- Attempts to sexify Austin nightlife with bottle service and a strict dress code do not go over well in a city whose motto reminds you to keep it weird. Michael Ault's multi-million dollar lounge chain, Pangaea, was expected to fail by longtime Austin residents, and time proved that only so many Austinites were interested in ordering expensive champagne, no matter how many sparklers and cute cocktail servers came attached. Pangaea announced its farewell to Austin earlier this year, but instead of permanently closing its doors, it has since risen from the ashes as Phoenix.
Inside, the club is now fitted with chandeliers, and huge, framed Baroque prints over the dark walls. And, on October 1st, Danny Howells as well. Despite its forced elegance, the venue is striking, and an interesting visual change for a typical Austin event. Darren Carter opened the night with a whisper: His set was turned down so low that you could barely hear it. People arrived slowly, filling the club as Aurelius Scott followed Carter with further stripped down beats and slow build up to some progressive house in advance of Howells' set.
Howells took control of the tables around midnight and plunged the crowd into a deep, progressive groove that ebbed and flowed, but kept its focus the entire night. Fans of his earliest house productions might have been disappointed, but those who love the strong progressive flavor he has always lent to those same productions were definitely happy with the night's sonic textures. Whether or not the ten-hour-set Howells had a chance to emerge is obviously debatable, but it's a moot point. Austin club settings don't allow for such things to happen. Howells kept Phoenix's larger dance floor moving, even though no one had to squeeze in to hear the best sound. The venue was hardly packed for this internationally beloved headliner, but the party kept pace with Howells until the stroke of 2 AM, when it cleared out in a flash.