KAYTRANADA knows how to party.
Immediately after KAYTRANADA took the stage in Columbia, Maryland, he made his way to Langdon, DC to perform at Echostage for his official afterparty.
Before KAYTRANADA arrived, openers Sam Gellaitry and Channel Tres performed sets of their own, offering those who couldn’t make it all the way to Columbia an experience of the Timeless tour.
By the time I arrived, after the first show’s end and a 40 minute drive, Tres was wrapping up his performance. Others shuffled into the venue, many, like me, having come from the earlier show and clad in the corresponding merch. The crowd buzzed with anticipation– Would KAYTRANADA perform the same set? Something different? Would he be able to make it to DC on time?
The venue was the perfect space for KAYTRANADA. The afterparty took the shape of a warehouse rave mixed with an upscale nightclub. The all-standing-room lower floor got crowded enough to party, but it was never too packed to dance. When KAYTRANADA arrived, drinks had been flowing and the crowd had been primed. He waltzed in without announcement, quietly shrouded in a hoodie, and got right to DJing.
While KAYTRANADA’s first set of the night had been focused on his lyrical hits, this one was pure house. His beats pounded through the venue as the crowd pulsed along. His visuals were much more abstract than those of his earlier performance, effectively emphasizing the auditory experience in this tighter, more intimate space. He seamlessly moved from one track to the next, weaving in and out of retro samples that the audience gladly crooned along to. Indeed, many moments of KAYTRANADA’s set were decidedly funky, reminiscent of his early days remixing soul and disco classics on Soundcloud.
As the show progressed, KAYTRANADA dipped further into his remix catalog. He pulled out fan favorites, like his remixes of Janet Jackson’s “If” and Tinashe’s “Nasty Girl”. The floor was hot and sweaty and full of life. Hips and arms and knees swung to the beat, feet gliding and hands flinging. The audience sang along loudly with force and vibrance. It was an overwhelming display of jubilation and it was remarkably free.
KAYTRANADA closed out the show with his beloved remix of Teedra Moses’ “Be Your Girl”– a track that truly never gets old. As people filed out of the venue, beaming smiles adorned their faces. Rejoicing in the experience, they twirled to their rides and serenaded their company with tunes we’d all just heard.
Unphased by the earlier performance or the long drive or anything else in the world, KAYTRANADA and his audience crafted their own space. It was open and loving, rhythmic and hypnotic, cooperative and liberating.
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