Duke Dumont & House Music Thrive In Rainy Vancouver
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It was a variable sea North Face, Arthrex, & Columbia at Blueprint’s Malkin Bowl season opener last Friday. An authentically Vancouver experience for Duke Dumont fans who were treated to an unadvertised extended three hour set by the house music auteur.
In a world of sixty-minute festival sets Friday’s format gave Duke time to breathe; his set evolved and progressed through tempos naturally the way true house should. Over the last year Blueprint has done a brilliant job fostering and nurturing the growth of the house scene in Vancouver through its Foundation series of events. And it shows.
The audience was primed and ready for anything Duke had in store. Just as twilight passed, and Duke donned a toque as the rain relentlessly continued, the crowd erupted—with an electric ripple—as ‘The Chant’ ended and he took a dark turn towards acid-tinged house.
In trademark fashion Duke let the music speak, uttering no more than four words over the course of the entire three hours. He sipped champagne from a red solo cup as he took house-heads on journey, and despite the weather the audience spirits never dampened.
As the first hint of ‘Ocean Drive’ kicked in to close out the night a euphoric sing along broke out, & we all left with a smile.
House is alive and well in Vancouver.
