Knife Party at Beekman Beach Club Review: Discussing the RAGE

EDM Insider contributing journalists Alessandra Calderin and Brendan Lukas discuss the sheer energy and insanity of the Knife Party event at Beekman Beach Club in New York City this past Sunday night!

AC: Just like Knife Party is comprised of double trouble, so is this review. Double your pleasure, double your recaps.

BL: Nothing could have prepared me for the craziness that was last night.

AC: Did my preview not scream “brace yourself”? Their EP is called Rage Valley. They don’t fuck around. Also, can someone create a synonym for “rage”?

BL: Even with your warning shit got way rowdier than expected. The concert was supposed to be held at the Brooklyn Terminal Project

AC: But the still under construction venue is sorry for not being ready for partying. Still, this is a large island with many accommodating venues.

So Knife Party was relocated to Beekman Beach Club at South Street Seaport. Being right on the water at Pier 17 with a trendy sand-covered sitting area, you wouldn’t expect there to be hardcore raging going on. Yet rage we did. The layout kind of ruled because there was a side area outside the tent to take a breather or a smoke and still stay close to the music. Overall, fairly easy to get around compared to many a show, especially considering the size of the place.

Alex English, resident DJ at Webster Hall got the show started through a brief shower that didn’t stop anyone, as the stage was set up underneath a tent. Actually, some crowd members migrated out into the showers to dance. Things started to get loco with Sazon Booya came on with a Moombahton laden set and their masked hype-man, Mystereo. Their set was saturated with booty popping beats that bounced up, over and around a thrashing mass of bodies. A perfect build up.

After finishing off with “La Bomba,” Sazon Booya switched off with Nick Catchdubs who surprised the crowd with a hip-hop heavy set. With a hot sampling of aficionados in the crowd, and echo of raps went along with every damn line turning the seaport into a gangsta’s paradise. Finally, he dropped Crizzly’s dubstep edit of Waka Flocka’s “Hard in Da Paint,” and the chant for Knife Party roared throughout the crowd until Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen finally took the stage.

After a short intro they boomed in with “Rage Valley” and ever able body went hard in the motherfucking paint. Mosh pits started from the front to the back and security almost gave up trying to stop people from crowd surfing. With drops after drops that straight up blasted the crowd in the face, it’s no wonder most patrons exited the premise in a sweaty pulp.

AC: Nothing will top that legitimately insane rework of “Internet Friends” that morphed from a double time in your face frenzy of synths to a slowed down dubstep bass that echoed through your chest.

BL: I’m big on surprises during DJ sets, and when they dropped Sandro Silva and Quintino’s “Epic,” I found myself going out of control.

AC: And a nice sampling of Skrillex, too. Could not stay out of the pit During “Bangarang.”

BL: I got punched in the eye in one of the huge mosh pits.

AC: I hope that wasn’t me…

When they finally shut down, the crowd went berserk yelling “one more song” and chanting “Knife Party.” But no, the clever minxes would not give in. Their mothers’ taught them how to be ladies. You must always leave them wanting more. And to be fair that move probably saved many a head banger some sever pain.

The dubstep duo Hellfire Machina closed out the night with tracks like “Good Love” featuring Infuze, taking it down just a single notch as the Brooklyn skyline twinkles across the water.

Article by: Alessandra Calderin & Brendan Lukas

About the Author

Alessandra Calderin Notorious for her legendary dance offs, Alessandra lives in New York City where she writes for EDMInsider and galavants about. She prefers her EDM outdoors or in sketchy Brooklyn warehouses but will occasionally "hit da club" if you really want her to. She tweets about music, film, yoga and weird thoughts. She doesn't update her tumblr nearly as often as she should. Her spirit animal is Harley Quinn.