Bassnectar Edmonton - Empire Ballroom, November 27th '09

Ok, a jump forward in time.

I'm writing about all the big parties I hit this past summer, but need to keep up-to-date on all the wicked smaller venues I am getting to experience in the meantime!

I just had to say that the show Bassnectar put on was amazing. The venue was great, the sound was awesome and the crowd was loving it.

I arrived in Edmonton early evening on the 27th. I had originally planned on being there around supper time, but the roads were horrendous due to terribly icy conditions, so the main highway was closed until almost Bowden. Thankfully, I didn't have any problems, although there was a moment where I felt the wheels of the car gliding over the surface of the road - a huge adrenalin rush followed, but that kept me awake for the rest of the ride and made me super vigilant, so all good.

Finding the Empire Ballroom was easy - it is located in the West Edmonton Mall, so we got to the venue about 9:45ish. Thankfully it was relatively warm out, so we were able to survive the almost 40 minute wait in line! There was much confusion with will-call and non-ticket holder line-ups. Turns out the will-call ticket holders had to wait a lot longer. Next time, I'll buy the ticket at the door!!! Once inside, the line-up continued to be a gong-show with the coat-check being totally disorganized and S L O W. Come on event organizers - this is the second time in two weeks that getting in to a DJ has been a gong show. (The last was TIESTO in Calgary - also ridiculous... I'll write about that one too.)

However, once inside, we were treated to a really fun venue. The Empire Ballroom is really set-up for events like this, with a multi-level design, almost any vantage point had great views of Bassnectar. I spent most of the night in a cage - with a bottom that actually raised and lowered! It provided a perfect perch from which to both shake it and see the show. I had to step off a few times, just to keep my land-legs about me. The up-down motion added an extra sensory element to the evening that kept things interesting.

When Bassnector appeared, on time, around midnight, he pulled out a wicked, wicked set. The crowd was totally pumped and energized by his mesmerizing beats. He truly is a unique DJ and really knows how to manage a dance floor. I've seen him a few times, the last at Burning Man, and honestly, this was the best show of his yet. At the burn he seemed a little tired and missed the mark when it came to flow and keeping the crowd charmed. This time he was right on target.

I went with a friend who hadn't seen Bassnectar before and he mirrored some of my sentiments the first time I saw him. He really liked the show, but wasn't sure if he really was into the music. Bassnectar is really an event, not just music. The first time you see him, I think most people aren't quite sure how to interpret the experience. Really. The next time, you know what to expect, and can let go with the flow and melt into his sweet, sweet sounds. Let the beats blast your mind and body. Move with the deep deep sounds that will shake every cell of your being. Sounds a little hokey, but it's true!



Thanks Bassnectar for putting on a great show and making the drive and line-up worth every minute.