SF – Opel – PHANTASM – Vau De Vire Society – Recap
Music, kink, costumes et all
Each year, Opel Productions outdoes itself with its offerings throughout the year. From its smaller shows at places like Monarch where they hosted The Stanton Warriors for an intimate gig earlier this year to their larger scale shows where they employed all the weights of their burning man alter ego, Opulent Temple, the crew always manages to pull off some incredible things. Equally as prolific is The Vau De Vire Society who engages in acts of performances that gleefully defy gravity and common decency. Their abilities to use performance art to leave an imprint in the hearts and minds of those who see them has been felt far and wide as they’ve toured the country with their troupe of world class dancers, acrobats, fire performers and aerial artists.
Immediately upon entering the drill court, you were struck with the enormity of the space. The high ceilings were put to good use with the LED wrapped DJ booth capped off with a trio of 3D mapped geometric art pieces extending high above the dance floor making for some truly breathtaking moments when the lasers, visuals and 3D mapping all synched up throughout the night.
The much smaller side stage did not skimp on production, creating a slightly creepy front porch vibe for the silent disco. The addition of live subs under the stage added an additional layer of kick for the dance floor. And the on stage, monitors made for a much more enjoyable experience for the talented list of DJs that rocked the stage which stayed mostly packed throughout the night.
For those with VIP access, the party continued upstairs. And if you’ve never been upstairs at The Armory, it’s something that you definitely want to check out. As you may well know, The Armory is home to Kink.com. As you leave the cavernous space downstairs, things quickly become more cozy as you enter the kinkier part of the venue. The walls are adorned with mock Victorian era S&M paintings leaving me to always wonder; where exactly do you commission replica paintings of Victorian era S&M? Upon arrival to the upper floor, you are greeted by a super sexy performance on the piano in the hallway and as you venture further into the beautifully decorated area, we happened upon a game of spin the wheel. The prizes? Getting to spank, flog, motorboat or write on one of the lovely ladies chained to the ceiling. It was a ladies only game that several took part in and made for some great, albeit tame, moments for the entire group.
The upstairs dance floor is a bit classier than the rest of the venue in terms of décor and was equally as bumpin’ all night with a mostly techno and house lineup. Here is what Opel gets right every time when they curate a larger scale party. Each dance floor is meticulously programmed to provide the kind of auditory vibe for the space. This upstairs room always represents a bit of an upscale vibe with slightly sleazy underground sounds. The main stage featured Chromeo and The Crystal Method; the segue from funky disco into the edgier TCM sound was made by Opel front man Syd Gris himself and made for a spectacular flow to the night. And the Silent Disco was a well put together blend of sounds from all across the genre spectrum.
When you look at a party like this in its totality there is a lot to be impressed by. The attention to detail with the décor, the professional way in which the staff takes care of the party goers and the always positive vibe that Opel and Vau De Vire Society bring to the table made for an amazing Halloween experience in one of SFs premier venues.
-Alex Dias
Photo courtesy of Mark Sandstorm and Opel Productions
