street Music Hall.
The venue quickly filled with people wearing all their fan gear: hats, shirts, even masks. Whether you identify as a Spor fan, or a Feed Me fan, or even Seventh Stich — all these aliases have a following, immortalizing everything English producer/DJ Jon Gooch creates. Lord knows there could be several other projects Gooch has played a part in that we haven’t even realized yet.
Before Spor, Evol Intent’s Gigantor threw down a monstrous set, because frankly, he is a monstrous man. With an hour of his mean DnB, the crowd was primed for the headliner coming next.
Spor gave a shoutout to Evol Intent before he started his set, telling the crowd he was like his older brother, as they go back 10 years. He transitioned with a DnB remix of “Easy Does It.”
“You know this is a Drum ‘n Bass show when there’s no microphone, so we using headphones man!” laughed Spor. He added how “mad” it was that this D.C. show sold out in just a couple of days after tickets went on sale.
He opened with a few songs off “Caligo,” Spor’s newest album, and sprinkled more new tunes throughout the night along with other favorites.
But leave it to Spor to save one of the best for last, ending the night with the last song of the new album, “The Hole Where Your House Was.”
Something sweet is just out of reach
And something thick and heavy rumbles
As I walk towards the end of the tunnel
And I’m almost free
Afterwards, DJ Chad “2rip” Bozzarelli came on stage to say how long he has been waiting for this lineup to happen. The last time Spor and Evol Intent were playing together was back in 2009 at the Fall Massive in Baltimore– and the party was shut down.
When the Spor set was over, I joined the other rabid fans upfront, battling for fist bumps and autographs from Gooch. He was even happy to take a few selfies with some fans. Instead of asking for something from him, I handed him my theMUES hat right off my head as a gesture of thanks for such a memorable performance. This guy could have easily sold out 9:30 Club, or even Echostage, but he was here busting U Hall at the seams. I don’t normally give my gear away like that, but Mr. Spor can have my hat and the shirt off my back any day.
But the night didn’t end there. At about 2:00 a.m. our now-local darling, DJ Des McMahon, closed out the show, fulfilling one of his bucket list goals — and gathering praise from those who stayed through until the lights came on.
So proud of my roomie @DesMcMahon for accomplishing a bucket list goal: play a @Spor show and crush it ✅ #Spor#DnBpic.twitter.com/tTBcDDDNMq
— Pamdemonium (@Pam_Sterling) July 17, 2015
Article by Toby Mues and Cristina Rayas