PVD REVIEW

PVD Hits NYC
By Mike Schirtzer
http://www.ibiza-voice.com/news/news.php?id=1011


New York, February 16th 2007- When the #1 DJ in the world comes to the biggest city in the world, a special night is expected, and it was that and more. Crobar, the venue that is currently undergoing name and management changes, hosted the night, and experienced a few of it’s own problems, but the music and vibe was right on point.

Steve Porter, who is famous in his own right for his PorterHouse CD’s and parties, opened up the night with a 3 hour set. Although it seemed strange to see the pairing of such different styles, Porter and his eclectic mix of funky and hard house, opening up for arguably the most famous trance DJ, it actually worked. Porter did a great job of setting the stage for an epic night; he started with some smooth house and built the crowd up with some banging beats. Porter, who is no stranger to headlining his own events here in New York, proved once again dance music fans just want some great tunes, no matter what genre it falls into.

Paul Van Dyke, who is now in his second year of being voted the top DJ, according to MixMag, played a set that was flawless from beginning to end. He seemed to go back to his trance roots, some of his sets of late has been more electro and progressive, probably a result of a lot of the music he’s spinning on his radio shows; Soundgarden @ Radio Fritz in Europe and Vonyc Sessions here in the states. This night was filled with old trance hits from Fred Baker, Nu-NRG, and the highlight of the night for many, as seen by the crowd’s reaction, Way Out West-Mindcircus. He also played a new song that is starting to appear in many trance sets, Filo & Peri- The Anthem, they also happen to be on PVD’s Vandit label, but none the less the song is starting to find some poularity.

When Tiesto and Armin Van Buuren emerged on the scene, they were famous not only for their spinning and productions, but also by the way they played along to the crowd, jumping and smiling, looking really happy to be there. The criticism of PVD was that he was too “robotic”, just concentrating on his computer set up. Well, things have changed, PVD seems to be enjoying his reign on top, and is not afraid to show his emotions. He was dancing and clapping along with the crowd, his ability to interact with the fans has definitely become one of his strong points.

Crobar, which will soon be known as Studio Mezmor, since they and Crobar Miami (to be known as Cameo), will no longer be affiliated with the original in Chicago, should change more than just it’s name. When you are supposed to be one of the top “super-clubs” in New York City, hosting top talent of the electronic dance music world, your sound and lighting systems have to equal that talent, and they do not. Studio and Pacha NYC are not only competing for local crowds, but also for visitors for other North American cities and international tourist as well. Studio’s lighting was elementary at best, and the sound system is at times too low, sometime seems as though it does not even offer the full range of bass that is necessary for a top flight venue. New York clubs have to raise their levels to that of their UK and Ibiza counterparts by not only focusing on the

DJ’s, but also on the equipment, so the fans can get the full affect they of what they deserve and paid for.

Overall it was a great night for trance and house fans who wanted to warm up on what a chilly winter’s night in the Big Apple. PVD once again showed why he is loved world-wide and Porter gave us a set that displayed why his popularity is on the rise too.