Kearnage recap à la Trance Family SF
If you’re a Trance lover, Los Angeles, California is the trance destination
In recent months, San Francisco has quickly risen to host some amazing trance shows and for the first time in Kearnage history, Bryan Kearney brought his personal label to America. In my opinion, picking the best location for his style and the hard sounds it brings.
Taken place at Midway SF by celebrating their 8th year by Trance Family SF, Kearnage SF was placed perfectly near the waterfront. It was set in an industrial area that helped reduce much of any noise complaints that may have resulted as anyone in the area would have heard the intense pounding beats. Midway SF is the type of venue that took me back to 2002 when I went to my very first underground event. This warehouse style venue with its wide main door and the smoking area on the side, complemented the food and alcohol bars that were located in the rear of the building. There was one main stage with two bars that had some really far-out neon artsy decor which lead you to another smaller room and an outside patio that hosted local talent.
Judgment Day – April 28, 2018, (or at least that’s what I called it for us Californians) was the first time there were not one but FOUR major trance events happening, along with Drumcode, the Desert Heart rave and the Bob Marley Festival on the same day. With the first announcement of Sean Tyas in San Diego, Kearnage, In Trance we Trust, and Paul Van Dyk’s “Aeon” event happening all at once, social media simply could not handle it. I had already set my mind and soul on Kearnage, so there was no stopping me. As long as my friend didn’t bail out on me, I wasn’t missing Bryan‘s Kearnage debut in San Francisco.
Opening up the main stage was Christopher Terrance, but I came in during Orkidea’s set which was the perfect tempo. The lasers shined nicely off the walls with very minimal lighting to set a nice, dark mood. As the dance floor was aglow, Okidea took us all on a journey with his beautifully composed tunes.
Being from LA, I had to go show my love for Carlos Artega who is one of two artists representing MJR Management, a label that has seen massive popularity in the past few months. He played at the Classic Heaven stage, with an hour of tech trance to a good supportive crowd.
Newly signed to Music First, Cold Blue took the trance scene on a rollercoaster of euphoric tunes, creating a mix between the classic trance sounds we’ve known with his signature sound that could be described as edgy with more upbeat. Cold Blue is one of the most sought-out artists currently, having been around for many years but only recently seeing his popularity surge after recent collaborations with the likes of John O’-Callaghan. This was my second time witnessing a set from this creative producer, being taken on a journey into a magical transcendental state of mind. Cold Blue played several tracks from his complication he recently made with John O’Callaghan, titled Subculture Mix by JOC and Cold Blue. Songs like Learning To live, Once In A Lifetime, and his remix of Shadows were just a few of my favorites, along with new tracks that have yet to be released. He helped warm the souls of the enthusiastic audience as the main headliner was about to come on, the boss of Kearnage himself – Bryan Kearney!
Courtesy of Trance Family SF
Bryan came in hard with bass-pounding beats like he did at ASOT850, getting my blood and heart pumping fast. He started off with three new tracks which had everyone dancing and feeling the music incorporating new tunes, as well as a classic track under his Karney alias called Say Nothing. Some notable tracks were Sam Jones’ Buckle Up and Craig Connelly Trouble In Paradise, which were some of many favorites. This was my third time in 2018 seeing Bryan, including his set under the name Key4050 . He always delivers and brings something new to his sets, making each one unpredictable and mesmerizing.
Closing the main section was Sneijder who was an absolute genius on decks by continuously bringing the energy in the room that had everyone dancing until security kicked everyone out.
During the last hours of the night, another friend – Triceradrops – from LA threw it down outside in the psytrance. Also under the MJR Management, he brought the heart of psy to everyone. I love seeing his presense as he is so lively and full of energy. You can feel the passion he has from his heart to his fingertips as he plays his tunes.
San Francisco has always been my favorite place to go as a kid, taking those long trips up highway 101 or 5. As an adult, I now find so many excuses to keep returning to my favorite city, with so many trance events popping up and blowing up like a crazy ex.
It’s been the best thrill in years, even giving those without children or families something to look forward to while keeping their spirits young, and a huge thank you to Bryan Kearney for bringing Kearnage to the states.
-Karttie Wahoff
