For those inside the drum & bass scene in Houston, Frenzi’s early-May show with headliners Calyx & Teebee was one that could not be missed. The UK duo is legendary in the drum and bass world, notably for their long history in the genre as well as their ability to perform live on six decks with two mixers simultaneously. Adding in fantastic opening djs, a dedicated fan base, and the environment of The Dive, it turned out to be an intimate and energetic show.
We arrived around 10:30pm to a venue with a surprising number of people for only being open a half hour. With The Dive’s small capacity, each person brought a tremendous amount of energy to the room, so large numbers aren’t required for a good show. Compared to other genre-specific events in Houston, the drum & bass crowd is slightly older, but that simply brings about a more spacious and relaxed atmosphere.
Local support DJ Katalyst was fantastic in catering to the smaller crowd by seamlessly building up energy from almost jazz-esque dnb to heavy and futuristic tunes by the end of his set. As the venue filled, his song selection gained intensity, with darker and faster vibes bringing out the junglists in the crowd to dance.
Break took over at 11:30pm, and it was at this point where the crowd was really getting into the music and dancing. The DJ took advantage of the quality sound system by focusing on dark bass with tech synths, keeping the growing crowd at a steady level of high energy. Break held the crowd’s attention for his full set by keeping variety high. Through the set we heard classic instrumental jungle, beautiful vocals laced over heavy bass lines, and even a touch of half-time bass music to give the audience a moment to recharge before the headliner took over.
Right around 1:00am, the legends Calyx & Teebee took over. The duo wasted no time getting straight into it, and started their set with hype. It was interesting to watch how the junglist audience found their individual places within the crowd and maintained a comfortable distance between everyone else for the remainder of the night. With each person dancing and becoming lost in the music, it was clear to see that the junglist community has mutual understanding and respect with each other.
As Calyx & Teebee used their specialized mixing skills to fully utilize all six decks, the audience reached the pinnacle of movement for the night. At no point through the night did the crowd stop dancing, and during moments with bright light it was a wonderful sight to see the whole crowd truly into the music. It should also be mentioned that the emcee of the night did an extraordinary job throughout the show, adding in just the right amount of vocals to a night that mostly consisted of instrumentals. Unfortunately, we left around 1:30pm due to pure exhaustion, but from what we have heard about the night, it kept up its level of quality all the way through the end.
The teams at Frenzi & Tha Purrin Lion are well known for targeting the somewhat niche genre in Houston, and once again they worked together to put on a great night for the junglists of Houston. With this wonderful night in our memory, we look forward to more chances to see their hard work and dedication to the junglists of our city in action.
Music: Hard Dance | Drum and Bass | Future Bass
Hobbies: Cosplay | Travel | Music Festivals | Sewing | Dancing | Contact Staff
Likes: Fried Chicken | Samurai | Video Games | Sleep
Dislikes: Beans | Bugs | Traffic | Complacency
