The Best of Audio on the Bay 2015

The San Francisco Bay Area has a long-established reputation as a center for creative energy. Not only is it the home to tech giants like Google and Facebook, it also has a vibrant and storied music scene; so it was only fitting that Audio on the Bay return for year two.

San Francisco has a legendary underground scene, and the 45,000-square-foot Craneway Pavilion, a former Ford Motor Company production plant, was an ideal location in an area that takes its warehouse parties seriously. The waterfront venue has gorgeous views of the San Francisco skyline from across the Bay, and while sometimes obstructed by the fog typical of area, it provided a spectacular backdrop for the weekend. Packed with the shuffling feet of thousands of happy Headliners gettin’ down to the likes of Martin Garrix, Laidback Luke, Knife Party, Keys N Krates, Flosstradamus, Showtek and Yellow Claw, the three-day, one-room, one-vibe festival made for an exciting and eventful Memorial Day Weekend. Here are some of the highlights:

The Venue

Originally built in 1931, the building’s massive skylights give the building an open-air feel without the windchill sweeping up from the Bay outside. It also made for spectacular sunsets as the rays of the sun disappeared and the lights from the stage grew more intense.

The Craneway is a national historic landmark and has an impressive history: During WWII, car production stopped and was replaced with tanks and jeeps. After the war, they went back to producing cars until 1955. The venue has since served as a film set and currently houses the Rosie the Riveter Museum on its grounds.

Jauz

Local boy Jauz was welcomed to the stage with open arms and a nearly full dancefloor Friday night. When a bit of technical difficulty delayed the start of his set, he didn’t miss a beat, leading the crowd in a “Seven Nation Army” sing-along. When the power came back up, he laid down the dirty bassline funk his hometown crowd expected, ending things with a track he made with his good friend Sonny. His little brother and mom were even in attendance, proving that family is number one to this budding star.

A Family Affair

One Headliner told me her mom made the cuff she was wearing that night. She showed her mom how to make them months ago, and now she can frequently be seen in her chair at home with a knitting needle and pile of colored beads in front of her. Her mom tells her that making kandi is relaxing and therapeutic.

The Dubs

I don’t personally follow sports, but I do know that the Warriors are having a spectacular season, and their Saturday night win against the Houston Rockets was much-celebrated, judging from the amount of gear being rocked in the crowd. Go, Dubs!

The View

Once the cloud cover cleared, we were all treated to a spectacular view of the Bay Bridge and a fully lit San Francisco skyline. That is, if you could brave the cold.

The Crowd

With numbers that seemed to increase by the day, the largely local crowd went hard until the last track spun. And with such a widely varied lineup, the Bay Area ate up each and every artist and showed huge love for each other, the staff, and every single performer.

The Magician

Sandwiched between Milo & Otis and Keys N Krates, the Magician easily kept the vibe alive with a fantastic set of solid house music running all across the board, from future to funky to UK bass. He may have brought down the tempo, but his grooving beats were perfect for a city with strong roots in house music. As he bounced around behind the decks, he proved he had the energy to match. Also, who doesn’t love a man in a suit?

Gettin’ Hyphy

With a clear understanding of their audience, there were a couple of performers who knew how we like to get down in the Yay Area. Flosstradamus dropped “Thizzle Dance” by Mac Dre, and Grandtheft blazed through hits by the Luniz, Nate Dogg, Snoop and Dr. Dre, making the crowd go dumb. Plans for Floss to literally “Ghostride the Whip” onstage at the next Insomniac event can neither be confirmed nor denied.

Totems, Flags and Inflatable Things

Poking up from the crowd were flags and totems of all shapes and sizes, as well as some questionable inflatables—weird-looking blowup doll, I’m talking to you. Some of the best we saw included a giant boombox, a cross between the Mexican flag and the US flag called the Mexican-American friendship flag, and a four-inch slice of pizza.

Sunday Night

Sunday night was clearly the big one. The venue filled up early, and the energy was thick. With crowd favorites Yellow Claw, Laidback Luke and Martin Garrix on the bill, it was clear why Audio on the Bay was completely sold out. From the moment Ghetto House Radio’s Nick G got the crowd going to Garrix’s last track, every Headliner in attendance went as hard as if it were day one; luckily, it was a three-day weekend.

Thank you, Bay Area, we’ll see you again soon!

Visit the Audio on the Bay official website for more information.

Share

Tags