Trouble & Bass, with Starkey and Supra1
Nov. 10 at U Street Music Hall, Washington DC
Around the corner from the 930 Club in Washington DC exists a nightclub that is quickly joining the ranks of the most enjoyable nightclubs on the east coast. The U Street Music Hall, conveniently located at 1115 U Street NW, provides a place for any dance music lover to go nearly any day of the week. Washington favorite DJ’s, Will Eastman and Jesse Tittsworth, are the primary owners of this nightclub, which opened in March of this year. The amount of detail that went into the making of this club might not be noticeable to you, but having been built and designed by DJ’s, it is in a league of its own–from the state-of-the-art sound system, with bass loud enough to rattle your chest from across the 300-capacity dance floor, to the unique DJ booth which allows the DJ to not only control the music, but the lights and overall atmosphere of the room. Over the past few months, U Hall (as it’s commonly known) has booked some of the most sought-after DJ’s that are playing now. In either the recent past or the near future, they’ve scheduled acts such as: Rusko, Simian Mobile Disco, Borgore, Emalkay, Drop The Lime, Designer Drugs, Borgore. Before U Hall opened, the chances of any of these performers playing in the DC area were very slim. Now, due to overwhelmingly positive feedback and a sound system that will make your pants tight, U Street Music Hall is becoming a must on any given tour.
Trouble & Bass, with Starkey and Supra1
Nov. 10 at U Street Music Hall, Washington DC
Around the corner from the 930 Club in Washington DC exists a nightclub that is quickly joining the ranks of the most enjoyable nightclubs on the east coast. The U Street Music Hall, conveniently located at 1115 U Street NW, provides a place for any dance music lover to go nearly any day of the week. Washington favorite DJ’s, Will Eastman and Jesse Tittsworth, are the primary owners of this nightclub, which opened in March of this year. The amount of detail that went into the making of this club might not be noticeable to you, but having been built and designed by DJ’s, it is in a league of its own–from the state-of-the-art sound system, with bass loud enough to rattle your chest from across the 300-capacity dance floor, to the unique DJ booth which allows the DJ to not only control the music, but the lights and overall atmosphere of the room. Over the past few months, U Hall (as it’s commonly known) has booked some of the most sought-after DJ’s that are playing now. In either the recent past or the near future, they’ve scheduled acts such as: Rusko, Simian Mobile Disco, Borgore, Emalkay, Drop The Lime, Designer Drugs, Borgore. Before U Hall opened, the chances of any of these performers playing in the DC area were very slim. Now, due to overwhelmingly positive feedback and a sound system that will make your pants tight, U Street Music Hall is becoming a must on any given tour.
Wednesday night, one of Richmond’s favorite music labels, Trouble & Bass, hosted their monthly residence party at U Hall. The Trouble & Bass crew, consisting of AC Slater, Star Eyes and the Captain, with special guests Starkey and Supra1, made me realize why I love not only this club, but the artists they frequently associate themselves with. You might remember a DJ by the name of Drop The Lime who has torn Richmond up on several occasions. If you did not already know, he also helped start the label Trouble & Bass a few years ago, and has since gone global with it. The T&B crew were on the decks first last night, taking turns mixing the bass-heavy tunes we have grown to associate them with. AC Slater, who has been considered one of the most talented up-and-coming producers around, combined with the precision of The Captain and Star Eyes’ “darker” influence. The trio was able to play the perfect combination of tracks that sampled their extensive catalogue.
After a two-hour set, special guest Starkey was getting ready to take over the dance floor. By this time, everyone seemed to be loosened up and the dance floor was getting a little heavy. Starkey took over the wheels and, after a spoken-word intro similar to the opening track on Outkast’s Stankonia album, hit the crowd in the face with bass and percussive tones that I could have never seen coming. His high energy level in the booth seemed to come out to us through the music. I was blown away at the intensity of his performance, and would go out of my way to see him again. Rather than dancing to your typical 4/4 groove, Starkey puts your skills to the test, making you move in rhythms you probably did not know you could dance to. Regardless, his songs hit hard and kept you going throughout the duration of his set.
Supra1 emerged close to 1:30 and was set to close out the evening. Unfortunately for him, being scheduled behind Starkey would prove to be costly. While Supra1, who hails from Poland, put on a great performance when judged by itself, I believe that Starkey stole the spotlight for the rest of the evening. Surpra1’s style is not as hard-hitting as Starkey, and while that is perfectly fine, I think we were not ready for a slower-paced set afterwards. Supra1 is relatively new on the scene, having been picked up by Trouble&Bass just over a year ago. There was a ton of good music being played and the only thing I wish I could have changed was his timeslot for that evening.
All in all, Trouble & Bass knows how to party. They throw their resident party once a month in DC with a changing set of DJs each time. I suggest you all clear your schedule on December 8. Make plans to pay U Street Music Hall a visit to hear T&B artists J-Wow (of Buraka von Sistema), Zombies for Money and Star Eyes. You will not be disappointed.
A video demonstrating U Street Music Hall’s sound system
