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Gorgon City delivered an incredible sunset set at Palms Beach Club in San Diego to bring the venue’s season to a close.
Gorgon City began their journey in the scene over a decade ago, and they’ve only gotten better with age. Much like a fine wine that also ages well, this duo’s flavor has enhanced with time, giving way to a more complex profile that titillates the senses. This has been displayed with their recent releases, including their stunning album Reverie, but even more so when they hop behind the decks.
It’s been difficult for me not to catch Gorgon City over the years. After all, the duo has been a frequent face at CRSSD Festival and more over the years. But while those sets have been fantastic, I have found myself craving lengthier sets at venues where they can truly flex their skills behind the decks. Luckily, that happened this month when they took the stage at Palms Beach Club.
FNGRS CRSSD’s Palms Beach Club at Beach House has been heaven for house and techno all year, yet I rarely found myself there to catch any of the action. That said, I knew I needed to be there when an extended set from Gorgon City was announced for the season’s final show.
Arrival at Palms Beach Club was easy and breezy, with ample parking around Belmont Park. Typically, this would be a bit of a mess during the spring or summer months because of the sheer volume of tourists, but we were parked within minutes and found ourselves inside the venue soon after.
Photo Credit: FNGRS CRSSDThe crowd was light for Jackie Hollander, but that gave us plenty of room to groove.
Jackie Hollander was throwing down some pure heat during her set, which was welcome because the temperatures began to get chilly as the sun continued to set. She wrapped the crowd around her finger, pummeling everyone with bangin’ house tunes and quickly making fans out of those who hadn’t caught her.
The energy began to swell inside Palms Beach Club, and it was also on the rise outside as the small crowd on the boardwalk grew to seemingly over a hundred. Gorgon City was now minutes away, and I was ready to get down and dirty on the sandy floor of the venue.
Photo Credit: FNGRS CRSSDThe sun dipped below the horizon with a green flash, and a wave of euphoria crashed over everyone as Gorgon City took the stage.
The UK duo began their set with some atmospheric vibes before diving into “Voodoo,” Sammy Virji & Interplanetary Criminal’s “Damager,” The Trips’ “Take You Higher,” and LO’99’s “Make It Hot.” We were officially off to the races with Gorgon City driving us into a blissful state with classic house and UK Garage at the forefront.
For the next few hours, Gorgon City delivered a hearty helping of their other tracks like “Grooves On The Vinyl,” “Biggest Regret” with Bbyafricka, “You’ve Done Enough” with DRAMA, and “All That You Need” with Caroline Byrne. They also added in remixes of tunes like “Nasty,” and some fresh IDs for added effect that we can’t wait to see get a full release.
The crowd was the only annoyance during this show. Sure, there weren’t fan clackers or woo-woo’ers, but the roar of people talking throughout the entire set, paired with the lower sound due to the venue’s location, was a bit frustrating. This isn’t Gorgon City’s fault; the San Diego crowd has continued to prove they don’t know how to shut up and dance. The scene here can do so much better.
Luckily, Gorgon City cranked the volume up a bit, which slightly drowned out the endless conversations happening, and the last hour or so was fantastic. This was made even greater as they played “Somebody To Love,” and Jackie Hollander joined them on stage for an impromptu back-to-back for the final 30 minutes.
Photo Credit: FNGRS CRSSDGorgon City is at the top of their game and an act you shouldn’t miss.
Gorgon City’s San Diego show was the last of their three-night run in California, but they still had plenty of gas in the tank to throw down an incredible set. Crowd-aside, I had an absolute blast at Palms Beach Club catching them.
If you want a dose of rave-ready nostalgia, proper house grooves, and highly-curated gems, then there’s no doubt you need to be at their next performance whenever they head to a city near you.
And who knows, maybe they’ll be in San Diego more than we know in the future. The duo did tease everyone in America’s Finest City in the caption on their Instagram post by saying, “That’s it… We’re moving to San Diego.”
As a longtime fan of Gorgon City, I can only hope they do just that.
English (US) · 