Photos by Lisette Worster // Written by EJ Bernardo //

Dirtybird BBQ //
Treasure Island – San Francisco
August 13th, 2016 //

It was that time of the year again last weekend as BBQ season was in full effect on Treasure Island — and it definitely got dirty.

A tradition for SF’s native DJ’s since 2002, the Dirtybird BBQ never fails to deliver. Venturing to the east side of the island where the event was being held proved to be quite a trek for those who drove, as only Lyft and Uber drivers were allowed to drop off passengers directly in front. With this venue well-known for hosting the annual Treasure Island Music Festival, it was a bit of a homecoming of sorts for the legendary BBQ party.

The crowd, meanwhile, was diverse to say the least. A crowd full of weirdos. A crowd full of ratchets. A crowd full of hungry mouths and hungry ears. And everyone ate it up!

Slaying on the decks was a cast of Dirtybird All-Stars that included Ardalan, Worthy, Christian Martin, J.Phlip, Claude VonStroke and lastly Justin Martin, who closed out the festivities with hot fire. With no disrespect to the prior performances, the bass really got the crowd bumping during J.Phlip’s set. Some may recall people getting down so low that people were literally on the ground wiggling to the beat. A man was also seen earlier in the day patiently dancing with a large birthday cake that he was ready throw in the air as soon as VonStroke’s track “Make a Cake” came through the speakers. It was a memorable thing to do to get others as dirty as the tunes that were being dropped onstage.

Claude VonStroke

As Justin Martin finished up a day full of music, the sun slowly faded in and out behind the evening fog. The Dirtybird co-founder’s signature style, which mixes trap beats with more traditional house music, brought the crowd closer together for warmth as well as an epic dance experience.

Being that this was the second year attendees couldn’t bring their own coolers filled with booze into the venue, there were plenty of food and beverage options to satisfy the masses. And though the lines may have been a bit long as expected, they were organized enough to keep things moving along at a decent pace. Plus, the ability to socialize with strangers was something one may not get the chance to do as easily at a club or concert. Whether you were waiting for the ever-crowded porta potties or hitting the jam-packed dance floor, the Dirtybird BBQ once again brought friends and family together.

Along with the familiar sounds from the Dirtybird crew, this year’s BBQ took on the theme of a county fair with old-fashioned activities that included ring tosses, balloon tossing and various opportunities to score a blue ribbon. As many did their best to occupy their inner child for the day, the continuous bump of the bass kept the crowd’s energy level high.

On the whole, the party consisted of reuniting with familiar faces, connecting with new souls, booty shaking to bass music, cake dodging, reminiscing with Jesus Christ in the flesh and the constant search for the lost pink-haired princess named Olive.