- For a long time now Brazilian club Warung has been chasing Ricardo Villalobos to play at their club. Rumors have swirled for many months that such a night might happen in January, but it was only two weeks before his eventual gig that it was confirmed. On one of the hottest nights of the summer thus far, Argenis Brito and Robert Babicz joined the Chilean DJ. Brito warmed things up nicely for Babicz, who ended playing for nearly three hours, showcasing his diverse sound throughout. Some complained that he should have played more of a warm-up set. But Babicz took over at 3 AM, and it's hard to imagine most Brazilian crowds sticking around for six hours of mellow sounds. Either way, Villalobos finally appeared at 6:30 AM after a short set from Aninha, one of the club's resident DJs.
Photo credit: Adriel Douglas
Greeted with the first rays of morning sun illuminating the dance floor, and friendly and smiling as usual, Villalobos opened the set with a track that seemed to have an interminably long break. Afterwards, though, he weaved a mix that encompassed many different styles—even dubstep—with a touch of Latin vocals and jazz elements present throughout. A touch of exaggeration in his performance could not be ignored, but if it came to displease some, for most attendees this helped make the party. Villalobos' passion and involvement with the music combined with a hefty dose of fun made his marathon set pass by quickly. Near noon on Saturday, exhausted though still enjoying myself, I left. Later I heard reports that Villalobos finished at around 3 PM.