Adventure Club Heats Up Echostage

Friday morning, July 16, 2021, I decided since I wasn’t working this weekend… Hell, why not go to a show? So that I did. I ordered my ticket through the Echostage website and secured my pass. Need not to forget, I also purchased tickets to see Seven Lions for his October 15 show later this year. But this was pretty exciting, after 18 months, I finally am stepping foot into DC’s premiere nightclub for EDM events and DJ Mags voted number one nightclub in North America 4 years in a row (let’s make it 5). After getting ready, I was nervous and thrilled at the same time since the Canada-based dubstep duo generates a humongous following that tonight will be no exception to the warehouse filling up into a steamy building of bass, lights, lasers, CO2 and confetti.

After getting ready, I mix myself gin cocktail while I await my drivers arrival and get my items in check.

Wallet/ID.. Check

Hand sanitizer.. Check

Extra cash.. Check

House keys.. Check

Mask… Check

In the Fanny pack (yeah I said Fanny pack you funny bunnies).. Check

Deodorant on.. Hell yeah!

Ok so I’m not naked, I’m good, not nervous as much so we are a go!

One thing I forgot was my portable charger… human error I suppose, but we can continue that later.

I have a great conversation with the driver, to which many would glance over this not to care one bit but I think having a good conversation with strangers that get paid to drive you to your destination is important.

Once I arrived, the line was relatively long outside passing the awning of the entry point. The multi colored LED lighting projecting off of everyone’s skin made us look like an alien of some sort from a cheap sci-fi movie. Pretty cool, right? The lines split into 3 separate sections to keep the backup at a minimum. The ID station, the metal detector and security search are necessary, they want us to have fun but be safe. After that… my ticket to the entry, home base… I’m finally back!!!!

I entered the venue while the show opener, Kaivon was finishing up his set. At this point the room was still relaxed and not as hot. His set was a combination of melodic trance like dubstep to heavy bass tracks. Although I am not familiar with this artist, he truly set the tone for the evening upon closing his set. Then, the infamous emerging Dubstep DJ, Wooli stepped on stage, and it was quite the spectacle. He was consistently mixing bass drops from one song to another like bass napalm to the masses. In between certain mixes, he would give the crown a rest especially since the room was similar to a sauna during the insanity. The combination of his bone crushing tracks and vividly colored visuals, his set left me drenched in sweat as if I had finished a literal marathon on an arid day.

Once he got off stage, I instantly took a break by refreshing myself prior to the Canadian duo, Adventure Club bringing it all home for their anticipated set. After a few minutes or hydrating and getting fresh air, I snaked through the crowd to get front and center for the set. The crowd chants “7 Nation Army” by The White Stripes, a tradition that DMV natives perform when they are having a good time awaiting for the headliner. The lights go out, the crowd deafens my surroundings and a low frequency 808 shutters the building in a seismic force. The duo emerge from the darkness and the visuals light up the LED screen behind them and scream “ARE YOU READY WASHINGTON DC” the crowd erupts! The barrage of bass, drum and bass and remixes keep the pulse of the building alive, and I become extremely hot in temperature. At this moment I realized I had to make my way out of the crowd before I become a victim of heat exhaustion. Fortunately for this venue, they have a

Medical room for those who have been injured, or need to be treated in other ways due to heat related issues. Many will go there if they’ve had a little too much to drink and will remain there until they’ve gotten treated properly.

My issue was being extremely hot with a temperature of 99.8 degrees. The medical assistant provided me with water and ice packs to cool my core temperature down. Although I was missing out on good songs, my health was more important than pushing my body to its absolute limit. Upon feeling better, I decided to leave the show and head home.

Now let’s get to the nitty gritty of the situation, the capacity of the club is at 3,000, and boy was it hot in there. It was about 85 degrees outside at night, but inside the venue felt like a swampy sauna. Although this is one of my favorite places to rage at, the issue with ventilation became an issue for me. Also, there was a lack of consideration audience wise to space especially since we are still in a learning curve during this pandemic. The security were very attentive to the fans as well giving out bottled water and making sure nobody passes out due to heat exhaustion. Considering that we were going through a heat wave, it equated my time in the Middle East at sea at night, minus the crowd. Finally, the transportation situation. If you are a local, Uber and Lyft are great for getting there inexpensively, but returning anywhere will cost you triple the amount of what you paid earlier in the night. Also, if you’re with friends, make sure one of you has a fully charged phone, the apps will eat the battery extremely quick if you have less than 30% life. If you do drive, make sure you have a designated driver or have a limit to your consumption of drinks. Be safe and be wise about your alcohol consumption. If you find yourself not okay to drive, I would either suggest resting a while in your vehicle or checking into a hotel adjacent to the venue. I’d prefer you all to be safe than the latter of the choices that might hurt you in the long run! Please be safe, stay hydrated and always help others who need assistance. Stay raging!