Lights Down Low took over the basement of Monarch on Friday, Dec 7th to host Gigamesh and throw one hell of a dance party. The night got started with yours truly, and I had a great time playing on one of the premier sound systems in North America, something that sounds like an exaggeration but isn’t at all. The Void Acoustics set up was recently voted the 7th best sound system in the U.S. by Beatport. This fact was on full display through the night, as everything hit heavy on the lows and clear on the mids and highs.
It was amazing to be able to play on such a high quality system and hear the difference between it and standard club systems. If you get the chance to see a show at Monarch, do it. You’ll be impressed. I worked in a lot of personal favorites for my set, including a few that made my top 10 list for the year, such as “Bicep’s Vision of Love” and “Waze & Oddysey – Love That (Burns Hot Enough).” The crowd was really receptive and the light show set a great tone and vibe for people as they trickled in. Most of my pictures from that night make it look like I’m in a neon jacuzzi/aquarium, which is obviously something anyone should aspire to be in. By the end of my set at 11 the dance floor had filled out nicely.
Josh Kemp stepped on and started dropping some choice deep house cuts. I’m pretty sure his first track was Nick Monaco & “Kill Frenzy – This1That1,” but don’t hold me to that. He set up a groove right off the bat and kept building it up for the crowd til the dance floor was packed to capacity by about 11:30. I was able to talk to Josh for a bit, and he’s a really nice guy and great DJ who was out from Florida to play the show.
Up next came D.A.M.B., who hails from Sacramento. The vibe got kicked up a notch, and my drinking pace picked up the pace to match what he was laying down. His set was really solid and had the crowd dancing front to back. D.A.M.B also dropped some of his own tracks, a lot of which you can listen to here. I didn’t get the chance to talk to him, but I definitely enjoyed his set and want to check him out again.
Gigamesh was up after D.A.M.B. and immediately came in with his own remix for “Punks Jump Up” from Mr. Overtime. Gigamesh has a signature sound with lots of sequencer samples that set a disco/French house vibe that is always infectious. By this point though I was having too good a time. The whole crowd was into it, and everyone was there to just let loose and have a good time. Gigamesh kept up the pace for a while before D.A.M.B. stepped back up to the decks and took over til about 3.
I wound up leaving around 2:15 or so and went home before I could do anymore harm to myself or my wallet. It’s always tough for me to really make comments on a DJ’s individual set because the better they do, the more you don’t notice the technical aspects and just enjoy yourself and dance.
Personally I feel that the party as a whole is a better indicator of how the DJ does and how the show went. That being said the whole night flowed together really effortlessly, and it couldn’t be a better testament for Lights Down Low and the parties they throw. Corey and Richie always throw a stellar party with the best acts that come through the City. Next time you want a guaranteed good time without the hassle and bullshit of the normal club scene. In the end this was one of my favorite shows to play, and by far it was the best sound system I’ve ever had the privilege to play on.
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