If the crowd is giggin and the DJ is bangin, a Dancing Astronaut will be there. If the lights are flashing and the girls are sexy fine, a Dancing Astronaut will be there. And if the music is dirty, and the alcohol is abundant, a Dancing Astronaut will be there. House music is the energy we use to get to space, and Dutch drops are like the nitrous oxide boosters in our engines. This past Thursday, Ruby Skye had some serious energy when TORQ brought the Bay Area’s John Beaver and Beatport chart toppers LA Riots to the stage.
Rolling up to Ruby Skye, the line was louder than usual. We got in queue around the corner from the club and made small talk with the people around us. Lots of good looking guests. To my surprise, more attendees were excited for John Beaver than for LA Riots that night. In front of us, a group of guys bantered about making a decision to come because Beaver or, “the beave” was playing. It was obvious he was a people pleaser. Everybody around me spoke highly of Beaver, each accounting personal interactions they’d had with him. The comments on his Facebook page make you realize he is the popular vote at any venue.
Both floors were packed inside the club. Beaver had just taken to the decks and was already tearing it up. This must have been the happiest DJ I’ve ever seen on turntables. His smile reached from ear to ear as he threw down Kaskade’s Fire In Your New Shoes (feat. Dragonette). His energy seemed to escalate all the way to the end of his set, and the fans were right there with him. Everybody’s hands were up in the air reaching out as if to touch the music.
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/09/Kaskade-feat.-Martina-Of-Dragonette-Fire-In-Your-New-Shoes-Sultan-and-Ned-Shepard-Electric-Daisy-Remix.mp3|titles=Kaskade feat. Martina (Of Dragonette) – Fire In Your New Shoes (Sultan and Ned Shepard Electric Daisy Remix)]
I must make note of the huge Wonderwall remix he dropped. The crowd’s voice along with the track made this a true anthem. From Oasis, cross-genera right into Daft Punk’s One More Time… it never gets old. Beaver’s mixing skills are good, he threw together some great samples with Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix) and Teenage Crime (Axwell Remix). The peak came toward the very end of his set with Everything But the Girl’s ‘Missing’ (Fedde Le Grand Remix). He stepped out from behind his decks and was greeted by a solid group of 20 people rushing to the front of the stage. He enticed the crowed even more, raising the excitement with his interaction. Beaver stepped out over the monitors and passed out his CDs “THIS IS IT” (available for free download on his SoundCloud). Things were only going to get better…
Oasis – Wonderwall (Myon & Shane 54 Helpless Mix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/Oasis-Wonderwall-Myon-Shane-54-Helpless-Mix.mp3|titles=Oasis – Wonderwall (Myon & Shane 54 Helpless Mix)] [audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/One-more-time-Daft-Punk.mp3|titles=One more time – Daft Punk]Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/11/Temper-Traps-Sweet-Disposition-Axwell-Dirty-South-Remix-www.onlyfat.blogspot.com_.mp3|titles=Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)] [audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/06/Teenage-Crime-Axwell-Remix.mp3|titles=Adrian Lux – Teenage Crime (Axwell Remix)]Check out John Beaver’s podcast Libra Rising Podcast with hosts John Beaver & J Scott G.
LA Riots, consisting of Daniel LeDisko and Jon Pegnato, kept the crowd’s momentum going with their first track, “Open Your Heart”. At the first drop, the crowd went nuts, and the lights in the venue went off like fireworks. Axwell’s huge drop was mixed right into a tech remix of a huge house classic: Zombie Disco Squad’s remix of Ride On Time by Black Box. It was huge… no, MASSIVE. Everybody played air piano along with the break down. Ten minutes into their set and the audience was already captivated.
Open Your Heart (Vocal Mix) -Dirty South And Axwell
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/01-Open-Your-Heart-Vocal-Mix-1.mp3|titles=Open Your Heart (Vocal Mix)]Black Box – Ride On Time (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/Black-Box-Ride-On-Time-Zombie-Disco-Squad-Remix.mp3|titles=Black Box – Ride On Time (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)]
The duo took their set deeper and deeper with some tech-nasty tracks, periodically surfacing for some B-More style electro bangers. All you tech house fans have to check out Gel Abril – Spells Of Yoruba (Bingo Players Remix). It has a real bouncy funky feel to it, and Round Table Knights – Stomper (Original Mix) for the horn samples.
Gel Abril – Spells Of Yoruba (Bingo Players Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/Gel-Abril-Spells-Of-Yoruba-Bingo-Players-Remix-www.xpresssion.blogspot.com_.mp3|titles=Gel Abril – Spells Of Yoruba (Bingo Players Remix)]Round Table Knights – Stomper (Original Mix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/Round-Table-Knights-Stomper-Original-Mix1.mp3|titles=Round Table Knights – Stomper (Original Mix)]
Jon and Daniel took turns back and forth on the decks playing solo for several tracks at a time before switching, giving the audience a real feel for each of their styles. Daniel had a dirty bass, heavy electro, style running off two CDJ-2000’s and Serato. Jon wound up the crowd with some progressive tech house tunes off of a CDJ-800 and the left CDJ-2000. Together, it was a perfect combination of tech and electro, with flawless transitions between the two DJs.
By 12:45 LA Riots were dropping some funky house and filthy electro, one after another. The most notable part of the set were Daniel’s live mashups. Polkadots 2010 (Oliver Twizt Remix) versus Congorock – Babylon. The bass pounded as the sampled shouted out, “WE SHOULD ALL WEAR POLKADOTS” and landed into Babylon’s hook. The crowd responded, and the Riot gave them another dirty drop with You Gonna Want Me (Hey Today! Remix). But we wanted more…
Polkadots 2010 (Oliver Twitz Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/08.-Polkadots-2010-Oliver-Twitz-Remix.mp3|titles=Polkadots 2010 (Oliver Twitz Remix)]Congorock – Babylon (Original Mix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/03/Babylon.mp3|titles=Congorock – Babylon (Original Mix)]You Gonna Want Me (Hey Today! Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/You-Gonna-Want-Me-Hey-Today-Remix.mp3|titles=You Gonna Want Me (Hey Today! Remix)]
Next came a massive mix between Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix) and Pacha On Acid (Original Mix). The drops went back and forth using the hook from Pacha on Acid and the vocals of Sweet Disposition. It was a tight mix that gave the melodic progressive tracks a dirty feel.
Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/11/Temper-Traps-Sweet-Disposition-Axwell-Dirty-South-Remix-www.onlyfat.blogspot.com_.mp3|titles=Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix)] [audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2010/02/Pacha-On-Acid-Original-mix.mp3|titles=Afrojack – Pacha On Acid (Original mix)]
Just past 1 o’clock, the club was still packed. The dance floor was moving and the stage was crowded. At one point, one of LA Riots’ girls knocked over a plasma screen running visuals at the front of stage. Everybody in the crowd was too busy to care, and fortunately, the screen was propped back up and continued to work as if nothing happened.
At 1:30 and the electro was cooling off, and the set took a more progressive turn, with tracks like Sander van Doorn’s “Reach Out“. They lost a little bit of momentum toward the end of the set, exploring other progressive tracks, but they brought it back with a hard and filthy hit: Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Lemonade. Our crew was diggin’ it!
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/03-Reach-Out-Original-Mix-_-You-Got-The-Love.mp3|titles=Reach Out (Original Mix)]Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Lemonade
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/02-Lemonade-Original-Mix.mp3|titles=Lemonade (Original Mix)]
Overall, it was an energy packed night. With the help of John Beaver opening for them, LA Riots were handed a red hot crowd which they bend back and forth with tech house and electro house. I was surprised to hear the duo play so many tech tracks after the last time I saw them at Live 105’s Spookfest for Halloween. Normally, LA Riots is known for their bass ripping electro hits, but it looks like they may be cooling off and changing directions. I’m sure a lot of fans, including myself, were holding out to hear some hits like their new collaboration with Steve Aoki, Paradise Poltergeist feat. Steve Aoki (LA Riots Remix), and some other original tracks of theirs. I’m going to think of this set as a transition in styles for LA Riots, and we can expect to start hearing some new sounds from the duo. Listen to more LA Riots’ here.
Paradise Poltergeist feat. Steve Aoki (LA Riots Remix) – Tai
[audio:http://uploads.dancingastronaut.com/2011/01/Paradise-Poltergeist-feat.-Steve-Aoki-LA-Riots-Remix.mp3|titles=Paradise Poltergeist feat. Steve Aoki (LA Riots Remix)]View more photos on our FaceBook gallery.
-Keep it dirty
Straight killing it with these photos Drew.
I’m in one of these pics so I’m grabbing it for my facebook (Theresa Krause), will credit you! Awesome night (Ruby)!
Would definitively agree that Beaver was a crowd pleaser, so much energy and great house tracks back to back – I was basically singing along his whole entire set.
L.A. Riots were a bit of a disappointment, after seeing them three times up close and personal live, this was their worst set that I could recall. Personally, it was too techy for the most part, with Polkadots to Babylon being a great transition, and the finale was all over the place with little energy left. Ehhh.. Was hoping that would rock the place a bit harder ;]