Dada Land Miami: Bananacalypse Now

[mashshare]

I returned to Mana Wynwood last night for the best party west of the causeways and probably all of Miami. The lineup was stacked and while Above & Beyond put on an incredible show here Thursday, that was more of a transcendental journey than a straight up rager. Dada Land was the latter and I was fortunate enough to experience both and meet everyone you’re going to read about.

The Bixel Boys opened. This up and coming LA duo was on the Dada tour and played a fun mix of old school and new school as this evening’s beautiful crowd began to arrive. From Michael and Janet Jackson to Sam Smith, they dropped a genre and era spanning set that got the shuffler’s feet moving while they still had the floor space to dance.

bingo_players_orsvpNext was a special appearance by the Bingo Players. Dada Life spun a guest set at Bingo Beach earlier in the day and they were kind enough to reciprocate the gesture by offering Maarten a slot in their show. Since the unfortunate and untimely passing of his partner Paul a little over a year ago, Maarten’s been kicking ass and taking names in his wake. While no one could ever replace him and they’ll be forever plural, he brought MC Iceman along to hype up the crowd and that he did. The Bingo Players opened with their classic (and in my opinion one of the best party/gym tracks ever made) “Rattle” and worked in a few newer rap songs like “IDFWU” and “Tuesday” that got bodies bouncing and arms flailing. No BP set would be complete without “Cry” and even though an hour had passed, Maarten’s set felt like it was over as soon as it started.

Morgan Page took the stage next. His melodic and progressive house originals were a welcomed change of pace from the electro bangers that made up the majority of the night’s playlists. Page was the most critically acclaimed DJ on the roster, having twice been nominated for Grammy’s and played his remix of Deadmau5’ “The Longest Road”, which earned him one of the nods. He dropped “Mammoth” by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and his own staples, including “In the Air”, “Fight for You” and a new track called “Open Heart” – another collaboration with Lissie that received an incredible response.

At 1:30 AM the lights faded to black and suddenly the room was flooded with yellow. One-Smiling, robe-wearing, flag bearers had a processional on stage to awaken the citizens of Dada Nation as Ollie and Stefan hopped behind a booth piled high with bananas. After reciting the Dada Life Pledge of Allegiance, they kicked off their set and kicked out the epic.

I’ll say this: Meghan Trainor is all about nothing compared to Dada Life. The sound system was cranked so high and there was so much bass blasting through Mana that I felt the ground shaking and thought the building was going to collapse. Stefan was all over the place, thrusting a single banana in the air, rallying the troops and jumping from the top of the booth to the front of the stage while Ollie manned the CDJs. Both pumped the crowd up, fed off its energy and gave it right back to them.

Inflatables are a mainstay during Dada shows and tonight’s was no different. A huge pair of hands rose from the stage, conducting the crowd like an orchestra to Deadmau5’s “Some Chords”. The plethora of blow up bananas and champagne bottles were tossed out and hoisted in tribute to the Swedish party animals.

After a remix of “Rock and Roll All Night”, which everyone seemed to be there to do, the bridge of “Hollaback Girl” started to loop – this shit is bananas –b-a-n-a-n-a-s and as we chanted along, their signature 40 foot inflatable monster banana was brought in for a crowd surfing session. Dance classics like “Better Faster Stronger” were worked into a set of mostly originals, new and old including “Boing Crash Boom”, “Freaks Have More Fun”, “So Young So High”, “Feed The Dada” and “Cookies With a Smile” and nobody had anything but on their face, the front row mostly strapped with One Smile masks. While not on the scale of their Guinness Record setter, a huge pillow fight did ensue during “Happy Violence”. Their new electro banger “Tonight We’re Kids Again” was just released in January and when they dropped that, a crowd struggling to cling to their sanity lost it. After the most energetic hour and a half set I’ve seen to date, they revisited “Kick Out The Epic” and thanked everyone for coming out and raging with them.

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Tritonal was on at 3. Dada was a tough act to follow, but Chad and Dave did an awesome job, coming out the gate swinging and double fist pumping in unison to keep the momentum going strong. I’ve been listening to the Austin-based duo since they started producing trance with 2011’s Piercing The Quiet and have watched them gradually evolve to a more progressive tech sound, which fit this show perfectly. I ran into them dancing their asses off in VIP before their set and both were amazed by the venue and kind enough to pause for a picture.

They knew how to deliver and exactly what to play to pick up where Dada Life left off and keep everyone engaged. Song selection is the single most important aspect of a DJs job and they were masterful in reading and responding to the already-hyped crowd. Their newer productions have melodic overtones and they were excited to share their new track “Ginsu”, which I loved. Tritonal’s set peaked when they dropped their remix of Cash Cash’s “Surrender” and Chad didn’t stop moving, bouncing and spinning around like the plate of a Technic 1200. Seeing the DJs get into it always makes for a more enjoyable show.

Henry Fong was up next and by 4:30 I was drained and ready to leave, but not before hearing him drop his new collaboration with D.O.D. “Bust Dem”.

The show was a sellout and the crowd was incredible. Banana suits and paraphernalia abounded and I saw a jaw dropping Simpson’s-inspired Mau5 head, but the thing that impressed me the most, aside from the sheer energy in Mana, was how friendly the talent was. Despite weeks on the road, days of travel getting to Miami and scant few hours of sleep, all of them seemed in great spirits and approachable. Maybe they fed off Mana’s mana and that of their tour mates. Maybe it’s because they’re getting paid to travel the world and party at the best places on the planet. And maybe they just love what they do. Certainly not a bad gig if you can make it.

If Dada Life or better still, the Dada Land Compound is coming to your city or state, go. Buy your tickets now. The experience is worth every penny – without a doubt one of the most intense parties I’ve ever attended and I left ugly and thoroughly satisfied.

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