A Night With Nero

Coming of age in metropolitan Washington DC in the late 90’s, I was fortunate enough to be a participant in and observant of the high water mark of the electronica scene in the area. Ushered in by Buzz and Yoshitoshi, the Washington EDM scene was marked by high-profile appearances while cultivating local talent in distinct sub-genres from deep house to jungle to psytrance.

Needless to say, I would be considered a part of (relatively speaking) the old guard of the electronica subculture, distinct from the developments of the last 10 years — most notably the rise of dubstep. Some of the older clique have viewed the popularity of dubstep as diluting the rest of the electronic scene while rewarding a form that is seen as more produced than created. However, having no distinct opinion and having never been to a dubstep show, I jumped at the opportunity to see the world-renowned Nero presented by Beats by Dre.

Within the confines of a cozy store in SoHo, I was one of approximately 100 individuals to enjoy an hour long set by Nero. The audience trended younger but was comprised of obvious fans of the music, meaning the atmosphere as well as the music had a noticeable bounce. While I was unfamiliar with a majority of the Nero catalog, the ambiance and acoustics harkened me back to headier days spent in lilliputian outposts filled with young rave acolytes and the requisite sensory overload.

While I place no intrinsic value on the craft of production compared to mixing or creating, I was impressed (and on some level, taken aback) by the more traditional skills of both members of Nero. The transitions, particularly on Innocence as well as the loopback of Promises throughout the set showed both members were capable of more refined mixing techniques. Combined with the energy of the music and crowd, the Nero show was one of the better I have been to in quite some time.

Of course, no night would be complete without a slightly embarrassing photograph of yours truly with the performers… and so:

An after-show photo with Nero. Note: I do not have eyes or a soul.