Mad, Mad, Mad Weekend: Unruly FoolScape
By cullen stalin | July 25, 2008
Last weekend was such a whirlwind that the Mad Decent family is still catching up. We ran up and down the East Coast chasing festivals, firing supersoakers into sweaty crowds, and making grandmas and babies dance.
Baltimore seemed like the center of it all, as it hosted two monstrous street parties - Artscape and Whartscape, and the monumental Unruly Records 15th anniversary jumpoff, My Crew Be Unruly.
The annual Artscape Festival was first on the Mad Decent agenda, as Friday saw performances from South Rakkas Crew, DJ Blaqstarr, and our boy Dave Nada.
We then trooped down to the epicenter of Baltimore Club and House music, the Paradox.
A couple thousand people made their way to an all-night party featuring such luminaries as Scottie B, DJ Class, King Tutt and Stretch Armstrong; new-school giants like Tittsworth and Say Wut; and of course K-Swift and Diplo. Class held it down on the mic as Scottie and Swift traded turns on the tables; then Class handed the mic to Hollertronix MC Elixir, who kept the crowd pumped while Diplo and DJ Sega tag-teamed. It was a monster night that included breakfast in the club!
After getting a modicum of sleep, we hit the streets again to catch the daytime festivities on Saturday. The Wham City-curated Whartscape event, originally conceived as an alternative to Artscape, is now a full-fledged Baltimore institution in its own right. This year’s Whartscape included performances from Beach House, Matmos, Ponytail, Black Dice, Girltalk, and a million others.
We stopped by to catch a performance from Ecstatic Sunshine featuring White Williams, and say hi to Wham City impresario Dan Deacon.
Before we left, local Youtube talkshow host Ed Schrader managed to sneak in a mini-interview with Diplo:
We returned to Artscape to catch up with Stretch Armstrong, laying down a flawless set of pre-’88 hip-hop, perfect for daytime at a summer festival.
As Stretch ended, Scottie B dropped some tunes and DJ Class got on the mic, hyping the crowd like a one-man Crooklyn Clan. Then K-Swift got on the decks and simply killed it. She had a whole parking lot full of Club fans of all ages going insane. As the beats permeated the Baltimore air, the crowd swelled more and more, with Swift working as the musical pied piper (no R Kelly-o). Rye Rye and her clan crazy-legged on stage, sending the audience into a frenzy.
Needless to say, the never-shook Captain Decent was, well, a little shook. But as if the favor of saving him “Tony’s Back” wasn’t enough, K-Swift got on the mic to pay tribute to the man: “Diplo is the future of Club music! Y’all need to give it up!”
(photo by Shane Macaulay)
With those words, Diplo knew Baltimore had his back, and he had the crowd rocking and line-dancing for an hour and a half. Blaqstarr, Class, and the ever-dancing Rye Rye kept the energy strong.
We wrapped the night up by checking out Saturday’s Whartscape headliners, Baltimore psych-rockers Celebration, at club Sonar.
On Sunday it was time to hop on the train and head to New York’s Central Park for the Mad Fools bonanza, an ill collabo between the Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent labels. In the “handing out shit that is very useful” department, Fool’s Gold and Mad Decent distributed thousands of towels and water-pistols to help stave off the sweltering heat. While those with the most endurance secured spots in the park early, by mid-day there was an impenetrable line trying to get in to sneak a peek at performances from A-Trak, Blaqstarr, Mz Streamz, Kid Cudi, Diplo and Santogold. Even Fab 5 Freddy and Juice Crew legend Craig G were there.
Never a fan of sleeping, the Mad Decent and Fool’s Gold families hosted an afterparty at the new Manhattan spot, Santo’s Party House. Props to Fake Blood, Nick Catchdubs, Mad Decent/Fool’s Gold fence-sitters Jokers of the Scene and everyone else who dropped mind-altering sets. The MVP award goes to Mz Streamz and her dancers who took over the dancefloor and made the party extra-live.
DJ Sega - Steve Angello “Be (Philly Club mix)” at Mad Fools afterparty at Santo’s:
At some point after this, we all collapsed. Shouts to Chris Brooks, Shawn Caesar, Juiceboxxx, Will Roc, DJ Contra, House of Dangerkat, The Death Set, Dust La Rock, Armand Van Helden, Puja Senari, Josh Sisk, Emily Rabbit, April Camlin, Mark Brown and all of Wham City, and everyone else who played, came out, showed love, and made this weekend so memorable!
Rest In Peace Club Queen K-Swift 1980-2008.
You will forever be in our hearts.
10:32 pm on July 25th, 2008
Ah! That video of Mz Streamz I filmed!
I’m honored
10:05 pm on July 26th, 2008
That’s it I’m fucking moving.
12:37 am on July 28th, 2008
Crap, why did you guys take the video down?
11:47 am on July 28th, 2008
What do you mean B, it’s still there.
10:54 pm on July 28th, 2008
wait— Fake Blood played a set?!?! When?!?! Was he there and I just missed him?!
7:56 am on July 30th, 2008
so sad about k-swift.
she was an inspiration to me as a female dj.
RIP