On Saturday, February 27th, Denver’s swanky nightspot Club Vinyl was packed to capacity with ravers and house-heads, all gathered to witness the musical magic of Shiba San and Just Kiddin’.
This much anticipated performance absolutely lived up to the hype. I arrived at the venue around 9:30, early enough to beat the line that trailed around the corner of Broadway. Within an hour, Club Vinyl transformed from a nightclub to a cavernous arena for dancing fools of all variations.
The Electronic music duo, Just Kiddin’, hailing from Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, kicked off the night and get everyone in the dancing mood. I was personally blown away by their performance, and also overheard a number of people mention how amazing their set was. The duo, comprised of the two producers Lewis Thompson and Laurie Revell, has been killing the game since 2010, and has released club bangers such as “Only For You” (Only For You, 2016), “Always There” (Getaway, 2015) and “Paloma” (Wildlife-EP, 2016). Just Kiddin’ concocted a vibe in the crowd that made for one of the grooviest nights I’ve experienced in a while.
Just Kiddin’s performance was the perfect opening act for the ever-mysterious Shiba San, whose influence in deep house, ghetto funk, hip-hop, and electronica is felt throughout the world. The Paris-grown DJ & Producer is heavily affiliated with Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird Records crew and has been topping the charts of house music in recent years. He was just nominated for a second time in a row for Best Underground Dance Track at the IDMA Winter Dance Contest, for his single “Burn Like Fire” (2015). After his huge success he decided to open is own label called Basement Leak Records.
On Saturday’s performance, Shiba San definitely brought the fire that ignited the party. The bass was booming and there was not a soul standing still in sight. His bump-groove trance rhythms and hip-hop bass lines off hits like “OKAY” (2014), “Kick Your Ass” (2014) and “Planet Floor” (2015) had every sweaty, panting-body in the joint praying to the gods of Deep House for more.
Every floor of the four-level space at Club Vinyl carried its own unique vibe, but the main level was hands-down the most turnt-up. Freak flags were flying, limbs were flailing, and rumps were shaking. The exquisitely paired performances by Just Kiddin’ and Shiba San made for an awesome chest-rattling night. I left Club Vinyl out of breath and with ringing ears—which I believe is indicative of one hell of a show. If you have the chance to hit up a show by any of these performers, do yourself a favor and buy that ticket—you won’t regret it.
