This Friday night, the 8th, stop by Necto to see the most recent champion of the emmy-winning TV show RuPaul’s Drag race, Sasha Velour! Sasha is a Brooklyn based queen who uses her training in visual art to create dynamic and emotive performances that are a treat for the eye and the mind. Since her win she’s traveled the world, stopping in Australia, South America and Europe, before finally gracing our small town of Ann Arbor!
The dragster events are held once a month, and feature performances from both internationally famous drag queens and tremendously talented local performers from both the Detroit area and all across the state. This week’s event will be hosted by Jadein Black and Chanel Hunter, and the show will also feature a cast of local talents. The event will be 10$ at the door for those under 21, and only 5$ for those over! Necto is an 18+ venue so be sure to bring your ID. She’s expected to draw quite the crowd so arrive early, although the first show officially begins at 9:45 with an encore at midnight!
When I first walked into Necto nightclub to see one of my favorite bands of the last several years, I didn’t know what to expect. It was the first night after an unprecedented election that left many, myself included, reeling. As I had expected, the audience was small, only a few people lingering around the edges of the dance floor at my time of arrival, and while more people trickled in as the night progressed, it certainly never felt busy.
The opening act was none other than Chet Porter, who despite battling a cold was able to impress the crowd with his unique remixes of popular songs. I shamefully admit that I had never heard of him or his work before the show, but I was instantly struck by the distinctive calming and dream-like sound of his work. His unique style allowed each song to seamlessly blend into the next. I’ve since looked up his music online, and found that he has no small share of popularity himself. Below is his original song, “Stay” featuring the vocals of Chelsea Cutler.
When Lemaître finally took the stage, the energy in the room ratcheted up several levels. What the audience may have been lacking in numbers was more than made up for in enthusiasm. After the band members themselves encouraged the crowd to pack in around the stage, the performance started in earnest. Despite having listened to almost all of the songs on the set list tens if not hundreds of times, I was amazed at how the band was able to breathe new life into each and every song, never letting their energy flag.
There was a large sculpture of Lemaitre’s logo behind them, and it was lit up in flashing lights and colors that were synchronized with their songs, further enhancing the energy of the performance. During one of their songs, “We got U,” they even projected a picture of Bernie Sanders onto the sculpture, as a response to the recent election.
If you are interested in hearing more, I highly suggest checking out the band on Spotify or YouTube. Just yesterday they released a stunning new live version of “Playing to Lose.”
Ready to scream into the void about the results of last night’s election? Why not dance your troubles away with the Norwegian indie electronic duo, Lemaître, before launching right back into the thick of things like a true wolverine? They will be performing Tonight, November 9th at Necto Nightclub as a part of their “We Got U” tour.
I have personally been listening to their music for years, and love their sound, but the best way to showcase their music would be to simply listen to it for yourself. The following video is for “Playing to Lose,” off their latest EP, Afterglow. The video also features some footage of their live show in London, perhaps giving us a sneak peek of what awaits us tonight.
The following music video is for “Closer” off of their Singularity EP. This song was used in one of the first promotional videos released for the launch of Google’s Pixel Phone.
The doors will open at 9 PM, and you can buy tickets online or at the door for $18. You can find more information about the event at Necto’s Website.
Tickets are available for pre-sale here. Note that while online tickets are only $15, there is an additional $3 charge for the transaction.
Last night at Necto, Kill the Noise ignited the stage for an electrifying set to a crowd of several hundred patrons. While I rolled up a little later than normal because my pre-concert nap went longer than I expected, I was greeted with pounding drum n’ bass as I walked up the steps to the dance floor. In the back were the usual kids who wear gloves with glow-lit fingers, the guys with hats that resembled bears, and the folks who think it’s a good idea to wear other group’s merchandise at a show that someone else headlines. Nevertheless, I was ready to get into the groove and have a good time.
As the night went on, I routinely became most energized with throwbacks that were then remixed into new material by the experienced DJ. Taking cues from the crowd of what college kids would go wild for, he played the main line to Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode” followed by a distorted second half that incorporated in his own style. Additionally, he played “Hold On” (Sub Focus remix) that used the acapella vocals of legendary “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled.
The most hilarious part of the night was when he announced he was going to play something we’ve never heard before, and then started playing the build up for DJ Snake’s and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What.” I laughed pretty hard, and then some when he played Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” to effectively Rick Roll his entire audience. The crowd bursted out shouting the lyrics to this extremely odd break from the norm at a club. But, as a 33-year old producer, Kill the Noise, or Jake Stanczak, likes to play around with the younger kids by mixing the unexpected outside the heavy dubstep and drum n’ bass influenced tracks.
My favorite part of the night is where he played some of his own original music, like his “Talk to Me” remix of Brillz’s track. By drawing out the sound of a man saying “talk to me,” he was able to create an eerie and creepy feeling that only added to the anticipation of the drop.
While he does have major collaborations with artists such as Flux Pavillion and Feed Me, it is always a treat to see a producer showcase his own talent at the stand. Especially for a devoted audience who will be able to recognize earlier tracks, it only adds to the overall concert experience. For example, when he played his track titled “Kill the Noise Pt. 1” the audience went into a “Kill the Noise” chant to root for the man at the top of the stage. “Kill the Noise Pt. 2” had elements of a choir in the background, which is part of his style to include traditional vocals (that get distorted) with more heavy beats.
By the end of the night, Mr. Stanczak was getting tired and hopped off the stage at 1:30 a.m. to let the openers close out the show. Openers Two Fresh and Botnek started with The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” from the 1970s that features heavy arpeggio and was featured on my 1970s listening exam in my electronic music class with the RC. At this point, my friend and I knew that the core part of the night was over and that they would try to bring the energy down by the end of the show, which they did.
Overall, it was a great experience to hear some of the innovative ways in which producers like Kill the Noise try to keep their shows interesting and not just the same tracks you can get on Soundcloud performed live.
Who: Kill the Noise
What: Concert!
Where: Necto
When: November 5, 9 p.m.
Tickets: $17.50, plus $5.50 in service fees for $23 total each
Kill the Noise is headlining Necto this Wednesday night for a show that will be sure to get our minds off the upcoming snow and instead turn up the heat on the dance floor. Known for dubstep and drum and bass, he’s collaborated with big names like Skrillex and deadmau5, and lesser known Feed Me and Botnek. I’m excited for the show because the next time he’ll be around it’ll likely be at a larger venue with him gaining fame in the coming months and definitely in 2015. His sound is electrifying and unique, and he’ll be on full display to showcase his talents to the Necto faithful.
To get hyped for the show, listen to his Soundcloud and like him on Facebook.
