I should’ve known this night was going to be different when the house heads from Bmore sprinkled baby powder on the dance floor of the U Street Music Hall in order to really get down.
On some nights you learn that certain DJs are lifted by the spirit of dance, and have a unique connection to music that allows them to play in such a manner that elevates the soul. On Thursday night at the Temple of Boom we’ve come to know and love in DC as the U Street Music Hall, the Deep Sugar and Unruly Records crews combined for a night that was not just a reflection of all being great spinners with a deft touch and agile mind, but that they know how to take music and use it to achieve a desired reaction and interaction with the very essence of a person.
The Deep Sugar crew was represented last night by Lisa Moody and internationally renowned legend Ultra Naté. Not aware of Lisa Moody, I can understand that, and will even give you a late pass. She’s an incredibly underrated Baltimore house DJ. But Ultra Naté? Her major international mainstream hit, 1997’s “Free” has sparked an enormous and legendary dance music career for her, as she perpetually tours the world and is a bankable hitmaker. Over the last six years, on the second Saturday night of every month at Baltimore’s vaunted Paradox usually until 7 AM, and with literally every house DJ and diva singer legend you can imagine, you’re invited to “fall in love again on the dance floor.” What is likely commonplace for the duo was like a blast of cool air on a sweltering summer day to DC, as Lisa, and especially Ultra, played with effortless magnificence. Back to back Winter Music Conference crushers Michael Cleis’ “La Mezcla” and Dennis Ferrer’s “Hey Hey” can melt ice in snowstorms, but were turned into sonic blowtorches as the highlights of Ultra’s magnificent set.
Unruly was not to be outdone, as King Tutt, an excellent all around DJ, Scottie B disciple and rising producer played two sets, one after Lisa Moody with numerous highlights hearkening back to the days of Club Choices and other legendary spots in Baltimore lore, and another more soulful set to close out the night. Unruly, as the most notable production team in Baltimore has an unusual place, as they could either be completely welcoming of everyone and everything Baltimore has to offer and put everyone on the map, or, they could be scientific about the process, and work with the exact right people at the exact right time. Unruly always attempts to err on the side of the latter, and while known for club tracks like “Takeover,” Tutt has also worked with Ultra Naté as a producer on a few house tracks as well, and has shown a breadth of talent that was on display Thursday night.
But, as with most nights, the night was turned into a sweaty and ridiculous mess by Scottie B, who, after last night, deserves all the credit in the world as being one of the elite house music DJs in the world. For years, people have associated Scottie with being one of the elite Baltimore club DJs of all time. To state that is to make a condemning and limiting statement regarding the man’s multitude of talents. Scottie has a way of spinning a track and working it as well that elevates the commonplace to the legendary. Yes, there was Duck Sauce’s “aNYway,” Silvio Ecomo and Chuckie’s “Moombah,” DJ Class’ “I’m the Shit,” new tracks by the most criminally slept on producers in the house music world, DC”s Dmerit of Outputmessage and Micahvellian and a phenomenal club edit of Drake’s “Over,” that wasn’t DJ Sega and Esentrik’s manic hollow 808 workout. But it was deeper than that. Scottie’s set was so great that it ended up with a gigantic danceoff where breakers and fashion voguers and house freaks engaged in a United Nations summit of dance. Dance floor denizens raised their hands over their heads as if to proclaim that the entire experience was religious and sanctified. DJs in attendance swore that they likely needed to quit after hearing the skill and talent with which Scottie spun the exact same tracks that they had as well. And for the most part, people smiled and literally laughed. No, not because this was funny, but because it was fun. Pure, real, unadulterated entertainment. It was the sonic equivalent of watching King Arthur pull the sword from the stone and slay the U Hall’s titantic dragon of sound.
Talks are in the works for the crew to return on a more regular basis which would be a wonderful addition to DC’s music scene. The U Street Music Hall has been open for nearly one month. In one month’s time, the U Hall has changed the nature of club promotion and necessity for sound quality for an entire city. The space, on many levels for the EDM scene, was EXACTLY what the city needed. House music has a very real tradition in this city that had become almost nearly forgotten by the average citizen of the community. U Hall is centrally located, dance friendly and something in the way that space is constructed allows sounds to give off some of the most real, loving, positive and beautiful vibes I’ve felt from music in a long time. More importantly, the right people, the legends and the truly skilled and talented in the craft of DJing are allowed to ply their craft like kings instead of succeeding in the face of situations that often present them as paupers. And that’s wonderful. Nights like last night being the norm at U Hall are a welcome and appreciated shift in the universe.
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