An exhausting commute through way too much traffic and too many assholes couldn't prevent us from getting to the Sullivan Room on Saturday. We finally made it in around 1a, which have us just a taste of Swamy and John Dill. The good news is that they were clearly peaking, and the fresh proggy tracks worked well with the Saturday Sully crowd. The place seemed to be almost at capacity - a recurring theme this year for what's arguably become the pereminent New York underground club. Once Swamy managed to set down the giant pink rubber prop, a funky house track followed and then a bottom-heavy banger that shook the floorboards and more than a few asses. The record exclaimed that "the beat is now taking over," but that had clearly already happened... More inflatable playthings made an appearance, this time a blowup doll joined the entertainment as it was pumped in the air. The music got a bit faster, and a nice melodic interlude switched up the pace before getting back to business. We brought a friend along and the sound won over another fan with its seemingly bottomless, err, bottom end. A killer sample of the 80's classic Africa by Toto was next in the queue. When that familiar melody reverberated in the room, people seemed to take a moment to give the DJ some well deserved props before continuing on. Swamy was absolutely manhandling that poor mixer, but it was all worth it! The music selection was fluid, but mostly stuck to up-beat house until he signed off around 1:30a.

We've been lucky enough to enjoy countless Basic NYC gigs, but have never had a chance to really cover Sleepy & Boo themselves. Even though we're used to seeing them opening or closing out nights, they are both solid headliners in their own right. On Saturday we finally got the full experience and unsurprisingly they didn't disappoint! Half an hour after we set foot on the dancefloor, Sleepy & Boo stepped up. Driving house beats were gushing out of the sound system and only a handful of heads weren't bopping to their beats. Admittedly, it was hard and rather pointless to resist. Living up to the hype, the duo found some sweet songs to treat our ears to. Unfortunately the multitude of unreleased material prevented us from being able to capture the atmosphere, so you will all have to go to their next gig and experience it all for yourself. Just to drive that point home: these are the same DJs who've warmed up crowds for the likes of Max Graham and Colette. Head on over to the Basic NYC site for all the details.

The rhythim was relentless and more of "those in the know" ponied up the meager 15$ cover for and opportunity to join in on the fun. The room remained comfortable throughout the night. The cool air and ample dancing room made for a nice change from the stuffy and smoke filled standard-faire that we've grown used to. For those of you who weren't there, but are curious about the revelers that night: it was a healthy mix of mostly mature and friendly people. We tend to think that Sully draws a well versed crowd, especially if the conductors for the night aren't international names, just yet. Deep (and we do mean deep!) bass was the key element present in each new slab of vinyl that hit the decks. Sleepy & Boo kept it going hard, refusing to let up even a little. Their beat laden house was just the style that we look for in the talent we list here on NR. The show was purely for fans, no mainstream, watered-down bullshit in sight. We had to leave the party at 3a, but it kept going strong well after. Moral of the story: next time you see Sleepy & Boo on the bill, you tell that friend you haven't seen in years that she's either coming with or getting another tour guide. Check out their party with Derrick May coming up in two weeks.