The Crystal Method Lays Down the Law: District 30 Style

2011-04-09T03:08:56Z

Human Soup: the mixture of dancing bodies, exhausted deodorant, sweat and frenetic stirred lovingly by an artisan DJ that is the signature of any good dance club experience…

Entering the District 30 on Thursday night the usual early-evening club atmosphere presented itself as the crowd milled around the bar, ordering drinks and preening in the see-and-be-seen milleu of Sacramento’s newest trendy nightclub. Local spinner DJ Benji worked the booth in anticipation of the headlining act, coaxing people on to the dance floor with a selection of club-friendly hits. At first, patrons’ directed their focus on the bar with the exception of a few intrepid girls dancing it up on the floor.

Although there were a few people valiantly trying to bring back rave culture by dressing in furry boots, or sporting the occasional glo-stick-as-hair-accessory, most of the crowd was well-dressed thirtysomethings and nerdy white guys eagerly awaiting the appearance of one of electronic music’s trailblazers.

The Crystal Method stormed the booth at 11:30 and from that moment they took over to the very end of their set, the floor was crammed with bodies all facing the booth. They started their set, continuing the vibe with melodic tunes to get the crowd into the mood. At a quarter to one, the dilettantes began to clear out as they transitioned to more hard-hitting Drum ‘n’ Bass/Jungle styled beats.

Established fans of the group were disappointed at the lack of older tracks as the guys focused mostly on cuts from their newer works such as “Divided by Night”, and the current EP/single “Sine Language.” However this did not stop the crowd from flooding the dance floor for the entirety of the Crystal Method’s nearly three-hour set. Arguably, the biggest response of the night came when they mixed in a taste of their most well-known song “Busy Child” from their platinum-selling album “Vegas.” The crowd roared in response to that familiar hook and unbelievably, the dancing became more frenzied.

The Crystal Method flitted from track to track with hummingbird intensity and if there was one real complaint it was that in their urgency to keep up the energy they only focused on a song for a few minutes before moving on to the next track. That meant that if one were at the bar and heard something intriguing, by the time one pushed through the crush to a spot on the dance floor, the moment had passed. This left little option but to plant oneself on the floor and dance all the way through. Luckily this was not a problem for the crowd. (It was however, not as good for your intrepid reviewer, who found it difficult to take notes while being jostled by enthusiastic clubbers.)

They finished their set at nearly two and almost immediately the crowd emptied out of the club, leaving DJ Benji to play out the staff and the last of the stragglers closing out their bar tabs. Soon the only ones remaining would be the poor schlubs left to sweep up the remains of the human soup.

Tuesday: The Crystal Method rocking Harlow's

2009-06-16T04:41:48Z

Why should you see The Crystal Method on a week night at Harlow's?

Band member Scott Kirkland gives a modest reply: "I know the economy's bad, and it's on a Tuesday night, but it's a real big show."

What speaks more than an intimate show at Harlow's is the band's longevity. According to Kirkland, "longevity," is still the band's greatest achievement. Over the last 15 years, the band has cut four albums, three remix albums and scored two No. 1 records. A platinum record and a Grammy nomination have also been bestowed on the band.

Now on tour to support its latest album Divided By Night, the electronic music duo got an unexpected start in a grocery store.

Ken Jordan and Kirkland met in the break room while employees of a Las Vegas grocery store. Kirkland was messing with a drum machine, Jordan walked in and the two coworkers started to talk about music.

The next thing they knew, the two young musicians were making music together. Nine months later, they had both moved to Los Angeles and in 1994, they dropped their first single "Now is the Time."

Both Jordan and Kirkland grew up listening to metal, rock and roll and pop. Their first three albums incorporated the riffs and beats from these genres, while the duo added vocal samples and distortion.

That was until their latest album. In Divided by Night, guests like Matisyahu and Emily Haines of Broken Social Scene bring hip hop and indie elements into the mix.

"We're trying to create something different from the last album," Kirkland said. "With the vocalists, we kind of look at them as another layer. We're creating something new to continue to expand ourselves."

At the show, the musicians will be playing their old hits like "Keep Hope Alive" and "Busy Child," along with new material. (links open up music videos). Inspired by their Las Vegas roots, a light show will add to an entertaining stage production.

"[The current tour has had] the best responses for a live show in probably 10 years" Kirkland added. "I think everyone's going to be really happy with the show. It's [going to be] a fun night."

The 21-and-over show will be at Harlow's, located at 2708 J St. Opening band L.A. Riot is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at harlows.com or at the door. Tickets that were purchased for the Empire show will be honored at Harlow's.

*Photograph credit Maura Lanahan

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The Crystal Method Lays Down the Law: District 30 Style

Tuesday: The Crystal Method rocking Harlow's