After braving the stuffy air, crowded dance floors and altogether flagrant scene of the State Street bars, Downtown enthusiasts often find themselves recuperating with a beer in hand at Binghamton’s finest hookah joint, Café Oasis. This past Thursday, guests were treated to an atmospheric arrangement of lively drum and bass beats, grooving hip hop instrumentals and ambient deep house tracks at WHRW 90.5 FM’s Café O’Spaceis II: Strange A’Feels.
With hookah smoke and sounds of muffled chatter heavy in the air, the audience grew restless in anticipation for the music to start. Fortunately, they were satisfied within minutes as Dan Kadyrov, stage name KADYROV, began to fill the room with airy drum and bass tracks, followed by performances from student DJ’s (exitpost), Tealegs, Uncle Sam and Jizzy Fra.
After his set, Kadyrov, WHRW’s general manager, said the event, which cost $5 to attend, was meant to raise funds for the end-of-year WHRW concert. At previous Moefests, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Real Estate performed.
“I really like this kind of community involvement,” said Kadyrov, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “I hope to get WHRW to do more as the year goes on.”
As the vibe changed from DJ to DJ, so did the faces in the crowd, but the house remained packed. Following KADYROV was Ken Herman, known on the stage as (exitpost). As each artist brought their own flair to their set, (exitpost) distinguished himself through the addition of guitar into his set, showing a precise and expert musical balance.
The audience enjoyed a jazzy change of pace when Tealegs (moniker for Tom Legnard) took to the stage with the complex chords, soulful vocals and stylish melodies that accompanied his deep house set. If anyone was looking for something to move their feet to, Tealegs delivered. Those who enjoy a more bumping, old-school groove were pleasantly surprised as Uncle Sam (known offstage as Sam Titus) changed the playing field from mixer to beat pad and delivered a continuous stream of smooth, head bumping hip hop instrumentals.
Jared Frazer saved nothing but the most dance-provoking tracks for the hardcore music fans who stayed until the end of the show. With the stage name Jizzy Fra, the experienced DJ has performed bass-heavy sets at various venues this past semester, including an opening set for Bro Safari at Forever Glow III: Future Hype. Frazer said he’s planning the release of an EP.
After his set, Frazer, a senior majoring in English, explained that through his performances he aims to provide a sense of enjoyment from music.
“I want people to continue to have fun,” Frazer said. “I want to play music that makes people feel something. That makes them want to dance.”
As the event came to an end and attendees took the final, fruit-flavored drags of their hookahs, it was clear that no one was left disappointed. Lily Brine, a sophomore majoring in French, was more than satisfied with the performances. For her, it was the shared experience of being part of the audience.
“It’s the vibe,” Brine said. “Even just being here and listening to the live music connects you in such a better way. You share the energy. You are just part of it. It makes you feel so good.”
Editor’s Note: Staff Writer Ken Herman and Contributing Writer Sam Titus were not involved in the publication of this article.