DallasK and Wolfgang Gartner sell out Webster Hall, 10/14/2011
When we arrived at Webster Hall we encountered a large mob of people pushing their way inside. What should have been a line was instead a mass of degenerates cursing and shoving, eager to get inside for their flat beer and heavy electro. It had only been two weeks ago since we had seen Alex Metric perform to what we considered to be a packed house, but this was different, much different. Bodies were crammed inside like sardines. Elbow to elbow, slowly maneuvering their way through the mob towards the various bars throughout the club.
Read more after the jump.
Before we made our way upstairs we stopped briefly to take a few shots of well whiskey and grab what would likely be our last beers of the evening. After chugging the warm swill, we navigated the labyrinthian mass of sweating bodies just in time to see DallasK take the decks.
The 20-year-old Orlando native has been leaving his mark on the electronic world with his original productions and impressive remixes. Opening for Woflgang Gartner to a sold-out crowd is no easy task and we will be honest, Dallas did not rise to the occasion. It wasn’t that his set lacked energy or that his mixing was off, rather, he suffered from a poor track selection that despite his exuberant enthusiasm could not be ignored. Maybe because it was his New York City debut he chose to play a more reserved selection of tracks including “Rolling In the Deep,” “Knas,” and “The Island,” but we had hoped to have heard a more experimental set — especially with the type of crowd Webster Hall usually draws.
When he finally did stray from the comfort of proven bangers it was well-received. The crowd went wild for his remix of Nero’s “Guilt” and his recently released original “Front/Back.” As Dallas became more comfortable and willing to take risks we were pleasantly surprised with his eclectic track selection ranging from hard electro to neo-disco.
Nero – Guilt (DallasK Remix)
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DallasK – Front/Back (Original Mix)
Freefire – Dataloss (Darth & Vader Remix)
Rogerseventytwo – You Take Me Higher (Original Mix)
The increased popularity of the electronic music scene could not have been more apparent than when Wolfgang Gartner emerged from backstage. A year ago, his unassuming demeanor would have elicited a bit of applause – nothing more – but the second the crowd saw the timid DJ/producer step up behind the decks they erupted in a roar of cheers. Cries of “Wolfgang, Wolfgang, Wolfgang” echoed through the cavernous space and then were immediately silenced as he began his set. The sold-out crowd moshed, thrashed and crowd surfed for nearly two and a half hours as Wolfgang continued his barrage of howling electro tracks. This was no longer a DJ set; it had become a rock concert.
Wolfgang Gartner Ft. Eve – Get Em (Original Mix)
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Wolfgang Gartner – 818 (Original Mix)
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Wolfgang Gartner – Space Junk (Original Mix)
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Wolfgang Gartner – Shrunken Heads (Original Mix)
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Check out fellow Ultra Records labelmate deadmau5 perform in San Francisco this Halloween on the 29th. Tickets here.
Photos: Andrew Spada and Roslyn Julia
