Diesel nightclub, located on the southside of Pittsburgh, recently hosted UK producer xxxy and Boston-based dubstep artist Moldy. Hearing a well-mixed and interesting UK bass set in a posh nightclub is a rarity in Pittsburgh, as most of the good stuff happens in the dive bars in this town—dark, smoky climes with questionable bathrooms and cheap beer are the preferred venue attributes. Every once in a while, though, it's nice to get an earful of fashionable future garage and a little American dubstep that isn't Skrillex or the like in a club that has mints in the bathroom. While the crowd in the club was unorthodox and possibly a little unaware of what a treat they were getting, the room filled up to a comfortable capacity by the end of opener Ryan Walsh's set.
Girls in not-so-dance floor-friendly high heels and guys in their button downs and clouds of Axe spray milled about while Moldy then proceeded to run through a series of selections heavy on sub-bass. The brand of music that he was offering—grimey and tinged with hints of drumstep—seemed to catch most of the room off guard. However, as with any show, regardless of the uninformed majority, there was a cluster of folks who couldn't get enough of it.
Photo credit: Dave Mckelvey
In contrast with the grungy boom of Moldy, xxxy gave everyone a tempo they were a little more familiar with, heavy on classicist four-to-the-floor. He worked in retro cuts with fresher material from the likes of Jacques Greene and Kingdom, accenting it all with his own productions. He's an accessible producer and the proof was in the way the crowd swelled as his set went on. And when it was all said and done, for an uncharacteristically posh night out in Pittsburgh, Moldy and xxxy had provided a special soundtrack for some people who most likely don't get to hear such DJing talent and music on a regular basis.
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