Show Review: Knife Party at Beekman Beach Club + Party Pics

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The first outdoor show of summer often sets the tone for the rest of the season.

Pacha NYC, the epitome of EDM events in America, gave its city the perfect starting point by bringing Knife Party to Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club at South Street Seaport last Sunday. With perfect views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, the scenery only added to what would become a very special night.

I arrived just in time to catch opener Nick Catchdub's set, the Brooklyn based DJ brought his signature sound, which included a ton of hip-hop and electro. The Fools Gold co-founder dropped some of label standout Congorock's work ("Ivory" & "Babylon"), and each song was a huge hit with the crowd. Surprisingly, many of the rave-ready attendees enjoyed the varied selection of hip-hop; everyone was constantly dancing and rapping along... even to the overplayed "N*ggas In Paris".

When 9 o'clock hit, the primed crowd started chanting "Knife Party!!", ready for the duo's hard-hitting beats. The opening song brought everyone to "Rage Valley", the title track of their new EP. Choosing just one standout moments of their set proves difficult,  as the energy was infectious and never-ending, but I'll do my best:

The 3rd song was an unexpected tribute to the late MCA, as Beastie Boys started blasting through the speakers. They showed off a great handle on all forms of EDM, exhibited in dropping "Epic" by Quintino & Sandro Silva (at which the crowd started to seriously get down). Their "Save The World" remix had everyone jumping, and the mash-up of their Swedish House collaboration "Antidote" with Tommy Trash's remix brought thunderous cheers. A fair share of Skrillex songs played, from "Make It Bun Dem" to "Bangarang" (never did I see anyone dance harder) to "Kyoto". The crowd was privileged to experience a few of the new Knife Party "VIP" remixes they've been working on, namely their versions of "Crush On You" by Nero and a dubstep tinged "Internet Friends" (arguably their biggest hit to date, played by EVERYONE at EDC NYC a few weeks ago). "Sleaze", another track off the new EP, was a fan favorite too.

Knife Party brought the heat, literally - stepping within 10 feet of the tent almost made you pass out. And every time Rob Swire or Gareth Towndsend yelled "GET READY TO JUMP" or "SCREAM" into the mic, everyone happily obliged. General consensus from whispers in the crowd was the duo's set brought to Beekman's was one of the best they've ever seen at a show. Everyone was there for the right reasons, namely to dance as hard as they could. Walking out, people were (to my surprise) not so exhausted, but extremely content with the new and exciting set. It was the perfect start to what will clearly be an epic summer of EDM in NYC.

Photos By: Andrew Rauner