Is this Circo Loco's celebrity response to Idris Elba @ Hi?! I first saw his name on a Circo Loco poster in 2022. I just saw him Monday, and thought he was pretty good!
Circo Loco is as crowded as ever. They are amazing lineups, so I get it. I went on Monday. I have conflicting opinions.
Black Coffee played a wonderfully hypnotic set. I found myself wondering how long each song went, and how many were playing at the same time. Each looping drum beat and percussion set seemed to match better than the last, continually unfolding over each other. All of the builds felt completely earned. The crowd really locked into most of them, despite their progressive lengths, making the payoffs that much more satisfying. There were no clouds in the sky. I thought it a fitting metaphor for the two hours leading into the evening.
By the time Black Coffee's set ended, and both interior rooms started to fill, the three faces of Circo Loco at DC10 become more apparent. This wasn't my first, but the patterns are more clear. People are spilling out of the Terrace doors. It's crowded. It's always crowded by this point. The Main Room may have the initial appearance of being crowded, but after passing through a few layers of people, there is space to be found.
In the Terrace, it's hard to determine if anyone there actually likes the music, is there for a specific DJ, or is there for another reason. There are muted reactions to some of the more recognized songs. Phones don't crowd the field of view for specific breakdowns. Most people cannot reach in their pockets/purses for them! Even as DJ Koze closes out his set with one of the major DnB songs of the last 12 months, all that can be noticed is that people recognize the song. By this point, everyone's asking each other if this is worth it? Are we here to say "we survived"?
In the Main Room, it's possible to see personalities on the dance floor. People that are lost in the moment, people that are mingling, people that are adapting to the experience. Francesco del Garda and Rony Seikaly aren't playing big crowd singalongs or huge anthems, but solid, deep house music. Most of the crowd is having a good time, but they aren't enamored, and I can't help but wonder how many people are refugees from the Terrace. All in good spirits, otherwise.
Back outside in the Garden, it's a combination of typical outdoor socializing and the aftermath of trench warfare. Bodies upon bodies, all bathed in the ever-present red glow of the night at hand. 10 yards deep, you can observe multiple people stepping through the arms and legs of the fallen, as if they all have been equipped with mines pieced together from the memories of the ill-fated that came before them.
The party is aptly named. It crosses levels of a spectrum. I hope everyone has a good time!
plus it might even be less busy if there's no Keine DJs about.