Virgin

MSTRKRFT (read as “Master-Kraft”) is an electronic group out of Toronto. This year at the Toronto Virgin Music Fest they replaced SebastiAn, when he missed his flight and they didn’t disappoint. The group came together in 2005 and consists of JFK (Jesse F. Keeler) and Al-P (Alex Puodziukas). The group has remixed over 30 songs of various genres including the latest remix of John Legend’s song “Green Light”.

On Friday I attended Fist Of God, which is the official name for the MSTRKRFT tour as well as their upcoming album, which is expected to drop in January of 2009. The stop I was at had Felix Cartal opening up, but there will be various openers throughout the tour such as DJ A-Trak, DJ Aoki, LA Riots, Congorock, DJ Assault and the aforementioned Felix Cartal. Blueprint Events, which is known as one of Vancouver’s best electronic promoters for a minute now, was hosting the event as well as the after party.

The event took place at Celebrities Night club and was fully packed, in fact this show could have easily taken place at Commodore Ballroom to accommodate more folks, but nonetheless the vibes were good as people were ready to dance their fuckin’ asses off. The duo came on at around 1am and they immediately had the crowd going crazy, as their sound is fairly distinct with that 4/4 beat and heavy heavy synths.

Like usual they played a range of stuff including their own remixes, from the Presets to Dem Franchise Boyz to Cupid to Daft Punk to Usher to Kylie Minogue and throwing in stuff from their first album as well. The set was filled with energy throughout and both MSTRKRFT and the crowd seemed to be feeding off of one another and it was non-stop. The set ended at about 2:30am, but an encore had JFK continue to rock the house til well past 3am. If you left this party not soaked from head to toe in sweat, then you my friend were not partying hard enough. Overall one word can describe this set. EPIC!

Thanks to Alvaro from Blueprint Events for hooking me up with the opportunity to attend the show. For more of their upcoming events check out www.blueprintevents.ca. For those out in New York on October 10th, MSTRKRFT will be playing at Webster Hall, but they’ll also be at the New Era Flagship store as they have a New Era collaboration that’s dropping.

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David Thai
www.killahbeez.com

Here are the rest of their tour stops:

Fist of God tour dates:

09-26 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre (with A-Trak, Felix Cartal, LA Riots, Congorock)
09-27 San Diego, CA - House of Blues (with Steve Aoki, Felix Cartal, LA Riots, Congorock)
09-28 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre (with Aoki, Felix Cartal, Congorock)
09-30 Pomona, CA - Glass House (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-01 San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-02 Seattle, WA – Showbox (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-03 Vancouver, British Columbia – Celebrities (with Felix Cartal)
10-04 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Exchange Event Center (with Felix Cartal)
10-06 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-07 Chicago, IL - Metro (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-08 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-09 Columbus, OH 0 Boma (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-10 New York, NY - Webster Hall (with Felix Cartal, Congorock, DJ Assault
10-11 Poughkeepsie, NY - Vassar College (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-12 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts (with Felix Cartal, Congorock)
10-13 Boston, MA - The Estate (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots, Congorock)
10-15 Baltimore, MD - Redrock (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-16 Charlotte, NC - Forum (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-17 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-18 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Music Park (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-19 Memphis, TN - Hard Rock Café Memphis (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-22 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-23 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-24 Dallas, TX - House of Blues (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-25 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience: The Tenth Ritual
10-27 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-28 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre (with Felix Cartal, LA Riots)
10-31 Salt Lake City, UT - Salt Palace Convention Center (with Felix Cartal)
11-01 Las Vegas, NV - Fabulous Festival

Music? Bands? Eh? What? Isn’t it all about schmoozing and a-grooving with the celebs in the Virgin Mobile Louder Lounge? No? Oh you can keep your Muse and your Verve and your Kings Of Leon and your Amy Winehouse… For some - the beauty of the V Festival is about blagging your in to the Louder Lounge and then acting all nonchalant like as some supermodel brushes past with a plateful of complementary spicy sausages and a pint of Red Bull. Who’s that troubling the decks with their dirrrrty turntablism? Is it the one and only Coleen Rooney!? Erm, no it isn’t actually (contrary to reports - she didn’t get her fingers on the vinyl at all, shame really - would have loved to have seen that). Sorry non-UK types, Google her, you’ll see… well maybe you won’t but it’s worth a go.

While I took a well-earned break from traversing across the V Festival arena from stage to stage amid you lot, the mighty puntership, I happened upon a few likely suspects of the celebrity variety going about their celebrity business in the Louder Lounge. Did I pounce upon them with camera and microphone - paparazzi style - for that all exclusive soundbite about their lovelife? Nah - couldn’t be arsed. Downing my burger, chips, Bacardi & coke was my main priority… always. Keepin it real, me.

Although I did cozy up to the lovely Bryn Christopher on the hammock, but that’s a whole different story (I have video evidence which I promise to share with you when the mood takes me, so keep checking back for that).

Who else did I try my best to pretend to ignore? Girls Aloud graced the Louder Lounge after their triumphant set on the V Stage, striding past without a care in the world they were. And very pretty too. Jaime Winstone and her delightful beau Alfie Allen were seen to be chillin just to the left of me as I stuffed my face (they both have famous dads you know - spooky). The who came up and air kissed them with much grace and style? Jodie Harsh - that’s who. Ten minutes later (I kid you not - the frequency of these celebs was record breaking) Abigail Clancy and someone who might have been Peter Crouch bounced past all breezy like (yes it’s true, I watched Britain’s Next Model but I don’t watch football much… analyse that) . Then, coincidence of all coincidences, there’s that bonnie Lisa Snowden sat down with her mates across the way. Not too proud to slouch on an inflatable chair that one you know. Then it’s only bloomin Leah Wood posing her best side forward for the cameras while I tried to get past to the toilets.

Have to say though my most favourite of favourite famous types that I turned my back on was John Simm. Now that’s what I call top class variety of celeb. Then there was the fab Mathew Horne and Joanna Paige of Gavin & Stacey fame (she acts and sounds exactly the same as her comedy character on the telly - how funny. Didn’t see James Corden though, shame). Apparently Jamie Oliver was there but I didn’t see him, nor did I see Jodie Kidd, Kelly Osbourne or Lily Allen. Sorry. I could have lied just to get your attention, but would I do that you!?

So did any of you lot out there also make it in to the Virgin Mobile Louder Lounge and do a much better job of celeb spotting than me? Go on, be as smug as me and spill the beans then…