It is a pleasure and a privilege to play Pig Dance at Ramrod in Fort Lauderdale. My last one was 18 months ago, which was another 18 months after I decided to come back onto the DJ scene. This 5-hour set turns my Ramrod residency upside down as I attempted to take the best of what has worked there over the last year, giving them the kind of consistent energy levels that’s difficult to maintain for a full night. The evening did not disappoint!
Part 1: Here They Come!
I usually need to open my all night sets at Ramrod more gradually as the crowd slowly shuffles in. Not so during the monthly Pig Dance, where the club is visually and sonically transformed into a more high profile affair. The place was packed by 10:30 and the opening couple of hours of this set represents my vision of what opening tracks should be on a big night. Certain sounds that hype and beckon the crowd in, setting up what’s to come during peak hours.
“Here They Come!” is a quote from a documentary about Junior Vasquez during the peak of his career in the early 90s when he’d play Sound Factory every Saturday. He was filmed from the booth shouting this to the camera early in the night. There is something special about being the only DJ on the night, and as his crowd filed in early as well, he knew what he was going to deliver to those happy folks some hours later.
With music from: Matteo Dentone; Norty Cotto; Rick Silva; DJ PP; Italobros; Gabriel Rojas & more.
Part 2: Furious Jumping
The meat of the night features the nastiest tech, tribal, ny_drumz and jackin’ house I could dig out my library from over the past year, along with some fresh goodies, bookended every hour or so with a progressive breather. I hit them over the head with all kinds of energy and exactly what I’d want to feel if I were dancing in the middle of that sweaty mayhem.
With music from: David Tort; Siwell; Rossweisse; DJ Wady; Chris Child; Johnny Vicious & more.
Part 3: For Me
I wrap things up with more NY inspired tech-house, a few updates on some of my favorite classics, followed by some nostalgic melodies. By the very end, the small group that remained paid me an ovation that left me a little stunned and emotional. It takes years to cultivate local support like this, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
With music from: M.Rodriguez; Todd Terry; Frankie Bones; Angel Heredia; Mabel Caamal; DJ Gregory & more.