Fall Massive, a yearly event that until this weekend, was confined to the limitations of your typical Baltimore nightclub. Gaining thousands and thousands of loyal followers over the course of 2011, Steez Promo, the production group behind the highly successful Starscape Festival, decided to push the music festival boundaries to a level never-before-seen in the Washington, DC area.
Fall Massive, a yearly event that until this weekend, was confined to the limitations of your typical Baltimore nightclub. Gaining thousands and thousands of loyal followers over the course of 2011, Steez Promo, the production group behind the highly successful Starscape Festival, decided to push the music festival boundaries to a level never-before-seen in the Washington, DC area.
Whether it was the custom-built tent “city” that housed the entire event, the 100,000+ watts of bass being pumped out of the subs in the Dub Nation Tent, or the lineup, which consisted of several international headlining DJ’s; Fall Massive was an event that will be remembered for its ability to remain creative in a music scene where DJ’s and “raves” are plentiful. Roughly 8,500 people danced until the early hours of Sunday morning, basking in the rays of lasers which were specifically designed for the event.
Constructing the festival on the lot of the RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, began almost a week in advance. All four stages, five if you include the exclusive VIP stage, were connected by a series of heated hallways which housed a steady river of ravers who had to run between conflicting set times as the night progressed. The VIP experience is worth noting, as those who made the jump were treated to a VIP-only stage where several of the DJ’s that have helped support past Steez Promo shows were showcased. Throw in an express entry into the festival and the VIP’s left satisfied.
Instead of outsourcing the entire festival lineup, acts from all over the Washington, DC, Virginia and Baltimore areas were booked to play the same crowd that many in attendance have enjoyed for years. Several local DJ’s filled Saturday’s roster. DJ 2rip, Proxxy & Lantern, and even Tittsworth, who co-owns the world-renowned U Street Music Hall, paid homage to the city they all called home.
Faced with the decision to either watch Moby play atop what can only be described as a “massive” castle at the Euphoric Kingdom, or join the ranks of the professional “shufflers” in the back next to the scantily clad neon-dipped dancers in the Ultraworld Pavilion, every guest in attendance had a place to call their own. Those who sway more towards the dubstep sounds were treated to a sound system at the Dub Nation Tent which was so loud, that noise complaints were rumored to be coming from upwards of three miles away. Steez Promo mastermind Smash Gordon played a set which seemed to push the system to the limits and satisfy his bass-hungry minions. Zeds Dead were next and they kept the ball rolling, as reports of noise violations started to come in. Towards the end of the night, some speakers had to be cut in an effort to not have the entire festival shut down by DC law enforcement. Skream & Benga, the UK dubstep legends, were granted the longest set of the evening, playing through a forced volume reduction and confused, but grateful crowd.
As we ran from Skream & Benga to catch the last of Martin Solveig’s set at the Majestic Palace, the crowd was pleased to see him end his house-heavy set with the tune that helped catapult him to the top of the dance charts, “Hello”. Diplo, one half of the hardest time conflict many would face that evening, was up at the same time as Moby. Both legends in the electronic music world, the hallway which connected the Euphoric Kingdom and Majestic Palace was a steady flow of eager fans, that wanted their cake and would run to another stage to eat it too. The good thing about acts such as Diplo and Moby is that their music catalogue is so extensive that you see a new and different set every time. Diplo will always surprise you, as Saturday’s audience heard everything from The Police’s, “Roxanne” to Flux Pavillion’s “Bass Cannon”. He even (inadvertently) played tribute to the Moombahton genre, a style of dance music that has gained international traction over the past year, since its creation by DC native, Dave Nada. A particularly memorable moment came when a tune created in part by Richmond’s very own Long Jawns, of Audio Ammo, was unleashed on an eager and willing crowd. Having just released his 10th studio album, Moby is the DJ you book when you want to have a party. He played a set which transported us all over his multi-generational career and made stops every year to remind you of the songs which you forgot you enjoyed. The majority of the crowd was packed with loyal fans, as the rear of the tent seemed reserved for the changing faces of those who were running between Diplo and Moby.
Closing out the event was an exciting and eclectic group of headliners. Armand van Helden on the Majestic Palace stage, who has remixed the likes of the Rolling Stones and Janet Jackson, but more recently, half of the Duck Sauce group who’s 2011 hit, “Barbra Streisand” topped the charts worldwide, played a set that upon my departure, overheard many declare as the best of the evening. Excision, a regular on the Steez Promo circuit, did what he could to push the bass speakers on the Dub Nation stage, despite being restricted by noise complaints. A live performance by Infected Mushroom in the Euphoric Kingdom tent brought out the best in their crowd, as their live instrumentation led the 1am crowd into a fit of celebratory dancing. Rounding out the list of closers were Ed Rush & Optical, a duo of British DJ’s that aimed to highlight a genre of music that is slowly becoming more popular in the US mainstream, drum and bass. Although huge in the UK, the demand for drum and bass in the US is rarely noted, but leave it to Steez Promo to deliver the best of the genre to those in the Ultraworld Pavilion.
Summary: Fall Massive was one of the more aesthetically creative festivals to pop up on the east coast in recent times and will be a landmark event for the future of electronic dance music in the area. A stellar lineup combined with unique stage and sound systems makes me curious about whether they will be able to come up with a more appropriate word than “Massive” to encompass their next event.
P.S. Zeds Dead will be in Richmond THIS Friday at the National. RSVP over HERE!
Words: Alexander Rose
Photos: Erik Fox of Dope On Plastic
