- Waiting in line for entrance on a wonderfully warm night, it had slipped my mind that stop number two on Damian Lazarus's aptly titled "Devils Night Tour" was taking place only a week before Halloween. It didn't take long, however, before I was reminded of that fact: There on the patio, crunk chalet and all, was a fully dressed Lil' Jon. Upon entrance, too, any thought that it wasn't Halloween slipped away in the face of a full-on rave scene. The main room was packed with costume-clad revelers, glowsticks and whistles. DJ Icey and Richard Humpty Vission were playing selections that have since been forgotten, but were no doubt fulfilling the energetic crowds.
This night, though, was about the Beatport Lounge, which is nicely tucked in the top corner of the club and shields most of the sound from the huge main room. It is a decent-sized second room, with an open layout. Nooks to "lounge" in surround a cozy dance floor on all sides and a good sized bar complements the room well. I haven't been to Watergate Berlin yet, but I assume the large LED ceiling panel is modeled after the famed venue. The active, colorful lights almost beckon you, drawing you closer to the DJ booth, which sits maybe a foot off the floor. Combine that with low lighting and a Funktion 1 sound system and you have got an intimate little setting.
At 11:30, Denver local DJ Bones was bumping pleasant tech house. Most in the lounge were in normal clothing with the occasional costumed appearance—in opposition to the downstairs. That said, there was a bouncing couple dressed as clowns or hobos or something, enjoying the sounds in the lounge. (It is always a treat to see a fully dressed clown throwing down correctly to some proper techno.) And after a quick lap downstairs to catch up with some friends, I returned to find the Crosstown Rebel had seized the decks.
Lazarus had the dancers dancing throughout his entire set. He moved in and out of warm minimal, tech house and darker techno ably. Extended breakdowns and buildups were nothing but on-point, giving the set a soundtrack feel. Lazarus seemed to agree, dancing himself and encouraging everyone to get involved. Try as I may, I couldn't ID a single track throughout the night. (Seeing top-shelf professionals should be about hearing the sounds of tomorrow live and in the moment, especially considering the ease of downloading these days.) That said, I couldn't help but run up to the booth once, asking him directly for one title, which turned out to be Loco Dice's remix of Riz MC, a gem of a track due out on his CR imprint this month. I wish you could tell you more, but by 12:45 I was grooved away from any forms of journaling duties and lost in my space on the dance floor. Lazarus has a way of doing that. He's a force to be reckoned with, and it's nice to have him Stateside.