Las Vegas’s widespread Bass Music populous doesn’t just know about good music; they know where to find it. There’s plenty of good that comes from having weekly access to see acts that read in the biggest font on any given festival lineup, but it can be an even better treat to see artists who would be placed a little lower but pack just as much of a punch. Securing a venue good enough for said artists to pull the trigger on the masses is the job of new local promoter MOMENTUS. After a spectacular debut with Mija and Chocolate Puma at Brooklyn Bowl on the strip, they locked down What So Not at the SLS‘s reimagined venue The Foundry.
While the space itself had previously hosted numerous DJs as it’s previous identity LiFE Nightclub, The Foundry saw this last Friday’s show as the first time an electronic act set up shop. With that in mind, MOMENTUS had a challenge in front of it to give their show the historic impact it deserved. We’d say that among many other things, their taking advantage of the venue’s setup was proof of their success. With glowing and slowly cycling LEDs along the curved backside of the room bathing it in light and a more open area to gander at the wide LED screen, the production setup was a simple plan executed with flying colors(literally). There was no issue fitting your whole posse on the dancefloor, and the people posted to your right and left were probably friendly, considering no bumping, shoving, or awkward looks took place. This contributed really nicely to a much happier gathering.
There are more events in Vegas than ever before, so the fact that so many bodies made it out is a testament to the dedication of the locals. The event was 18+ but there was a wide age range in attendance. From the middle of the dancefloor you wouldn’t be able to tell a difference in age anyway; people were unanimously letting themselves loose as if they were in their late teens. Even on the way in, there weren’t any glaring signs of social stigma- it’s the positive mentality we can sometimes take for granted, and it’s something that MOMENTUS gets a huge plus for for establishing.
The steps through the long hall to the venue quickly turned rhythmic, indicating whatever act was about to greet you was one worth watching. Vegas’s Flash Gang were the culprits shaking up the floor when doors opened, creating an appropriate foundation for the night with hip-hop influenced House music reminiscent of a Dirtybird Quarterly. Sliding in to take over, VenessaMichaels gave her openers massive praise for the smooth set they played and proceeded to take the baton with flair. Michaels is primarily known for her #2090 sound, pumping some new magic into classics such as Aliyah‘s Are You That Somebody. Throwbacks are always fun, but if you want to play a bunch, you better switch it up and add the same dose of new flavor as Venessa does in all of her music.
When everyone was sent back to 2016, Emoh of What So Not stepped into the ring for the final round of beats. The LED screen we mentioned before came into play in an intense way for this set in particular; the visual showcase blended seamlessly to Emoh’s unique style of music and organic mixing technique. Playing jams we all secretly bump like Rihanna’s Work and Lil Wayne’s A-Milli in tandem with his own impressive catalogue, Ausralia’s finest indie bass act demonstrated intelligent taste making and turned the party past 100 like child’s play.
The Foundry is a bona-fide hit of a spot, and MOMENTUS was the right crew to christen it for all electronic events to come. The promoter is two for two in the department of booking cutting edge acts and filling their target venue to the brim. If you don’t keep updated on what they have in the future, don’t get upset when you can’t say you were there before they became a household name.
Keep up with MOMENTUS as they continue their winning streak on their Facebook Page.
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