Stuff Boston has released an article talking about all the hot spots in boston for different things. Their biggest highlight was all the clubs playing EDM in Boston. Among them were club rise, which was also named #43 Best Club in the US in 2012 by DJ Mag. In addition, mete Aslan from Bijou spoke about bringing in Big Acts to smaller venue Bijou.
(StuffBoston) Every nightspot has its list of VIPs: people whose reputations precede them and make velvet ropes part like the Red Sea. So for our first Night Shift issue, we likewise compiled a list — of very important people, places, and parties. We gave nods across the nightlife world, from DJs who keep us dancing to promoters pushing new social-media tech, from traditional nightclubs to sleek restaurants that double as social scenes, and from longstanding party series to late-night movie and comedy offerings. Here’s to nightlife’s shining stars: this round’s on us.
The Big Draws
Even for big-name DJs used to playing massive arenas, America has long been the toughest commercial market to crack. So when they tour the States, it’s usually bigger, more nightlife-friendly cities like New York, LA, Miami, and Vegas that get a visit. Boston has rarely been on the radar — until lately. Suddenly, an influx of major electronic-music artists are playing at Hub clubs, including venues where capacities are a fraction (of a fraction) of what they’re used to.
“It was like having the Grateful Dead play at your little concert venue,” chuckles Mike Swells, DJ and jack-of-all-trades at RISE, where Grammy-winning techno legend Dubfire played in April. Boston’s only (legal) after-hours nightclub, RISE has a devout following among true-blue EDM aficionados. It’s booked many revered acts, but scoring Dubfire was the club’s biggest coup yet.
Royale deserves credit for taking an early initiative in attracting huge DJ acts to Boston. Immediately after taking over the former Roxy space in 2010, Royale started pulling in some of the world’s top talent, like Paul van Dyk, Kaskade, David Guetta, and, most recently, Alesso. (Next up: Armin van Buuren on May 22 and Ferry Corsten on June 7.) Other clubs have since follow suit by nabbing big names; recent headliners include Bob Sinclar at Gypsy Bar and Nervo at Splash. The shift reflects how interest in EDM has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Deadmau5 and Skrillex are nearly household names (to the under-40 crowd anyway), and pop stars are cranking out collaborations with DJs.
“The music has grown in popularity, so now Boston promoters have a reason to take a risk,” says Swells. And it is a financial gamble; the big guns don’t come cheap. (Picture five-figure price tags.) But clubs can charge higher ticket prices for these names, and VIP tables can go for several grand — so recouping the cost is entirely possible. But sometimes the cachet of the booking is enough reward on its own, says DJ Mete Aslan, part of the team behind Bijou. The Theater District hotspot has been bringing in major players, but none as high-profile as trance legend Tiësto, who came through at the end of March (check out our interview with him in “The Top Talent” on page 36). “He came from playing to tens of thousands of people at festivals to 350 at Bijou,” says Aslan. “And he doesn’t get paid less because he’s playing to fewer people. But to have Tiësto is a big advertisement for your club — and a big accomplishment. It’s great for the Boston music scene to have someone of that caliber.” As long as EDM continues to grow in popularity, we hope to see even more.
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