For anyone else, if Flux Pavilion was the start of a long weekend, you are not alone. No better way to start the NYE weekend than seeing a great set at one of the best venues in Boston. I arrived at Royale a little after doors opened, and within the hour the place was mob scene. At one point I was upstairs looking down, and there had to be at least 1,000+ packed in at the club. To my surprise, it seemed like most were there to see Flux instead of just a night out clubbing. Granted I did see one too many high heels on the dance floor which I will never understand, but regardless the crowd was for sure jumping.
As far as the music, Flux was relentless. The 28-year old, English DJ/Producer put on a great show with his usual mashup of Dubstep, Electronic House, and lots of Drum & Bass beats. His sound is a bit unique, with long drawn out electronic melodies, coupled with amplified bass and vocals. To put in perspective, there are probably about 50 couches or more scattered throughout the venue including VIP, and not a single person was sitting on any of them. For the average person who doesn’t know Flux, his show would still be enjoyable with the amount of heaviness and music covers he mixes into the set.
On the dance floor, there was a lot of headbanging and bobbin’. In fact, I think at one point when ‘Bass Cannon’ came on, I may have been a part of a mosh pit? Sorry not sorry Royale. On the outskirts of the dance I floor I saw shufflers, fuzzies, and those people with LED Gloves putting others into trances to which I have no name. The time came and went way too fast and before I knew it we were dancing for 3 hours lights were about to go on. For others who have seen Flux at a festival, I’d say the only difference here would be the amount of lights a larger stage can handle. The music and transitions to each song were very comparable, and have left me wanting another show.
The great part about the show in my opinion, was the freedom to move. You could go deep in the scene if you wanted, go clear some space outside of it and dance to yourself, or if you wanted a different perspective then you could hit upstairs where the visuals made the crowd look amazing. On a side note, the UK producer was sporting some new blue hair, which his ever changing style has become a trademark.
With no more shows listed for Flux so far into the new year, I think it is easy to say he is scheduling his festival season for 2018. Where to next? You’ll find it here first.
