Zion y Lennox at Echostage : 08.24.18
DCClubbing Presents:
Zion y Lennox
Live In Concert
Friday August 24, 2018 | Doors 9:00pm | 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.271.1171
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Félix “Zion” Ortiz and Gabriel “Lennox” Pizarro have spearheaded two generations of reggaeton’s global expansion. Notable in Zion y Lennox’s growth has been their constant ability to remain grounded within their numerous family ties within Puerto Rico to the genre, as well as collaborating with possibly every other significant star with worldwide reach in the Latin pop industry. Current single “La Playera” has had both critical and popular acclaim, continuing a history of significant worldwide respect. Bridging the eras between Daddy Yankee and J. Balvin’s breakout superstardom, these are your favorite reggaeton artist’s favorite icons, still continuing to set a top-tier standard.
Plan B Live at Echostage: 06.21.18
DCClubbing Presents:
Plan B
Live In Concert
Saturday July 21, 2018 | Doors 9:00pm | 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.271.1171
Puerto Rican-born cousins Chencho and Maldy Vega’s combination of talents as Plan B showcases the pop excellence of the reggaeton genre. Discovered by Latin American bass music innovator DJ Blass, the tandem’s turn of the 21st century explosion has only expanded into worldwide renown since. Top ten global hits like “Si No Le Contesto” and “Te Dijeron” have spawned careers as producers as well, expanding their legacy. 2018 finds Chencho and Maldy, still, as always, hungrily pursuing their next level of career success.
Arcángel Live at Echostage – 06.23.18
DCClubbing Presents:
Arcangel Live at Echostage
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information: 202.271.1171
Tickets On Sale NOW!
Arcangel Returns to Washington, DC on Saturday May 23rd
Austin Agustin Santos better known by his stage name Arcángel is a singer and songwriter. Born in New York – he moved to Puerto Rico to pursue a career as a Reggaeton performer. Arcangel grew up listening to various types of music and has been a fan of rock music, particularly Robi Draco Rosa, a Puerto Rican pop rock artist and a former member of Menudo. Arcángel was not always a fan of reggaeton; he claims that it is not his favorite type of music, but it is easy to sing to. During the early 2000s, Arcángel grew fond of the new kind of music. Listening to artists like Tego Calderón and Tempo, it inspired him to pursue a singing and rapping career in Puerto Rico.
For two decades, Nuyorican reggaeton superstar Arcangel has established a high-level standard for pop excellence in the genre. Emerging in the mid-2000s as half of a top duo with De La Ghetto, Arcangel’s hits like Agresivo”, “Sorpresa” and “Mi Fanatica” highlighted his career. However, the 2010s have found him thriving as a solo artist, with hits including top 10 smash “Tu Cuerpo Me Hace Bien.” Four solo albums, multiple mixtapes, numerous hit singles, and recent smashes alongside current hitmakers Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Farruko have proven to show his growth towards being an artist with a growing iconic legacy.
Don’t Miss Out on Arcangel live at Echostage!
FARRUKO AT ECHOSTAGE : 05.17.18
DCClubbing Presents:
FARRUKO WORLD TOUR
Thursday May 17th,
Thursday May 17, 2018 | Doors 9:00pm | 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.271.1171
Farruko Returns to Echostage!
Farruko is a reggaeton and Latin pop singer from Puerto Rico. His given name is Carlos Efren Reyes, and he was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico in 1991. At the age of 16, he began to post his songs under his stage name to MySpace. His first single, “Sexo Fuera del Planeta,” gained thousands of followers, and from there he explored the potential of other social media networks. Due to his massive success on the Internet, he came to the attention of Puerto Rican radio and music industry executives, who enlisted his vocal talents for other artists.
Farruko’s debut album, El Talento del Bloque, appeared when he was 18. It was released by Siente Music and distributed by Universal. Most of its 13 songs were self-penned. The set became an almost instant hit, and several singles followed from it. Some of the album’s highlights included its collaborative tunes such as “Su Hija Me Gusta” with José Feliciano, “Ella No Es Facil” with Cosculluela, and “Traime a Tu Amiga” with Arcangel and Julio Voltio. He also issued the non-album smash “Pa Romper la Discoteca” with Daddy Yankee and Yomo.
In 2012, he issued his sophomore offering, TMPR: The Most Powerful Rookie. Its first smash single was “Feel the Rhythm” (“Siente el Ritmo”), though it was one of five. As a whole, the set demonstrated that Farruko was as comfortable in electro and pop circles as he was in reggaeton; it was nominated for a Latin Grammy.
Don’t Miss Out on Farruko live at Echostage!
Gente De Zona Make Their Echostage Debut : 12.01.17
DCClubbing Presents:
Gente De Zona
Friday December 1st
Friday December 1, 2017 | Doors 9:00pm | All Ages
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.271.1171
Gente De Zona Make Their Echostage Debut
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information: 202.271.1171
Gente De Zona takes on Washington, DC on Friday December 1st!
Multi-platinum selling Cuban reggaeton kingpins Gente de Zona hit Echostage on December 1st for an eagerly anticipated concert date on their debut American tour. Danceable pop hits with the likes of “Macarena” dons Los Del Rio to the likes of Pitbull, Marc Anthony, and Enrique Iglesias have highlighted their mainstream success, which was highlighted by Latin GRAMMY wins in 2016. 2017 has seen their breakthrough surge continue with latest hit “Si No Vuelves.” With a pop-fusion sound that’s second to few of late, Gente de Zona are artists to watch (and enjoy) in the present of future of the world of Latin music.
Don’t Miss Out on Gente De Zona live at Echostage!
Wizkid’s Coming To Echostage And He’s A Superstar On The Rise
On July 2, Wizkid, the “Starboy” and “Prince of African Pop” — an African-to-worldwide pop star who can possibly follow in a line that extends back to the era of Akon — visits the Nation’s Capitol. Whereas Akon is of Senegalese descent and was born in St. Louis, Wizkid is Nigerian, and probably someone that you’ve heard on a few of your favorite songs, but likely had no idea. However, with his increased global exposure and a third studio album forthcoming via a new record Sony/RCA, this is a tremendous time for one of those “before they were superstars” moments. Here’s five reasons why Wizkid is a star on the rise, and well worth purchasing a ticket to check him out at Echostage.
1. He’s The OTHER Rapper On Drake’s “One Dance”
Billboard’s “Song of the Summer” for 2016 was “One Dance,” Drake’s tropical hip-hop dancehall pop champion sound. Drake and Wizkid had collaborated one year prior alongside UK grime rapper Skepta for Wizkid’s single “Ojuelegba,” making “One Dance a case of Wizkid returning the favor. Rolling Stone noted that the “tropical summer jam with a Caribbean lilt that evokes Lionel Richie in pastel-shirt mode. When he mixes in Nigerian singer Wizkid and London diva Kyla, he turns ‘One Dance’ into a utopian fusion of global styles, by way of Toronto.”
2. He’s Also Recorded Songs With Wale, Major Lazer, and R. Kelly
Key as well to what will be Wizkid’s likely American crossover success is his ability to excel at the merging point that Diplo’s tropical production team Major Lazer represents between hip-hop culture and electronic music. In the past two years, breezy house-aimed Major Lazer single “Boom” and Wale’s Major Lazer-produced album track “My Love” have been aided by the Nigerian vocalist’s tenor. Infectious and dancehall-inspired records more aimed at the festival crowd than top-40 radio, they’ve definitely increased familiarity with his artistry in the American-to-worldwide mainstream.
3. He Already Has An Incredible Built-In 18-35 Year Old Audience
Here’s a few interesting facts about Nigeria. The country’s population is 184 million, roughly half of America’s population. However, unlike America which has 1/10th of it’s population as being 18 and under, 1/5th of Nigeria’s population is between 18-35, and the country’s median age is 18. Furthermore, YouTube is Nigeria’s largest music streaming service, and overall worldwide, it’s used the most by those aged 25-34. Therefore, this bodes well for how his music appeals so quickly, and so well, to so many.
4. He Has A Collaboration Coming With Sia
Yes, Sia, as in the singer/songwriter whose Sean Paul collaboration “Cheap Thrills” was a platinum seller, #1 in over 20 countries in 2016, and was Spotify’s #5 overall streamed song of the year. Similar to “One Dance,” it was described as a “bouncy and reggae-tinged synthpop song.” Whatever the teased collaboration sounds like, the idea of Wizkid pairing with an artist who’s had easily a dozen groundbreaking smash hits in the past five years can only mean amazing things.
5. He Already Has 100 Million Streams Via His Official Vevo
WizKid’s been Vevo official on Youtube for just over a year, and has already clocked in at over 100 million total views. Though his Drake collaboration “One Dance” has no official video, the Saturday Night Live performance featuring ONLY Drake has over 22 million hits. Comparatively, Sia’s been Vevo-official for seven years, and has SIX BILLION HITS. Could something similar be in the offing for Wizkid? Possibly.
Five Things You Might Not Know About Galantis
There’s solid reason to believe that if you were just a fan of EDM festivals and entertaining big room bangers that Swedish duo Galantis (who headline at Echostage on June 2 — tickets available here) popped up on your radar in a significant way with their back-to-back 2014 and 2015 hits “Runaway (U & I)” and “Peanut Butter Jelly.” However, upon a deeper look, it shouldn’t necessarily be surprising that Linus Eklöw and Christian Karlsson were so successful. In fact, if you look back at various aspects of their career, their success (and the level which it has reached so quickly for them as Galantis), shouldn’t be shocking at all. In fact, in listing five “things you might not know about Galantis,” there’s a lot of secret keys to their success that are “revealed.”
1. Have you ever heard of techno producer Style of Eye? If you have, do you remember the track “The Big Kazoo?”
Prior to being in Galantis, duo member Linus Eklöw was known for his more techno aimed productions under the moniker Style of Eye. Intriguingly, he was responsible for “The Big Kazoo,” one of 2008’s biggest tunes on the underground scene in that genre. Also of note regarding the track is that it was an early release on Claude Vonstroke’s Dirtybird Records. Yes, that’s the exact same indie dominant Dirtybird known currently as the label home of producers Justin Martin and Justin Jay, as well as the label’s festival-esque worldwide Dirtybird BBQ events. Described as a “bomb” track by Vonstroke himself, it’s easily one of the first truly universally beloved tracks released by the label.
2. Remember Miike Snow’s single “Animal?”
Similar to Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson had massive initial success as an artist under another moniker prior to working as a a member of the Galantis tandem. 2009-released single “Animal’”s massive horns, melodious synths and happily soulful vocals were described by BBC Music as “[taking] approximately one play for its catchiness to cluster bomb your memory bank,” while Pop Matters noted that the track “[hit] immediate pop pay dirt.” Easily one of the most beloved of songs of the blog hype-driven indie electro era, it’s success is a clear indicator of Galantis’ success-to-come.
3. 90’s pop superstar Cathy Dennis is the female vocalist on “Runaway (U & I).”
1991’s biggest house-to-pop crossover was Cathy Dennis’ single “Touch Me.” Hitting #2 on the Billboard pop charts and #1 on the Billboard dance charts. 25 years later, Dennis is still active as a pop vocalist, her addition to Galantis’ breakout single keyed the single’s massive success. As well, importantly, Dennis has songwritten for Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and yes, Galantis.
4. Just how many different international pop stars have the guys from Galantis worked with over the past decade?
As Bloodshy, Christian Karlsson worked with the following artists: Americans like Madonna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, and Chiristina Milian, UK stars including Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, and Sky Ferreira, Korean icons Girls Generation, and BoA, plus Japanese hitmakers Utada.
While in Miike Snow, Linus Eklöw worked with: Depeche Mode, Passion Pit, Peter Bjorn and John, Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend, and more.
Even furthermore, Galantis counts A-Trak amongst the stars with whom they have created hits.
5. Just how many amazing producers have remixed Galantis and Galantis member related projects so far?
There’s appeal for the sounds that Linus and Christian make that stretch across numerous genres. Big room crushers Dillon Francis, DJ Mustard, KSHMR, Kaskade, GTA, Sebastian Ingrosso and Dirty South have remixed their material. As well, electro and techno creators like Treasure Fingers, Crookers, Tiga, deceased legend DJ Mehdi, and blogosphere faves Hood Internet have worked with their tracks. Moreover, if that’s not enough, iconic top 40 craftsmen Benny Blanco and Mark Ronson have remix credits with tracks the tandem have created as well.
Ozuna Odisea World Tour: 05.20.17 at Echostage
DCClubbing Presents:
Ozuna Odisea World Tour
Saturday May 20th
Live in Concert
Saturday May 20, 2017 | Doors 9:00pm | Ages 18+
Echostage • 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE • Washington, DC
VIP and Venue Information – 202.271.1171
25 year old Puerto Rican trap and reggaeton icon Ozuna headlines Echostage on May 20th as part of his current international tour. Billions of Youtube hits and Billboard nominated album Odisea and single “Dile que tu me quieres” later and he’s riding an incredible wave of popularity into North America’s most popular live music venue. Described as “a true music maven and an online powerhouse, his meteoric rise to the top of the Latin pop music charts has reached unprecedented proportions.
Echostage Is The Top Venue In North America!
For the better part of 50 years, Washington, DC has always been one of many American cities at the leading edge of the United States’ ascendance to being a top-tier North American and global electronic music destination. Cities like New York, Chicago, and Miami — and not DC — arguably surged to the forefront of being considered places where America best showcased its excitement about electronic music. In previous eras, clubs like Studio 54, Warehouse, Liv, and more defined excellence in musical presentation and experience delivery. Recently however, Washington’s Echostage was named by DJ Mag as having both one of the top 10 overall nightclubs in the world and North America’s number one electronic music venue. Thus, like so many lasers aimed from the stage during a Tiesto or Eric Prydz set at the now internationally vaunted space, the perception of the present and future of where electronic music is headed in America has been brilliantly highlighted. There were once many cities sharing the lead regarding how America’s presentation of dance is judged worldwide. Now, there may, via this achievement, arguably be only the District of Columbia at the forefront.
Echostage’s rise as a world leader in electronic music and its associated nightlife could not have occurred without reflecting something of the growth of concerts in general as must-attend live events in the Nation’s Capital. Moreover, the ability for venues in the city in general meeting the expectations of that demand is also noteworthy in understanding the reasons as to why Echostage’s significant success has occurred.
From 2007-2012, the 9:30 Club won the “Top Club” award as presented by Billboard Magazine. As well, underground electronic music bass-bin U Street Music Hall has achieved significant acclaim as a top-ten venue nationwide from Rolling Stone and Beatport. As well, Verizon Center continues to be a premium mega concert destination, while newer venues like brand new house and techno friendly venues like Soundcheck and Flash, plus SW DC’s soon-to-be-built 6,000 capacity Anthem offer the promise of continuing this now established expectation of worldwide acclaim for District-based concert halls.
Importantly, there’s also a legacy in how DC has been one of many cities key in the development of both the industry and culture of electronic music in America that Echostage expands upon, improves, and redefines.
In the 1990s it was in spaces like Zei Club, Fifth Column, Eighteenth Street Lounge, Nation, and Tracks where DC’s scene achieved a greater level of national renown than ever before. Zei was a three-level industrial space in an alley located behind McPherson Square that fostered numerous scenes from then-exploding techno to the ascendance of trance, while Eighteenth Street Lounge has ownership ties to DC-based and hybrid funk/house/electronica legends Thievery Corporation.
As for Nation (aka the Capitol Ballroom), it was the home of Buzz, an influential underground party that was voted the number one party in America for four straight years in that decade. Iconic names including Moby, Little Louis Vega, and more were booked for those events. As for Tracks, it was open near the Navy Yard Metro Station from 1984-1999, and in 2013 was referred to as both “the legendary nightclub of Washington, D.C.” as well as “[attracting] a diverse cross section of the LGBT community, including whites, blacks, men and women, Latinos and Asians,” and “[meaning] considerably more to considerably more people for considerably more years than any other nightclub in D.C. history” by the Washington Blade.
By 2012 though, America’s electronic music fascination exploded via the EDM boom, expanding interest past typical club capacities and into arena-style settings. DC clubs immediately preceding Echostage including Lima, Fur, Ibiza, and the still-standing Ultrabar initially excelled at fostering the quickly developing EDM craze, but quickly grew too small to contain its appeal. Thus, Echostage, with its 30,000 square feet of space, top-tier sound design, advanced LED visual displays, laser shows, 60-foot bars and 30-plus bottle service tables a) allowed for a maximum capacity of all music fanatics to enjoy themselves, and b) ultimately put the Nation’s Capital over-the-top as America’s top electronic music destination and one of the must-visit electronic music locales worldwide.
One can only imagine what the future holds for electronic music, its culture, live concerts, and Washington, DC. Conservative estimates note that by 2025, the population of America’s capital city will exceed 800,000 residents, while the population for the DC Metropolitan area in general should top 6.25 million. As well, electronic music and its culture continue to resonate and expand worldwide, by the millions among fanatics old and young. Therefore, there’s likely a space, probably in Washington, DC, where this all continues to grow in the most amazing manner possible.
Top 10 Best Sia Anthems of All Time (Or Right Now…Your Choice)
Amazingly enough, it’s been 20 years since Sia, possibly 2017’s biggest mainstream female pop vocalist, released her debut album. It’s amazing in the sense that somehow, there’s a singer-songwriter with her level of undeniable talent that’s patiently waited for the opportunity to reach her own stardom, instead of writing songs for everyone from Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to Beyonce, Maroon 5, Eminem, and more. Though she still writes many songs, it’s her ability in writing and singing, for the most part, her own songs where she’s surged to greater success than ever before. Following in a line from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga, she could easily be the music industry’s next superstar female pop icon. Here’s ten of her most impacting pop hits.
10. Sia – The Greatest (featuring Kendrick Lamar) (PURCHASE HERE)
Sia closed an impressive 2016 with “The Greatest,” an emotionally uplifting single featuring Kendrick Lamar. Perceived by many to be a tribute to those killed in the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, the song hit number one in ten countries and to date has sold 2.5 million singles.
9. Katy Perry – Chained To The Rhythm (PURCHASE HERE)
Though just-released, the potential of a Sia-written and Katy Perry sung tropical house song (with the aforementioned Furler providing uncredited guest vocals) in 2017 is quite high. It’s also a Max Martin production that features Skip, the latest Marley to join in the family’s musical legacy. Though for Sia, writing ever-so-slightly politically-motivated songs is nothing new, for Katy Perry, lending her vocal to these ideas is quite the progressive push, indeed.
8. Sia – Helium (PURCHASE HERE)
Sia’s latest artist release is “Helium,” which given its placement on the soundtrack of Fifty Shades Darker, the follow up to 2015’s successful film adaptation of novel Fifty Shades of Gray, should mean immense success. Already zipping to the top of the pop charts globally, its American success should be forthcoming, likely due to the oh so many remixes we should expect soon enough.
7. Kanye West – Wolves (PURCHASE HERE)
Kanye West’s 2016-released album The Life of Pablo had significant initial fanfare. Key to this excitement was the album’s build that included the Sia and Vic Mensa-featuring “Wolves” being used in a marketing campaign for the Balmain fashion house, as well as a performance on Saturday Night Live. Sia partnering with West is a massive look, and likely only scratching the surface of hip-hop collaborations to come.
6. David Guetta – She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) (PURCHASE HERE)
French electro production titan David Guetta’s modern career evolution into a pop superstar has been largely tied to female voices. From Kelly Rowland jumping on 2009’s “When Love Takes Over” to Fergie on the same year’s “Gettin’ Over You” and including Sia’s appearance on this big room banger, women have have provided an invaluable assist to his success.
5. David Guetta – Bang My Head (PURCHASE HERE)
The first of what has become many Sia appearances on tropical house productions was arguably the most intriguing collaboration of her career. Pairing here with New Jersey-bred trap rapper Fetty Wap and her aforementioned frequent collaborator Guetta, Sia shows an impressive ability to diversify her talents and seamlessly fit in to craft a hit with far-reaching potential.
4. David Guetta – Titanium (PURCHASE HERE)
Maybe the single most responsible for Sia’s solo breakout is “Titanium,” her chart-topping electro house collaboration with David Guetta. A massive, thrashing, and synth-driven sonic boom of a production is actually elevated to another level with Sia’s vocal. Her ability to match the energy of the production with her vocal performance is what makes her a superstar, and it’s a well-showcased talent here.
3. Sia – Chandelier (PURCHASE HERE)
Maybe outside of Rihanna, there’s really no other female vocalist at-present who lends the level of emotional connection to wild, party-girl lifestyle than Sia. The most unlikely of trap anthems, “Chandelier, definitely is the perfect accompaniment to a night in VIP, with shots, bottles, vodka drinks, and everything that comes with that. It’s a truly beautiful song overall.
2. Flo Rida – Wild Ones (PURCHASE HERE)
As just mentioned, Sia’s greatest gift as a singer is her ability to really double-down on describing what makes the “wild girl” lifestyle so entertaining. Therefore, it stands to reason that a collaboration with her and “king of the party rappers” Flo Rida for 2012’s “Wild Ones” was such a hit. Sometimes the biggest songs make the most logical sense.
1. Sia – Cheap Thrills (PURCHASE HERE)
In the blend of tropical house, reggaeton, top-40 pop and the kind of songwriting brilliance that includes lyrics like “I ain’t got gas, I ain’t got cash, but I got you bay-beee” is where Sia’s 2016/2017 super-smash is actually not just possibly her best song ever, but also one of the best songs of the modern era overall. There’s something about there being just enough Sean Paul, just enough percussion and just enough of Sia’s voice here that makes this phenomenal.
