This past Friday’s installment of GBH’s Girls & Boys party at Webster Hall featured JFK of MSTRKRFT, 12th Planet and St. Mandrew, along with Girls & Boys residents Alex English and Rekles. These jockeys came well prepared, playing to a packed house and owning the tracks they spun. Having covered many shows at Webster Hall, a venue with a rich history that has catered to artists like Bjork, Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte and even Elvis Presley, I always imagine moments of fervor in accordance to our electronic preferences and performances due to periodic tastes in terms of music, and JFK of MSTRKFT captured this essence.
When I think of MSTRKFT, I think of the Ontario duo who curated a platform that blends electro house, dance pop, electro punk and even rap with hard beats. In light of the famed and historical hallmark, Jesse F. Keeler (aka JFK) delivered behind the decks, with highlights that included crowd control as he weaved in and out of mixes like a maze. On guard behind the decks, his fingers never left the knobs. As if he were curing a constant itch, he caressed the decks with the right touch, and every seamless beat and transition that followed erupted out of the speakers like an explosion with rhythm. A madman behind the table, he was the cleric in charge of an audience that wanted to move and dance, and surely, there wasn’t a still body in the crowd. He played a heavy French house set, but added infusions among the mix that included MSTRKFT’s mixes of “Heartbreaker” featuring John Legend and “Bounce” featuring N.O.R.E.. Overall, the high-energy set involved tracks that heightened the dramatic sense of the space – to the glee of the audience. The result was a well cultivated set and session that served as a contemporary representation of the historical venue, and we were glad to catch this one.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM
For kicks and sample of what the night felt like, click through for the video of Bounce by MSTRKRFT featuring. N.O.R.E. and ISIS
Continue Reading
