On Friday the 6th of March, tech fans were welcomed into Li’ly Lounge for a night that was promised to be all that we’ve sought in underground culture. Hosted by Jayforce, the After Dark Launch Party delivered exactly what it said it was going to – an unforgettable experience. I arrived early with my dance crew, excited as we were welcomed by friendly staff and a comfortable, underground vibe. It was my first time seeing both floors available to groove and I was looking forward to exploring the unknown side of one of my favourite venues. As I made my way down the stairs and the early sounds of the night greeted me, I was already sure that tonight was going to be the best I’d had at Li’ly Lounge so far.
If you’re yet to spend a night between Li’ly’s walls, it’s basically a spacious, dark, open dancefloor in the basement and a classy lounge at ground level with plenty of room for you to sit and enjoy the sound in between shuffling your feet in the basement. Li’ly is known for hosting many techno and psy trance events and its atmosphere is the perfect companion to these deeper genres. There is plenty of room to dance, plenty of room to chill and bars hosting tenders who are quick to help and always greet you with a smile. Once again, this was my first time having full access to Li’ly, but I look forward to the use of multiple rooms in the future. It really gave us a sense of exploration being able to experience a variation in styles and vibes at once.
When I entered into Li’ly’s underground, the room was just beginning to fill up with people. Billey Barry was behind the decks starting us off with a pounding drum and an excited attitude. This was Billey’s first all techno set and he was looking forward to giving us an awesome experience. Well, he must know a thing or two about how to please a crowd because he started to convince the wallflowers to find their way into the groove and by the time he was done setting us up for the rest of the night, we were in the mood for hours of non-stop motion.
At 11pm, Quim took over as the dancefloor was beginning to really fill up with smiling faces and shuffling feet. His hour behind the decks was well spent and as he played our favourite music. The lights dimmed and we were taken into the realm of the underground. Seeing Quim lighting up the decks of Li’ly reminded me of nights spent in my favourite after-hours and his most recognized residency, The Comfort Zone. Deep, hard-hitting drums and a dark bassline really complemented the vibe and continued to build us up for what was yet to come.
Uppercut, who visited us from Montreal and was really looking forward to hitting the decks of Li’ly spun hit after hit and left us breathless. He says he feels blessed to have been chosen to mix in this beautiful city and we are equally as glad that he did. The floor was now a whir of people spinning as Uppercut let his pounding drums and rolling bassline thrust us into Oblivion. This guy is definitely one that you need to check out, his feel is perfect for that underground techno feel we know and love here in Toronto.
Our headliner, Ant Brooks, was, in short, amazing. I’ve been waiting to see this guy work his magic for what has been seemingly ever, so I made sure to get in really close and enjoy every moment of it. Deep, dark and dangerous are three words I would use to describe Ant’s 2 hour set I will never forget and he’s definitely someone I recommend checking out the next time he’s in town. His love for this music and his passion for the crowd are obvious as he hits you with his bass and makes it impossible for you to sit still.
Jay Force, our gracious host and talented headliner shut Li’ly down with a bang. He says it was a wicked night and was overjoyed that Li’ly’s crowd could share in on celebrating all that he has upcoming. It was obvious the passion and excitement he has for doing this; his music was filled with high-energy drums and deep bass. Jay shared his sound with a room full of his friends and his fans and none could sit still as he reminded us why we came here in the first place.
If you missed this event, I caution you to not to miss the next party in this upcoming series. The crowd was vibrant, the music solid and the venue tied it all together perfectly. It was a night to remember exactly as it was promised, so don’t fear grabbing your tickets as early as you can for the next one because it’s sure to be even better!
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LINKS:
Ant Brooks
Facebook
Soundcloud
DJ Uppercut
Facebook
Soundcloud
Jayforce
Facebook
Soundcloud
Quim
Facebook
Soundcloud
Billey Barry
Facebook
Soundcloud
Kayla LePage – EDM TOR
