- If there was one takeaway from Sebastian Ingrosso's recent set at Pacha in New York, it's that the crowd didn't come out for the go-go dancers. Local DJ Brad Miller had been carrying the ever-growing crowd since 10 PM, and had finally gotten them to that magic time—somewhere between midnight and 2 AM—where he had exhausted the greater part of his musical repertoire and was beginning to drift, but it hardly mattered. That's because Miller's set up to that point had been a rousing marathon that vacillated between progressive and funky house, with the crowd singing lyrics to anthems right back at him.
He had created an unstoppable momentum, and the crowd hardly noticed the dip in energy. They were ready for the Swedish House Mafia man to step behind the decks. When Ingrosso took command, it became immediately evident why the trio is so hot right now. While the club is legally supposed to hold 1,000, it seemed more like ten times that number. The dance floor in front of the DJ booth was a black hole—those fortunate (or not) to have fought their way there were now under the massive pressure of gravity.
Photo credit: Mir Anwar
But if Ingrosso had created a massacre it was only because the crowd loved it, and he was more than delighted to please. He set out, dropping track after track of the SHM sound, full of those filtered disco guitars and ecstasy synths. The medley of current hits drove the crowd insane. Somewhere in the crowd, the Swedish flag was unfurled and passed around over the mass of heads. One girl caught hold of the flag as it swirled around her, and wrapped it around her neck like a cape. Ingrosso responded by pulling the Pacha bullhorn. The lights went up on a sea of hands and Ingrosso dropped Basement Jaxx's "Put Your Hands Up" into the mix like a pro.
4:30 AM came and went, but the place was still packed as though it was still only one in the morning. Ingrosso proved to have incredible staying power, making his darker, afterhours sound seem like peak hour repeating itself. Too suddenly, though, it was past 5 AM and Ingrosso cut the sound and got on the mic to thank the crowd. From down on the dance floor up to those crammed into the balcony, though, there came enormous cheers and, eventually, a chant for one more.