It was 2 a.m. on Flushing Ave and a two-headed clown was scampering across the street in a nude bodysuit and Jimmy Choos. On any other night, we may have thought it was the purge.
Tonight, it just meant we were at the right place.
We were looking forCircoloco — the famed, underground music party where wild and weird is the norm. The group has been throwing parties across the globe for 25 years, from Miami’s Factory Town to beaches in Phuket, and the pyramids of Egypt. Of course, attracting star-studded lineups and celebrity guests along the way (Gigi Hadid and Leonardo Dicaprio, circa 2022).
In Brooklyn, Circoloco is put on by the Nightlife Collective TekkSupport, and tickets sell fast. Until last weekend, my friends and I had never been lucky enough to snag them on time. So, on Friday night, we did what good ravers do; carb-loaded, napped ’til midnight, piled on globs of eyeliner, and jumped in a taxi to the Navy Yard.
An eight-hour-long show stacked with several artists may be a long haul. But, I’ve learned that playing partial hooky is totally acceptable (and probably necessary) for parties of this nature. We’d decided to conserve energy for the latter portion — the Martinez Brothers, Luciano, and BLOND:ISH.
A remote location equals an escape from reality. And yes, the maze of empty shipyard buildings can be disorienting, especially when cell service drops and less than sober people start swimming in different directions. But, luckily, ravers are a rather friendly bunch, especially the weekend before Halloween.
My friends and I bump into a dressed-up Virgin Mary, who gives us directions and tells us this was indeed her first time (at the Brooklyn Storehouse) and it’s ours, too. The new 104,000 sq ft industrial space opened in June, and has already brought in major artists like Charlotte De-Witte, Fisher, and Eric Prydz, to name drop just a few beat droppers.
Within a few minutes, I’m starting to believe the Storehouse might be topping my own list of favorite venues, too. It’s airy, and spacious, without feeling so big that you get lost in it. Filled — yes. But, oversold? Not at all. We wouldn’t be losing anyone tonight. After a few minutes in line, we’re whirling under the red lights and riding the rhythm to ‘Rizzla,’ a hypnotic Afrobeat by the Martinez Brothers. The lyrics jolt us towards the stage.
“Step on the deck/and I mash up the rave/and I make them go insane.”
Originally from the Bronx, the brother duo has since been taking over the funky tech house scene in Europe with their residency at the acclaimed Hi Ibiza nightclub. This is probably just another night for them, but for us, it’s a treat. Or, a fever dream. The take-no-break beat sends me right back to my early college days studying clubbing abroad in Barcelona. Hips were moving, lips were moving. A little disco, a little salsa, but still psychedelic enough to be Circoloco.
By the end of the set, we’re all butchering lines of Spanglish.
Unlike some EDM shows, Circolco is not all melting shapes and thrashing lasers. The party group has built a brand around simplicity and distractions are minimal. Music is the focus. Dimmed lights, an occasional strobe, but nothing so out-of-this-world that it would scare the Halloweeeners.
Though, if there is anything that can make us scream, it’s Luciano. The Swiss-Chilean DJ has been pioneering the electric dance genre in South America for decades, churning out hits like “Orange Mistake,” “Vivontinto,” and “Rise of Angel.” You can tell he’s no stranger to a sweaty stage.
Tonight, most of his mixes are all beat, no bark — to which, I could hear my mom whining, “It’s all that electronic mish-mash and I can’t hear any lyrics!” Well, technically, there are some vocals, but your translation is as good as mine. The point of this “real techno,” as my friend calls it is “to feel what the artist is saying through the beat.”
So, it’s like learning another language, and if there is someone capable of teaching us it’s probably the 46-year-old disc jockey. We crawl up to the stage for a closer education. Just as I think I’m getting the hang of his 1000-mile-per-hour runs, Luciano’s beat softens, and a big-eyed, blond-haired BLOND:ISH takes over the turntables.
They play musical cheers for a second, but by the time BLOND:ISH (Vivie-ann Bakos,) starts shaking her trademarked tasseled bun we know it’s game over. She’s had a monumental year in the DJ-sphere, just this month releasing an infectious Stevie Appleton remix of “Never Walk Alone” and dropping “Different Way,” which zaps a sheepish melody into an instant mood-lifter.
Her larger-than-life energy gives prowess to her musical style — known best for taking already hits and making them even more danceable. Like turning up the contrast. She splashes even more color on the subtler moments of a masterpiece — i.e. the Taylor Swift “Fortnight” remix (for which, my friends are eagerly awaiting her to play).
What I’m more amped up about is her mix of Gnarl’s Barley, “Crazy.” Likable and familiar, kind of ageless in the sense of mid-aughts rock-soul. Maybe because the lines churn out so easily — “I remember/ Remember when/ I lost my mind.” BLOND:ISH drives it somewhere new as the chorus approaches, “Does that make me crazy?/Does that make me crazy?/Possibly?”
It made the crowd crazy which one might expect considering we were all listening to “Crazy.” The beat dropped, smoke surrounded us, and a crowd of fists and lights began waving. Watching her perform from behind the booth is surreal, yet somehow less daunting than I’d imagined. You have to wonder what the artist sees and feels while dancing shamelessly in front of a room stuffed with revelers and ravers, and with dance music, you can nearly always find out yourself with right tickets.
But, to be there, behind BLOND:ISH, in front of thousands of enraptured ravers in Halloween costumes, I realize that weird and wild is surprisingly serene. And, that there is the allure of Circoloco.
More EDM festivals like Circoloco in 2024
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues, and links to buy tickets can be found below.
| More 2024 EDM festivals |
|---|
| Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando, FL Friday, Nov. 8 through Sunday, Nov. 10 |
| Honey Dijon Presents House Nation at Brooklyn Storehouse Brooklyn, NY Saturday, Nov. 9 |
| Time Warp at Brooklyn Store House Brooklyn, NY Friday, Nov. 22 |
| Circoloco in Factory Town Miami, FL Saturday, Dec. 7 |
| Forever Midnight Los Angeles, CA Tuesday, Dec. 31 |
Want to see what else is out there? Check out our list of the 50 biggest concert tours of 2024 to find the show for you.
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