Simply put, the Baltimore Bass Connection run indy music. They were built for it. A loose connection of friends all unified by a) living in Baltimore b) being some of the hungriest and most creative DJs and musicians in the industry and c) loving bass, the crew threw weekly parties at Baltimore’s Ottobar starting in 2005 that were focused on indie pop, punk, no wave, hip hop, electro, soul and Baltimore club music. Literally everyone touched by the spirit of those parties has gone on to be a leading and cutting edge contributor to the forward movement of progressive music. From a producer like XXXChange to the Death Set, to Emily Rabbit, to Scottie B, the Taxlo crew, and so on and so forth, it’s an impressive list. Upon looking at the flyers, it’s literally the most impressive who’s who of the underground, and in putting them together in the same place at the same time, something magical, incredible, electric and possibly frightening is guaranteed to take place.
http://www.youtube.com/v/4jeZOdeXH04?fs=1&hl=en_US
I went to my first BBC Xmas party at Sonar in 2008. The night was a study in madcap insanity turning into uncontrolled mayhem. With dancing involved. Of the gang of highlights from the night, the most amazing would be involving The Death Set playing while set up on the floor of the club stage at Sonar, and performing amidst a sea of revelers. As in, there’s Johnny Siera, and he’s pretty much yelling in someone’s face, and they don’t care at all. As well, Ninjasonik made themselves as a band to watch when I saw forty partiers jump onstage with them and go word for word and rhyme by rhyme with “Bars.” Plus, between Sonar’s Club Stage and Talking Head, there had to be 500 people in there, and though it was cramped, there was a palpable sense of community, an excitement that the place was here and the time was now.
DC is the new Baltimore. The BBC folks are easily comparable to the endless stream of progressive and talented DJs, producers and performers informing the next generation of underground culture now living in DC. If needing a guidebook on how to do it, the OGs are going to be in town at U Street Music Hall tonight, and class is in session. If you want your ass blown off your body, to leave a sweaty mess and be generally mindfucked into giddy oblivion, tonight is for you. AND, if you haven’t had enough, you can take a striaght shot up 295 to Sonar tomorrow, and stand ground zero in Sodom and Gomorrah.
This is my favorite party of the year. Soon, it will be yours as well. Happy Holidays.
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