As if it were not exciting enough just to have Somasphere playing the Granada on a Friday night, they made the show free to everyone over 21 years old! Such love. So it was obvious by 9:30 p.m. that the big venue would be put to the test and packed to capacity. Three DJs warming the crowd up and Somasphere blasting the venue with their bass-heavy beats made it a night to remember. Anyone who loves electronic music should have been there.
The Granada is one of the biggest venues in town, but even so, a free show will gather more people than any bar could want. Even though they were charging kids under 21 three bucks to get in, the crowd was a mix of older party people and lots of kids too happy to pay just a few dollars for an epic Friday night show. Getting into a show for free always gives folks an extra boost of energy, on top of that they also have more money for booze, which means the party just gets crazier. Inevitably there were plenty of people showing up to the Granada early to secure their wristbands, so the opening DJs got started early in kind.
The first DJ was already on by 10 p.m., warming up the gathering mob for what was guaranteed to be a manic night. To their credit, these DJs were actually quite good. Most opener DJs are only moderately entertaining. With a crowd fueled by the excitement the evening promised and some very dance-able mixes, the DJs got the dance floor going quite quickly.
It was especially relieving to enjoy good quality DJs once the word got around that the headliners weren't starting until midnight. Whatever their reasons, the wait for Somasphere was worth it. The third DJ really was a tough act to follow, but Somasphere came out with the energy of the sun and blew away the already-pumped audience with their combined styles of electronica and rock.
The heavy bass gives Somasphere's tunes a dirty, dancing rhythm the crowd cannot resist. Combined with the rockin', melodic guitar and spacey synthesizer, the band's harmony's are compelling and addictive. The audience took to the music right from the start and never stopped dancing. The band literally never took more than a second's break between hits and did not even wait long before running back out for their highly-demanded encore. An interesting aspect of the band's percussion is that they use both traditional and electronic drum kits, creating a wider range of beats for different songs.
The influences for this amazing, young band are many and well-loved in the scene. You can hear touches of Sound Tribe Sector 9, Thievery Corporation, Bassnectar, EOTO, Pnuma Trio, Bonobo, Daft Punk, RJD2 and many more, which have been made part of Somasphere's very own style of Electro Drum & Bass.
It's obvious that the Lincoln/Omaha band loves Lawrence. And Lawrence loves Somasphere. Last December the band played at the Jackpot with Big Gigantic. The tiny venue could not hold the horde of music lovers that wanted to see them. The Granada was a much better choice this year. Last May Somasphere threw down a sick set at Festy Fest outside of town, with more room for dancers to strut their stuff, it was a fantastic night. But neither set could compare with last night's wild party. Their set list was a non-stop bass-blasting dance party, which was exactly what the crowd wanted. Last night the Granada was a thumping, electrified riot of good vibes that will be the talk of the town for weeks.
Somasphere's shows won't always be free, but they are incredibly good. This rising star in the electronic music scene is definitely worth coming out to see. Whether or not you were there this time, you need to be there next time!
Now for Previews:
Tonight is Fatso's weekly club experience, with DJ Parle'. If you haven't had enough electronica and dancing, this will be the place to go tonight. For just $3 you can get good drinks at decent prices and dance your buns off to hip-hop, Top 40 and house music. Doors open at 9 p.m., music starts at 10 p.m.
Tuesday you can catch a traditional Bluegrass and Blues band from Austin, Texas. Fat Man And Little Boy: The Atomic Duo will be rambling and rocking out their unique blend of old-school bluegrass roots and blues at the Eighth Street Taproom for just $3!
This Thursday is NEON Dance Party's last night. The DJ dance party has been a Lawrence tradition for 9 years, and has moved between venues all around downtown, but the party is finally coming to an end at the bar it began, the Jackpot. If you are one of the thousands of folks in Lawrence who remember great times getting crunk at this Thursday night tradition, come out one last time and dance for old times' sake!
You stay classy, Lawrence!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment