We’ve all been at crazy festivals before. EDC, UMF, and Sensation always bring the heat and you know what you type of energy and adrenaline you will experience before you even enter the venue. Clubs, on the other hand, can be hit or miss. Sometimes the DJs and people decide to bring it, while on other days you almost need a few extra drinks to make the time pass by more quickly. Rest assured — this did not happen on November 5th during R3hab’s performance at Ruby Skye.

Here’s a bold statement to get things going: R3hab’s set at Ruby Skye was the best crowd we have ever been a part of — festival or not.

There, we said it. Now let us give you 10 reasons why you should believe it.

Statement #1: The DJ’s energy directly correlates to crowd energy.

Being a full time DJ is like partying for a living. We understand that no DJ complains about his or her lifestyle, but going out 200+ times a year is tiring to say the least. Partying is great, but it’s also mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. It is easy for a DJ to go through the motions and do the ‘minimum acceptable standard’ to get through a live show, but R3hab refuses to do this. The guy is like the Energizer Bunny… on 10 Red Bulls and a few shots of tequila.

Question for R3hab #1: What do you think your vertical jump is? All we can say is – you may be able to out-jump Blake (see video below).

Whether he was pointing at the crowd, singing the lyrics, mixing with intensity, or just flat out partying, one thing is certain: R3hab is a boss.

Statement #2: Proper promotion goes a long way.

Quickly glance over R3hab’s Facebook and Twitter accounts from the hours before the event. He seemed genuinely excited to be coming back to San Francisco for the second time in roughly a two-month span. Yes, the free guest list helped, but people knew who he was, and — more importantly — they were dying to get in. It’s unfortunate that Ruby Skye isn’t a bigger venue, because the line was around the corner  and we know that not everyone got in.

Announcement #1: Next time R3hab comes to town – plan ahead. You now know it will be packed and a night you cannot miss. Get your shit together and make it happen.

Statement #3: Having a popular MC adds to the intensity.

At times having an MC on stage is often annoying, but when he or she can effectively read the crowd, it can definitely add to the atmosphere. MC Ambush fits that description like a glove and encouraged everyone to go above and beyond their normal partying capabilities.

The energy between both R3hab and MC Ambush was the highest when they dropped Fadil’s remix of Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love.” It was almost as if their craziness rubbed off on all of us.

Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love (R3hab Remix) 

Statement #4: Being a great producer and releasing tracks in bunches increases popularity among EDM attendees.

At first glance this may seem so obvious it isn’t worth mentioning. However, there are a few different ways to go about releasing tracks to attract attention.

Strategy #1: The Avicii Practice

This practice has been mastered and trademarked by Tim Berg. Initially, you tease a huge audience at a festival with a track you plan on releasing in the future. The crowd goes wild, and countless people who were there upload the video onto YouTube, where it quickly goes viral. A few months later youl release an “official preview,” followed by a “teaser video,” and then after the tune has been leaked and played a few million times, it’s finally released on Beatport or iTunes.

Why it works: The song’s life extends drastically with this practice. You can regenerate excitement by elongating the process. Think: “Levels.”

Strategy #2: The Swedish House Mafia “I Am Incredibly Iconic” Approach

This is coined by the Swedish House Mafia. You have created such an aura about you that there is no need to create a bunch of tracks per year – you just need to release a few that are damn good. The Swedish House Mafia released “Miami 2 Ibiza” and “One” last year, and this year they have released “Save The World” and will be releasing “Antidote” in the near future.

Why it works: When you release something, people know it is going to be an anthem. Only the biggest and brightest stars can pull this off.

Strategy #3: The R3hab “Mass Quantity” Theory

R3hab is a great producer. Great producers become great by pumping out tune after tune at an impressive clip. R3hab releases his stuff almost weekly: he creates a track, makes it a banger, and moves on. People are surrounded by R3hab tunes and can’t get enough. It’s like an “overdose,” but in the best way possible.

Why it works: If your name is all over the place and is generating waves every single day, you are more inclined to be considered awesome. The rate at which R3hab pumps out tracks is truly astonishing.

R3hab is the poster boy for releasing a million good to great tracks. Being plastered on every blog/news outlet definitely has its perks. Word of mouth goes a long way in attracting all different types of attendees.

Statement #5: The bigger the drop, the better the crowd reaction.

Can you name a DJ out there whose drops are bigger than R3hab’s? We’ll give you a moment. Did you come up with anything? Probably not. If you don’t agree, listen to this:

David Guetta ft. Usher – Without You (R3hab’s ‘XS’ Remix)

…or this. R3hab & Swanky Tunes – Sending My Love (Original Mix)

Extra Credit: Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – Give Me Everything (R3hab Remix)

“Give Me Everything” reached number one on the Billboard charts, and R3hab’s remix destroys the original in the best way possible. How many times has a remix of a chart-topping song been indisputably better? Answer: not very often.

Statement #6: Proper use of lights and fog machines increases energy exponentially.

Every club has these, but it’s the timing that is key. For example when R3hab dropped “Prutataaa,” every time the classic “woo” sound came about, the fog machines erupted. We want to describe what we felt, but we believe that the cast of How I Met Your Mother does a better job.

When R3hab dropped Avicii’s “Levels” the yellow stadium lights went off to cast a bright glow over the entire club. This is the only time where you will be able to see everyone in the club and see the appreciation of the moment on their faces. (Editor’s Note: Guys, this is also the time where you quickly use your peripheral vision to find where the hottest women in the club are located and then inch your way towards them. This brings us to our next point…)

Statement #7: Hot women make life and music better.

It may be that R3hab’s music turns women on, or it may be because women find R3hab incredibly attractive. Whatever the reason, Ruby Skye was the best looking we had ever seen it. When glancing around the packed dance floor we noticed an extremely high number of “holy shit, she is hot” type of women. Every guy (and girl) know that women are the most valuable “commodity” when going out, but this was unbelievable.

Question for R3hab #3: Was the afterparty fun?

Statement #8: There is no sound system that is prepared for R3hab.

R3hab’s remixes are made for the clubs. They make people bounce…

Calvin Harris – Bounce (R3hab Remix)

That being said, we believe that R3hab lives and dies by this quote:

“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”

Excessive drops. Excessive intensity. Excessive sound. Excessive shot pounding. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this? Ruby Skye’s sound system is known as one of the best in the nation. However, they are going to need to upgrade that next time R3hab is in town, because he nearly blew the walls off that poor club.

Statement #9: “No time to relax” is definitely a good thing.

“Chilling out” is for people who don’t know how to rage. However, have no fear, if you fall under this category – we are going to take some of our earnings and purchase the you a gift certificate to a farm that will help you grow some balls (taken partially from Johnny Drama in Entourage). R3hab doesn’t give you time to relax or leave the dance floor, grab a drink, or get away from the crowd. Reason being: there is never a time you want to leave – it’s just banger after banger. R3hab is non-stop.

Luciana – I’m Still Hot (R3hab Remix)

Statement #10: R3hab is ‘legendary’

Neil Patrick Harris explains this one the best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKSdPfucDQA

Don’t miss R3hab if you have the opportunity to go see him.

Editor’s Note: After attending R3hab I had an appointment with my audiologist. She said I was experiencing some minor signs of short term hearing loss. During her explanation of what needed to happen, she touched on the possibility of going to ‘R3hab’ in order to correct the problem. Needless to say, when the time comes, I will oblige.

Categories: Music