I finally managed to make it to Union Transfer this weekend. I've been on the mailing list for R5 Productions' new venue since well before it opened, but I've been so busy I haven't had an opportunity to catch any of the great shows they've been putting on there. I am so glad I finally did! The space is gorgeous in every detail, from stained glass windows to the sleek industrial grates serving as railings between balconies, bars, and the main floor. I look forward to many more nights spent in a club so simultaneously intimate and spacious.
The show I made it out for was excellent as well. Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound curated what was essentially a tour to bring the NYC underground dance scene to the rest of the country, and did an excellent job of it. I primarily went to see Eli Escobar spin before and between sets, and he did not disappoint. Dance and disco, flawlessly mixed with CDJs, no laptop, provided the perfect warmup for each and every artist, keeping the crowd moving. Midnight Magic was first to perform, and frontwoman Tiffany Roth took it upon herself to pack the dancefloor, instructing the crowd to stop staring and start dancing at every opportunity afforded by interludes in which her powerful vocals and enthusiastic dancing took a backseat to the excellent horn section.
Held together by a common bassist and keyboardist, Midnight Magic and Jessica 6 are both partially made up of members of Hercules & Love Affair, in the latter case fronted by transwoman H&LA vocalist Nomi Ruiz. Musically, the vibes began to skew darker and more sexual when they took the stage, with dirtier, more electro-oriented leads and no horn section. After a significantly longer set from Eli Escobar, Holy Ghost! finally took the stage. As the pop project from the members of defunct DFA hip-hop project Automato, Holy Ghost! has been putting out phenomenal remixes for artists like MGMT, Phoenix, and LCD Soundsystem, as well as excellent original dance tunes. Their live show was more fully fleshed out than the others, complete with an enormous lighting console and analog synth equipment presiding over the center of the stage. By this point, the crowd was euphoric and the dance party was in full swing, having mostly emptied the back bar area onto the floor with the underage kids. I went home satisfied, having danced my Friday night away to excellent music in a beautiful new venue.
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