[Photo Courtesy of Boiler Room]
It’s 2024 and dance music has never been hotter. Don’t believe me? Ask Boiler Room.
While rave culture and techno beats are far from strangers in the music world, long gone are the days of this genre’s “underground” title.
With nothing but a DJ, a single live-streaming camera, and a packed crowd painted in the logo’s iconic neon red, Boiler Room has garnered a cult-like following of millions, showcasing the world’s hottest DJ’s before they earn that accredited title. Case in point – FredAgain.. | Boiler Room: London.
What started with a webcam taped to a wall in 2010 has now transformed into over 8,000 performances, 5,000 artists, and 200 cities. From Ibiza to Tokyo, Boiler Room has swept over the global stage, currently embarking on their 2024 world tour.
As an avid connoisseur of it all, imagine my excitement upon hearing they were stopping in Los Angeles. And so, on September 21st, Boiler Room didn’t just exist on my laptop screen, but rather right in front of me – live and sold-out.
Set right across from Union Station, Boiler Room transformed El Pueblo, a culturally vibrant LA landmark, into an even livelier open-air rave. Featuring a main floor along with two side stages, there was no shortage of hi-hats and high energy, playing all Saturday from 4pm to 4am.
On the main stage, we had the heavy hitters, featuring 360-degree views of Bambii, Bonobo, Floating Points, Hiroko Yamamura, and Job Jobse. Admittedly, while I had only heard of Floating Points and Bonobo going into the show, in classic Boiler Room fashion, I left wishing I knew all of them sooner.
…
Coupled with the main floor were the “Favela Worldwide” and “goyo club” stages, each brimming with a unique diversity of music styles. The “Favela Worldwide” stage was nestled within a small cove, featuring a vast selection of house music with cultural nods to countless places around the world.
Meanwhile, the “goyo club” stage rested on top of the Old Plaza gazebo, providing a perfect homage to LA and giving local artists the chance to showcase their talents alongside more established others.
There, we saw rising artists like Xica Soul, Victoria Moura, and JehMahk light up downtown LA, embracing the amorphous yet captivating energy that ties both LA and techno together.
Ultimately, if there was ever a testament to the unifying power of sound, Boiler Room would be the blueprint. Surrounded by a crowd of hundreds, in the heart of Los Angeles, I realized then that not one of us was looking for the same thing.
Yet, together, we were there united under one collective, sharing a space to appreciate music for exactly what it is – music.
When you catch one of Boiler Room’s sets, it’s never to see the biggest names nor the loudest followings. As they put it best, it’s to “tell the stories from the fringes” – to “connect club culture to the wider world.”
Boiler Room ultimately builds a bridge for local voices to not only walk upon, but also shine through. And so, as they continue their world tour, there is no better reminder to keep listening and keep dancing.
…
Photo Gallery
…
