You know a show is going to be good when you can hear the bass hits form down the block. And when I say hear, I mean you could FEEL them from a block away. That's what greets concert goers on a random Monday night in Brooklyn when the likes of Sepalcure and SBTRKT come to town.

Sepalcure opened the show, but were certainly just as anticipated as the main event. The duo, pumping out some of the most serious house music I've heard in a while, kept the crowd going for almost an hour. Both the main floor and balcony were completely packed, and unlike most concerts, even most dance concerts, there wasn't a single person just standing there. Everyone was groovin' and vibing on the crazy ups and downs Sepalcure were dishing out.

Did I mention it was LOUD? As in, I hope the foundations of this building are well built, because the vibrations seem to be threatening structural integrity. This leads to my only point of contention: sometimes, the bass CAN be too loud. Sure, I'm all about the visceral experience of club bass hitting you in the chest, but when its completely blown-out and drowns the rest of the mix, it loses its panache, you know? Still fun, but less musically interesting.

Anyway, back to the show. After Sepalcure was another duo who will remain nameless. They kept on repeating their name, many times in fact, but you know how it is at a show, I had no idea what they were saying. Which, as it turns out, wasn't much of a loss. Some generic electronic beats behind a live vocalist does not automatically equal an interesting performance. Frankly, it was pretty boring and uninspired. They did play one R&B inspired song which was pretty cool, but other than that, pretty forgettable.

Finally, after that quick misstep, SBTRKT came on around eleven, which if you've ever gone to see one of these mysterious London producers, is uncannily early. Donning his trademark African tribal mask, SBTRKT has got to be one of the most intense and involved DJs out there. It wasn't a 'set it and forget it' kind of set. He was constantly manning the boards; blending, fading and mixing for a musical experience that remains unrivaled in my book.

Opening with his Radiohead remix from last year, SBTRKT's set represented the depth and maturity of the London EDM scene. Whereas Sepalcure focused on 'four to the floor' house beats, SBTRKT was all over the place with the swing of Garage to the funkiness of 2-step. This made for a much more interesting and multi-directional set: one that was as fun to dance to as it was to listen to. Mixing his tracks with other big name producers, SBTRKT tore it up on stage, reminding us of how much we Americans have to learn (in a good way).  His US tour continues through April, so if you have a chance to catch him, I wouldn't miss it.  

In case you missed it, here's the full lineup of SBTKT's North American Tour: