Review: Starkillers, Dmitry KO, & Nadia Ali at Avalon Hollywood

It was an evening with tough decisions to make. Tiesto was in town and everyone knows the man can throw a party. Argentinian duo Heatbeat was a few streets down probably dropping their bangers “Rocker Monster” and their remix of Parker and Hanson’s “Afterthought.” Wolfgang Gartner was to the south and Fresh Anniversary with Myon & Shane54 amongst others. Yet Avalon is wall-to-wall with house-aficionados. Starkillers and Dmitry KO were the talent for the night at Avalon Hollywood. And did I mention Nadia Ali was in the house too?

Dmitry KO (full interview here) began the night after local resident Ryan Sage. He laid into his set nicely with some intense sound-scapes and something more relaxed. He smoothed out the tunes. He began lifting melodies and added in some piano key oriented tracks for good measure on this refreshingly progressive set. Fashioning an enjoyably chunky and unmistakable mainstream transition about halfway through, Dmitry KO turned all things groove into a top-notch packaging of electro mania.

Patiently building from the progressive-tech opening, Dmitry KO laid down the charges and explodes into life with “Kick Out This Epic Motherf**ker.” The crowd is on its feet and then quickly following – the drop. Several hundred people fly into the air in unison as the power to blow the roof over emerged from a few CDJ’s, a mixer and sound system. Gargantuan electro-infused distortion grows through, as Hollywood’s Avalon becomes a jack in the box of EDM clubbers.

When you hear Nadia Ali’s name, warm vibes and vocal talents come to mind. Hearing her name announced live however, creates an uproar of claps, screams and men melting. She’s responsible for tracks including “Rapture”, “Feels So Good” and “Fantasy”. She’s collaborated with the top producers in world and has recently had a slew of collaborations with both Dmitry KO and Starkillers (the evening’s headliner). Her momentum seems unstoppable, as she’s been in the business over a decade. She delivers magic in her shiny dress and is able to grab a whole bunch of people and make ‘em get up and dance. Nadia Ali was on the mic around 1:00 A.M. as a showcase to Hollywood what a queen can do. Perching from her lips came “Call My Name” which resulted in the songstress being praised as a group of individuals shouted, “We’re not worthy.” She continued onward with “Feels So Good,” her collaboration with Armin van Buuren. Nadia progressed into “Keep It Coming”, “Rapture” and “Pressure.” She ended with acapellas from “Pressure” in which the crowd was mighty enthused with. She was certainly the highlight of the evening and the performance was probably the weighing factor that drew so many to the evening’s event.

Starkillers followed-up by making the crowd go berserk. Seemingly unstoppable at the moment, Starkillers revved up the engine and offered sweeping breakdowns, subtle pianos and soaring leads that allowed for peak-time madness. Starkillers merged elements of groove-fueled sound that merged the elements of progressive, electro and house. Underpinned by a solid buildup and enormous energy, Starkillers launched the crowd into a commercial-studded performance filled with his collaborations with Dmitry KO. Homage to the man before the songstress, Starkillers provided a set that built and built towards a cinematic experience that climaxed as the third act. Tracks such as “Light It Up” and “Don’t Hold Back” were just a selection of the tunes played in the main-slayers performance. The night was one smooth transition as KO knocked the crowd out, Nadia Ali rose them up and Starkillers flew them into space to create a synergistic extravagance. At the end of the night, 3:00 AM to be precise, Hollywood’s parties came to a close. Supperclub, a street over had attendees pouring out. Circus, a few streets down had just wound down their night. I exited Avalon with a horde of singing fans who reminisced about their blockbuster night and knew I had made the right decision earlier that evening.

Article by: Mark Luzzi