Show Review: The Magic 8-Ball Tour/A-trak @ BRANX (Portland, OR)

This past Friday the 13th was a great night in Portland. That is of course, if you decided to spend it at the BRANX. At some point I would have been skeptical of seeing a show I knew would be crowded at the BRANX, however, the newly remodeled and expanded venue was perfect, with new lights and sound systems, and an extra bar. I definitely see myself going back there and I also see more good artists choosing this over other larger venues in Portland. The Magic 8-Ball tour headlining A-TRAK came through PDX that night and it rocked the rose city.The tour is over now and I am sure that everybody raged in every city, but PDX must be a close contender for the top, with people in the dance floor past 3 a.m dancing to an extra long set courtesy of A-Trak.

We got there just in time to catch The Gaslamp Killer's set, which was one of the most energetic performances I have see in the Pacific North West. With two tables, a mic, and an iPad on stage the LA based DJ/Producer gave a performance that got the audience rowdy and ready to push agains the stage all night. Check out some pics taken during his set, this guy has some crazy eyes going some times which go perfectly with his stage persona (that is a compliment in this pages by the way).

Right after The Gaslamp Killer's intense performance Kid Sister cam on stage.

Even though it was surprisingly short and some people that went out for a cigarette or back to the bar to get proper refreshments might have missed more than half, we got to see the set and we can truly say that Melisa Young might just have as much energy, if not more than Gaslamp Killer. For the relief of those that missed her performance Kid Sister jumped right back on stage to perform Do! Do! Do! with A-Trak on the tables (Orignal Carte Blanche track), needless to say it was phenomenal.







Finally, it was the time for A-Trak, who opened with one of the BEST remixes I have ever heard, I am talking of course of Boys Noize's Oh! (A-Trak Remix). Of course his playlist included some Duck Sauce as well as his killer Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Heads Will Roll' Remix. Obviously throughout his set A-Trak showcased his mixing and scratching skills, which always make for a more interesting DJ set.  Like I mentioned earlier the set went over 3 hours, so I can't really give you a detailed playlist, but I can tell you that it was a diverse/engaging/provocative set that had me on my feet the whole night.

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We even got to see the Gaslamp Killer get up on stage and DJ next to A-Trak!

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Props to Cornerstone Promotions for doing a great job promoting this event and letting us help cover the Portland date of the tour, we hope this opportunity repeats itself!  It was definitely a memorable night and we look forward to see more shows like this in Portland.

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All pictures, unless otherwise specified, by Nathaniel Wynn (Copyright 2011).
* Pictures by MNUEL.