Feliz Cinco De Mayo, SoundDiego! Time to hit the bars, nightclubs and beaches to celebrate...not Mexican Independence Day! For those not in the know, it’s actually the Battle of Puebla that’s commemorated through the festivities, so spread the knowledge as you take shots with a stranger! The month of May has plenty of opportunities for you to hit dance floors with your amigos, from San Diego’s first House & Drum & Bass music conference, Memorial Day weekend festivities to a new record store coming to town, and even Lucha Libre Wrestling!
That’s right. On Cinco de Mayo, shoot back shots of Patron to live action Lucha Libre, hosted by 2010 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, Mil Mascaras, at Fluxx Nightclub. At Bang Bang on Friday (May 6), shake your money maker as debuted-on-BBC-Radio, house-music-new-comer Throttle takes over the big discoball dance floor for his first trip to San Diego.
Saturday night (May 7), you have plenty of options throughout the city. With plenty of hits and impressive collaborations from A-Trak to Ghetter, local world-headliner Ookay is set to have the party going off all night at Omnia. If you fancy proper techno, Carlo Lio will be getting dark and heavy at Spin Nightclub. Also Saturday, the truly unique sounds of Anamanaguchi will be performed live at the Irenic. Featuring the warped productions and hyperactive melodies of songwriters Peter Berkman, Ary Warnaar, and Luke Silas, they’ll be playing under custom-fabricated lights made by bassist James DeVito to accompany their soundtrack for the evening. Closing out the weekend, Lovelife presents a hidden location Lovers Masquerade Ball -- a masked gathering of love, lust, and dance featuring M.A.N.D.Y -- where masks, capes and cloaks are encouraged!
The following weekend, starting with Friday the 13th, San Diego’s first three-day house and drum & bass music conference will kick off events catering to over 3,000 music aficionados. Talent from across the country will participate in daytime panel discussions (moderated by DJ Times and Fusicology) and perform at parties that will run from afternoon to early morning ranging from house music to drum & bass with a full Funktion1 sound system pushing the frequencies through your system. Catch me speaking at the Saturday panels and performing at the Sunday night party -- along with a fabulous lineup all weekend featuring Aphrodite, Ben Soundscape with Colette, Christian Martin, Dara, Doc Martin, Friction, Gene Farris, Halo Varga, Makoto, Manik, Miguel Migs, Oscar P, Wally Callerio, and many more.
Also Saturday night for those looking for a heavy dose of bass, all the way from Australia comes Joel Fletcher. Known for the big Melbourne sounds, the bass will be rattling whether on the 18-plus dance floor or the 21-plus bottle service tables. On Thursday, May 19, Omnia kicks off their one year anniversary with Marshmello followed by the legendary Tiesto Friday (May 20) with plenty of bottles ready to be popped throughout the weekend. If you’re seeking more 18-plus dance action, techno legend Carl Craig makes his way down minutes across the border to Tijuana at the WhereHouse. The Mexico dance music scene is flourishing with heavy European influence so expect the party to go late into the morning.
With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, preparation is highly recommended. The star-studded event on Friday, May 27, will follow hanging out at the beach and BBQs with Martin Garrix at Omnia. The globetrotter resident of the Hakkassan nightlife family has been exploring with new sounds -- catch him live. For those looking forward to having Monday off work -- LED Presents hosts the annual My Life Everyday USA shabang with Dillon Francis, Zed’s Dead, Cash Cash, Ghastly, Troyboi, Mat Zo, and many more at Valley View Casino Arena. LED events are no dissapointment and as always, expect unknown surprises in addition to their over-the-top production of quality sound, lasers and blowups of your favorite zoo animals.
If you can’t make the two-day fiesta, Saturday (May 28) John O’Callahan’s extended trance set shall satisfy all the late-night euphoria seekers. I’ll be dropping a DJ IDeaL set at Circo Sexta in Tijuana and the Stafford Brothers will be at Parq. On Sunday, May 29, you have Sunday-funday options with Coyote Kisses and Robatiki dropping tricked-out heavy bass tunes at Quartyard while house diva DJ Heather is at the Souleil season six opener at the WorldBeat Center.
Local
Last but definitely not least, make sure to head over to Artifact Record Shop and sign up to stay posted on when the grand opening of San Diego’s newest record shop will be. Remember to support your local music scene, artists and shops -- and see you on the dance floors!
May 5: Cinco De Mayo at Fluxx Nightclub
May 6: Throttle at Bang Bang
May 7: Ookay at Omnia
May 7: Carlo Lio at Spin Nightclub
May 7: Anamanaguchi at the Irenic
May 7: M.A.N.D.Y. at Lovers Masquerade Ball
May 13-15: West Coast Weekender
May 15: Joel Fletcher at Bassmnt
May 19: Marshmello at Omnia 1-Year Anniversary Weekend
May 20: Tiesto at Omnia
May 21: Carl Craig at the WhereHouse (Tijuana)
May 27: Martin Garrix at Omnia
May 28-29: My Life Everyday USA feat. Dillon Francis, Zeds Dead, Cash Cash, Ghastly, Troyboi, Mat Zo, and more at Valley View Casino Arena
May 28: DJ IDeaL at Circo Sexta (Tijuana)
May 28: John O’Callaghan at Lucent/Spin Nightclub
May 28: Stafford Brothers at Parq
May 29: Coyote Kisses and Robatiki at Quartyard
May 29: DJ Heather -- Souleil season six Opener at WorldBeat Center
Tomas Serrano, aka DJ IDeaL, is the electronic dance music correspondent for SoundDiego, covering the best of San Diego's electronic music events and culture. Follow his whereabouts on Facebook, Twitter or contact him directly.
