We don’t know if you’ve noticed by now or not but LA’s in a drought. An EDM drought. We’ve lost EDC. We’ve lost Monster Massive. We’ve lost Together As One. We’ve lost some of the Wonderlands. Yea we still have HARD and all the one-off shows from big names, but good shows are getting harder and harder to come by. Not sure if they’re going out of fashion or what but we miss them.
Thankfully some people out there seem to be noticing it too and with a lineup anchored by Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike alongside newbies like Vicetone and Wolf Pack, LED and Goldenvoices’s Finger Lickin’ at the Shrine seemed like it might help fill that void.
Vicetone kicked it all off with grindy synths, melodic vocals and bright chords (stylistically somewhere between Allesso and Kaskade) making it one of the most danceable sets of the nights. They were definitely the outliers of the evening with a far different sound than their follow-ups but the crowd ate it up and I did too. Best track of the set has to be their own track Tremble, it’s just fun. We’d expect to see a lot more from these guys in the next year or two.
Wolf Pack took over next, playing a frenzied big-room set loaded from top to bottom with non-stop drops ad hollow heavy beats. The energy hit a fever-pitch early on and seemed to stay at that maxim for the entirety of the set, but wasn’t without its surprises. A remix of “We Are Your Friends” brought back good memories and a completely new track to us: Dannic vs Merk & Kremont – “Anubi” stood out. Wolf Pack definitely set the tone of the night and it seemed like everyone after was trying their best to out-do them.
Next up, Caked Up. These guys are definitely from the new breed of EDM artists that sprung out of trap’s exploding popularity. The duo put out a genre-hopping, hype-loaded set that set the room off. High points: taking the stage to the theme from Harry Potter (biggest chills of the night, not even kidding), dropping What So Not’s – “Tell Me” (the infectious rolling bass on this song is something you can only appreciate on a big sound system) and slipping in classic 90s hip hop like Jump Around. It was a unique mix.
When Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike took the stage the crowd made it pretty clear whom they came to see. These guys love to throw a party, and on top of the champagne showers, confetti cannons, and a mosh pit, the music was good too. The set was full of their top tunes, sometimes two at a time like the mashup of “Eat Sleep Rave Repeat” and “Turn It Up” but it wasn’t just a roll out of familiar sounds. They brought some new material too like their latest track with Martin Garrix, “Tremor,” as well as a throwback remix of “Tocas Miracle.” The two definitely ruled the night. And yea you might say the set didn’t have much breathing room with so many back to back drops, but it was pretty clear we were having fun and so were they.
Last on the decks was Don Diablo. Although stylistically not too far from the earlier the acts, he set himself apart right from the beginning with a floating, ethereal track before an absolutely filthy drop (a pattern he’d keep up for most of his set). It was a good change of pace bringing a new kind of energy with higher peaks and deeper valleys, perfect for closing out the night.
All said it was exactly what we wanted: a night full of big house sounds with DJs that love to throw a good party. If you get a chance to see any of these guys in action elsewhere or come to what we hope will be Finger Lickin’ 2015, take that opportunity.
Some last thoughts:
Best part of the night: Hearing every song you’d want to hear. So many crowd pleasers were played. If you came here looking to hear ‘that one song’ you no doubt heard it by the end of night.
Worst part of the night: Hearing literally EVERY song you’d ever want to hear. Top tracks will always anchor a good set but after the third remix of #Selfie in one night I want some new material.
Top tracks: What So Not – Tell Me, Michael Woods – Clanga, Dimitri Vegas, Martin Garrix, Like Mike – Tremor
Most unexpected moment of the night: Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike dropping Bang Bang (a song you’ll probably remember from Kill Bill)
Best Set: Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike. It wasn’t just the music, it was the whole package.
– Casey Manley, Staff Writer
