Pegboard Nerds at Freaknight 2016 was quite the treat, as the Norweigen bass extraordinaires threw down one of the more memorable sets of the weekend. Them doing a “surprise” DJ set at Foundation Nightclub on Halloween night as an encore? For FREE? As the calendar turns to November, it suddenly felt like Christmas came a month early!
Monster Mash, Foundation’s Halloween party, was set to be a solid event. Featured was a lineup consisting of top local DJs, a $1,000 costume contest and free cover to those in costume, on the guest list or still in possession of a Freaknight ticket. Around 5:40 PM, Monster Mash turned into the place to be when Pegboard announced on social media they were coming to crash the party. What happened next? Craziness. And we were there to see it unravel!
By the time we arrived, a little after 10:30 PM, local DJ Big P was getting the crowd hype, dropping big drop after big drop. Rohry kept the energy going when he took the reins. Midway through his set, the costume contest happened. A Ghostbuster, complete with an impressive proton pack, took home the grand prize, beating out Psy (the Gangnam Style mastermind) and Deadcat, a Deadmau5/ Cheshire cat mix- despite the crowd’s chants of “Walter White! Walter White”, referencing the Heisenberg look-a-like that was a rock star of sorts on the dance floor- often stopping to take pictures with fans.
Speaking of costumes, wow! We saw some impressive getups during Freaknight weekend from fans and artists alike, despite costume restrictions crafted by Tacoma Dome officials. With Foundation allowing larger props and a light dress code, many took advantage in preparation for the mash. The stand out characters: Master Chief (from the Halo video game), dude with a massive light up, rotating Trident spear, dude dressed in a tux and a faceless white head mask who stood creepily in the middle of the dance floor, hands clapped together, body motionless, and finally, a Sasquatch that was passing out candy!
By the time Rohry was done, Foundy was at capacity. Despite the combination of yucky weather and the day of the week, the turnout was mighty impressive; it felt like we were at the Freaknight bass stage again! Coltan Johnson would be the last act before the main event, as this Seattle local delivered a dose of bounce music that kept the crowd jumping.
When Pegboard Nerds and Miu, an up and coming Norwegian, who, according to his Facebook profile makes “bassy dance music”, took the stage, they wasted no time dropping the hammer. Their first track had everyone head banging! Miu and the Nerds would play a b2b set, which featured some delicious bass and crazy on stage antics. At one point, KJ Sawka, a Seattle native best known for his work as Destroid and Pendulum, hopped on stage and got his Beyoncé on. He shuffled his feet and gyrated his hips in a short skirt that showed off his pale white legs, complete with a Marshmello head given by a fan. He didn’t even perform. He was just… there! And it was magnificent. The only time we shook our heads was when someone threw a beer bottle on stage, which would lead to the Nerds politely telling the crowd not to throw things at them. Come on Seattle, we can do better!
After the Nerds finished their set, we were covered in sweat and joined the crowd in chanting “one more song! One more song!” Unfortunately, that didn’t come to fruition as we stepped outside and came to the grim realization that we have to get up for work in a few hours. Thank goodness for coffee and Red Bull!
Were you at the Monster Mash too? What was your favorite moment? Or costume? Drop a comment below and let us know!
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