Ummet Ozcan opens Project Warehouse in epic fashion

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Ummet Ozcan seems pretty relaxed for a guy who narrowly avoided tragedy just twenty-four hours earlier. On his way to his show in Seattle, his plane had to make an emergency landing in Canada. “We had some problems with the plane last night,” Ummet explains. “Last night I made it to Seattle, just on time. It was very close.”

Safely on the ground in Astoria, NY, Ummet is here to christen the Melrose Ballroom's Project Warehouse NYC party. The brand new venue is nice and intimate, offering more of a warehouse feel than most NYC clubs. A huge LED screen serves as the backdrop for the stage, which consists of an LED-lit podium with just enough space to fit the DJ’s equipment. Melrose’s booth forces the DJ to be exposed to the audience, and therefore much more interactive. Performers in costume are also part of the show, either dancing on the stage or dangling from above the crowd, sometimes to pour free champagne into the waiting glasses of eager ravers. Project Warehouse NYC make good on their promise of creating an EDM circus.

“It’s a really nice place,” Ummet says before his set. “It’s just open, and I like the combination. You still have the warehouse feeling, but it’s like...it’s a good balance between, how you say...it’s a warehouse with a big update. I like the LED screens, and everything. Really cool soundsystem. I’m really excited about it.”

Switching effortlessly between big room, progressive house, and trance, Ummet kept the energy of the crowd high throughout his two-and-a-half hour set. The bass coming out of Melrose’s impressive sound system booms, as both Ummet and the fans danced happily in syncopation with the beats. He played fun, jumpy tracks such as “Boo Yah”, DVBBS’s “Raveology”, and “Ain’t A Party” by David Guetta, as well as his hit songs “The Cube”, “The Code”, “Airport”, and his new collaboration with R3HAB & Nervo, “Revolution”.

As the show comes to a close, it seems neither Ummet nor the crowd want it to end. It is safe to say that a great night was had by all inside the Melrose Ballroom, hopefully the first of many Project Warehouse NYC has to offer.

Written by: Sean Pokress and Julia Crescitelli