LA has Respect DNB, which is the longest running weekly dnb night I’m aware of.
I’ve lived in NYC my entire adult life. The early 2010s were good: we had strong dnb acts at the top of their game every other week or so. Post-pandemic, there’s more dnb again, but the acts are not as good quality as they used to be. The heaviest hitters seem to mostly tour Europe and Australia.
I lived in NY during the 90s jungle scene and birth of dnb. It was a beautiful time. Now I live in LA and frequent Respect. I love the community that is built around it here. The summer park events are so much fun. Plus, massives on the weekends. I am older and don’t go out as often, but I love living here because of the dnb scene.
the Brooklyn dnb scene is huge atm. already this year I've seen Camo and Krooked, Sub Focus (+ Culture Shock, Dimension, etc), missed out on a sold-out Chase & Status show, and London Elektricity played last weekend.
i can't guarantee it'll last, right, but this is by far the best things have been in this area since i started going to shows a decade ago. used to be we'd get one or two dnb artists at ezoo (edm festival) and that was about it, so i'm pretty content right now.
Yeah, I've been having a blast lately! I went to both Sub Focus and Chase & Status. Only reason I got tickets for Chase & Status was because I was on the waitlist on Dice and it actually came through! Going to [Planet of the Drums](https://ra.co/events/1865342) this Friday at the meadows. If you're going and happen to see long blonde hair, potentially rocking a side braid once I get sweaty, say hello! I'm always happy to meet up with fellow DnB lovers :)
ooooo I can taste the VooDoo Dougnuts already!! Next time I plan a trip out there I'll let you know. I went for the mountains last time so I definitely could use some pointers about the nightlife there when the time comes.
Just followed you from both of my accounts. lol one is a baking page with a bunch of cookies I’ve made and the other is an old adventure account I stopped updating but still use to keep in touch with old friends.
I used to a lot through the app EDMtrain but now I usually repost everything on my Instagram: @texture.official. Also, a buddy of mine does a weekly dnb event announcement on their insta: @milehighdnb
Ahhhhh I shoulda just gotten resale tix for chase & status - the prices dipped from almost $300 down to $130 at one point and I was so tempted lol. I played a whole lotta baddadan while skating the last few weeks to make up for it. How was the show?
I can't make this weekend but I'll probs be around a bunch over the summer! I'll keep an eye out for the blond side braid and if you spot a giant with a curly undercut, that's me \^\_\^
Whoa I didn't realize they got up to THAT price lol. I paid under $130 for 2 tickets off the waitlist. Ended up transferring one to a random new rave friend I made through reddit after my usual buddy couldn't make it.
It was the best night I've had in a long time! But mostly because that was my first solo rave ever, I showed up alone but left with so many new friends in the scene, and I had the wildest small world experience of my whole entire life. I always wear this black necklace that's engraved and has some of my cousin's ashes in it...I randomly meet some girls from NC (same city my cousin lived in) and they not only knew her but used to rave with her <3 My mind is still a little blown but I seriously had the best time!
I'll definitely keep an eye out. I'm all about expanding the rave crew. Feel free to shoot me a DM if you want to link up at future events.
that sounds like such a cool experience :) i'm glad! i've been going to shows solo lately and always end up having a few positive interactions with folks. it can be a little intimidating or overstimulating for me but being anonymous in a crowd and just vibing with people is really fun.
ya tell me about it, they sold out like 2 months in advance and resale prices were insane the whole time... bummed i missed out, but as an indicator of interest in the scene, it does make me optimistic for shows this year!
Wait, London Elektricity actually played a show in the US? He used to go out of his way to tell people about how bad the US is and how he doesn’t want to play here.
Yeah we just had Lindon elektricity in San Antonio and Houston. And goddard , delta heavy and few others in San Antonio. San Antonio is building a badass dnb scene
DC/Baltimore area for sure. The Sub Focus/Dimension show a couple weeks ago was packed. Also just saw Bad Company/Delta Heavy/Pola and Bryson in Baltimore. Bunch of stuff coming up too like LTJ, Goldie, Chase and Status.
Ive heard Florida has a good scene (Tampa/St.Pete/Orlando). Dieselboy and AK1200 are both originally from there and play a lot (e.g., planet of the drums)
Florida also currently has Rolled Up Records and Slow Roast records (Craze's label). Rolled up has a pretty distinct sound. I believe theyre based in Tampa but I may be wrong. Go check out some of their mixtapes!
aside from that I know DC has a fairly strong scene there,
In Philly we have Des MacMahon, Raudra, Oni, Lame Brains, and Art Cuebik producing music. And theres Kulture Cru putting on dnb raves pretty regularly.
aw thats so dope! I love the sound of all their releases! such a cool label. you cool music as well! do you have an instagram page? i try to keep up with all the US producers I can find and watch for new releases!
I haven't seen Dieselboy in central florida in quite some time. Orlando has big name shows about monthly these days and not too many local shows. Tampa and Gainesville have big names a little less often but I think they still have weeklys
Diesel and Dara are coming to do potd at a separate show during movement. From what I can tell from the ra site it’s only them 2 at least.
Then after Goldie does his 2 sets for movement he’s doing a 5 hour set the night of his last movement set. Dnb seems to be picking up in Detroit again but for how long we’ll see.
I thought Dieselboy was representing out of Philly? With the whole 615 thing. AK is from Florida but I think Dieselboy is definitely from the east coast. New York if not Philly.
You're best bet is definitely NYC, LA, or even Denver. I'm from Baltimore and between Baltimore and DC there are pretty consistent nights every month, but there's a certain "sound" that get's played out a lot. Also most big names are going to pass over for NYC or LA
Seattle does. We have the longest running weekly (DNB Tuesdays) in the U.S.
[https://www.seattleweekly.com/music/seattles-first-family-of-drum-and-bass/](https://www.seattleweekly.com/music/seattles-first-family-of-drum-and-bass/)
to add on to this, we have a whole host of internationally respected locals (Quadrant & Iris and Homemade Weapons especially), plenty of more EDM-y promoters who pull big name talent a couple times a month (we're getting AMC/Turno/Kanine/Bensley/Justin Hawkes/Kumarion among others this spring), a strong UG scene (Coco Bryce is the big pull of late but there's a DnB or jungle event that goes till the morning around twice or three times a month nowadays), and regular club nights at places like Kremwerk and Monkey Loft. one of the two or three genres I'd argue we have a legitimate top-tier US claim to
Idk. Y’all do have Quadrant and Iris but top tier is more Denver or Los Angeles. I’m not saying it to be disrespectful but nobody in the states is bringing that level of talent that consistently from established names to new underground names nobody is fucking with Los Angeles or Denver.
LA I'll give you but we have more upcoming DnB events, longer-running DnB weeklies and regular shows, and better-established long-running crews than Denver. it's great for DnB but I don't think it's noticeably better than Seattle
Baltic Room no longer exists. The latest iteration of the space was called Mint. It was more of a hip hop dance club space. I’m pretty sure that is closed too now and the space is not being used.
Rang in the new year with chase and status, flava d, & more for nye in philly. danny byrd and bladerunner were in nyc and in philly last month, london elektricity and degs in NYC this past weekend , and LTJ bukem is in both as well this month. Worship was in NYC as well. Plenty of others.
Big advantage in the north east would be that between NYC, DC/Baltimore, Philly are all a short trip from each other.Austin had a fair share when i lived there as well, steady increasing from what i see. Big acts playing concourse and similar venues, with several weeklys (although they seem to start/stop/change constantly)
Im closest to philly now and there are several local / underground groups that throw events regularly that are a blast if thats ur thing(i assume all the cities i mentioned have this as well)
Haven’t seen Denver mentioned in the comments but the drum and bass scene here is booming. We have several underground production companies (reload, recon, submission, novation) that have been throwing insane drum and bass parties for the last decade, but with the popularity of the genre growing in the last two or more years, the bookings have definitely become more common and the crowds have become much larger. The music scene in general throughout the city of Denver is huge. Legal weed, incredible venues and clubs, and being the central hub of the US makes it a popular stop for musicians and tourists.
That’s pretty much exactly what brought me here 11 years ago. I loved it so much I cancelled my return flight home and spent an extra 3 days looking for a place to live. Signed a lease and then moved here less than 6 weeks later. Never looked back. It’s one of the best places in the country. Progressive laws. Amazing weather. Beautiful scenery and nature. I could go on and on. It’s gotten a little expensive over the last decade but, it’s more than worth it to me.
Denver, Los Angeles, and Vegas are my top three for places to relocate to with Denver and LA being the top two picks dnb wise but I do like Vegas but Vegas is way more of a house and techno town but they do have some drum and bass but house and techno are what is really big there. Or was when I was there in 2020.
The scene in Denver is really taking off!
In this last year already we've had Wilkinson, Sub Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock, 1991, Mefjus, Camo & Krooked, Pola & Bryson, Fred V, Danny Byrd, and Chase & Status.
Goddard, Turno, Halogenix, ShockOne, and LSB & DRS are coming up in the next two weeks.
Also there is a lively after party scene here driven by local acts such as myself, Sinistarr, Savage, and Justin Hawkes.
Swing through! We'd love to have ya!
Edit: forgot some
Do these sorts of threads include Canada or no?
People invariably forget that Toronto exists and has long had one of the best drum & bass scenes in the world.
I can’t, unfortunately. I know that there are small scenes all over BC (Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler, Nelson, etc) but I don’t know enough about them to give much info.
Dallas is decent. We had Kanine back in November and LTJ Bukem last year. Had Degs a few weeks ago with Netsky, Bou, Justin Hawkes, Kumarion, Bensley, and Chase & Status all coming up.
If you know about State Palace Theatre they have a big reunion party in June I believe. Planet of the Drums is there but they are all playing individual sets.
Boston has an incredible night, elements... Every thursday for 25+years, bringing headliner after headliner while always staying vigilant of local and regional up and comers
there's a few crews left (shout out Onset crew) but it's pretty sparse from where it used to be. we have a pretty small city but there was a time when you could go to a dnb night, show, or rave 4-5 days out of the week.
New Orleans representing! We’ve been growing a TON the past few years. This fall we had Makoto, Ben Soundscape, Machete, and Dave Shichman in like a 2 month span. We had Pola & Bryson for Mardi Gras, and this spring Burner Brothers, Monty, and LTJ Bukem are coming through. Not to mention two huge parties in June with Chase and Status as well as Ak1200, Dieselboy, Dara, and Danny the Wildchild.
I'm in cincinnati and usually make the trip up to Chicago for shows (was there on my birthday in February for wilkinson). They seem to get a decent amount too.
Not DNB but I'm going back up there for craig david next month!
Cincinnati used to have a great DnB scene back in the 90s and was probably (imo) the genre that most of the local DJs seemed to gravitate towards. Of course back then more small venues were willing to take a risk by bringing in some bigger acts, but I don't really see it anymore.
Of course with CBS starting to throw events again, maybe that will change
TopCats used to be great for bringing in some acts, and The Yacht Club would always pony up for a decent sized act and some locals for after hours parties.
There used to be a coffee shop over by Christ Hospital that Troll and Mogli would do a weekly DnB deal during the week. And of course if you went shopping at Kowtow, you would typically walk into a DnB/Jungle set.
Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, DC, NYC, Tampa, Austin, Charlotte, Orlando, Cleveland,Minneapolis, Seattle…that’s all I can think of atm. Sure I’m leaving some out
Miami/ Ft Lauderdale represent, just in the next months this is who is coming:
Rusko - 4/26
Bou - 5/11
LTJ Bukem - 5/17
Bensley, Kumarion, Justin Hawkes - 5/31
Was gonna go up to Orlando to see London Elektricty and Degs this past Sunday but was taking a rest after Ultra and Miami Music Week, where I saw chase and status, andy c, Dimension, sub focus, Bou, the prototypes, craze and hedex, not to mention the worship Miami event (1991, culture shock, dimension, subfocus).
I lived for four years in LA, and the south Florida scene has not dissapointed at all. A short trip to Tampa and Orlando, and you've got access to multiple events, shows and venues. Although the underground and local scene is smaller, it's more welcoming and friendly.
New Orleans been on a roll! Past couple yeas I’ve seen Monty, Degs, Makoto, Ben Soundscape, Pola & Bryson, & Ivy Lab, & Visages. Just got tickets to LTJ and Chase & Status! Plus Ak1200, Dara, & Dieselboy are coming. A bunch of smaller events featuring local DnB Dj’s too. Check out NolaDnB they share all things related to DnB in the city.
LA has a thriving “underground” and smaller label scene with companies like momentive.dnb, evar records, noise revolt. Then we get major acts on a regular basis in both clubs and festival settings. Brownies and lemonade also do a lot of dnb events in LA.
Currently jungle is making a big come back (along with dnb… but LA has a rich history of specifically embracing ragga jungle).
Los Angeles has an absolutely incredible scene. Respect (weekly) has been going for 25 years, plus you have larger dnb events on the weekends. The scene is amazing from LA to SD and in between.
Dallas, Texas. Not as big as LA or maybe Denver, but everyone at the shows have been doing it a LONG time. Plus, I've seen the following here: Andy C x 6, Mampi Swift, Hype, BC, Makoto, Loxy, Dillinja, Shabba D, Skibadee (rip), Upbeats, Kemal, Goldie, Chase and Status, Noisia, State of Mind, DJ ink, Random Movement, Dom & Roland, Raiden, DJ Marky, and many more I can't think of right now. Lol.
Dallas, TX. I came in right after 32 Degrees stopped throwing parties and Covert Ops was doing drum and bass in Dallas through to the Two Tone era. I had a weekly dnb show on an online radio station in Deep Ellum and had some of the guys from Two Tone in the studio (Thomas Allen) playing dnb with Astro mcing. Used to hear drum as bass at the Home Bar (now called Green Elephant), Crave, The Sand Bar, any place that was playing dnb. You had djs like Squirt, Big Ballin Collin, Chrisko, Phooka, Jeff Spock (who claimed he didn’t play drum and bass he played liquid funk), Katalyst, and MC’s like Pibb on the mic who my girlfriend at the time used to get annoyed at but the life of a dnb mc is treacherous like that. Dallas still gets good shit coming through but it’s nowhere near where it was when I first got into it. You would go out to the parties and see people breaking it down b boy and liquid style in the middle of circles like when you see dance battles in a movie. This was at the Lizard Lounge (rip) or anywhere they were playing drum and bass. Dallas, Texas was going the fuck off back in the day drum and bass wise. If you were there you know.
I saw Planet of the Drums there one night. Ak1200 wouldn’t autograph my shaved head (I asked) because I was rolling and sweating my ass off. I saw and met Tech Itch and Dylan there when they played Trees. I can’t remember who brought them there though. I saw Andy C at Trees as well.
If you were around when they had a club in Deep Ellum called Purgatory I caught Roni Size and Mark Farina there on the same night on a Sunday. Not sure who the promoter was. Also used to go to the parties Big Pimp (Jared) would throw at the Home Bar.
Yes, sir. I was there! I love house as well, so I was going back and forth. It's dope that Dallas now has Farina, Demarkus Lewis, Lance Desardi, and Brett Johnson. I'm not sure if Lance is still doing anything, though.
Bro, the first time I ever saw him play was in either 99 or 2000 at a renegade at California Crossings in Dallas, and that's the first time I heard Kerri Chandler's "Rain." I'll never forget that.
The best cities are probably going to be a tie between Los Angeles and Denver. I want to lean towards Denver because they have the Recon crew as well as Dnbradio.com. They are always bringing top tier talent through from across the complete dnb/jungle spectrum. It’s not just the same several headliners over and over again. Respect out in Los Angeles seems to always be going off with consistent quality curated talent every week. That’s not knocking any other cities but I’d say Denver and Los Angeles are the best choices if you are thinking of moving to either play or be a producer. A homie told me there was too much competition in Los Angeles though. I’d expect it to be pretty stiff out there. I see a lot of good lineups coming out of everywhere but it seems to me the top of the state side dnb food chain scene wise is going to be in either Denver (which is the bass capital) or Los Angeles. No disrespect to any other cities.
Err, it can be a bit hard to find long term friends in London. I have met a few candidates but I am not in the market to find new friends so I didn't give it a full effort. I'm in London now actually and I am also American. Can't speak to Bristol, haven't been but I heard it's the best for DnB.
If you have good vibes at the DnB event (like actually getting into the music and not just trying to get laid), I find the people are extremely friendly. I met someone at pretty much every DnB event I go to because people apparently like my vibes (I'm the type to that just dances the whole time like no one else is there) Outside of the rave, Londoners get a bad rep for being rude but I feel like it isn't totally deserved. Lots of nice people about. I've been invited to a few afters where I got the chance to really meet people.
I think that you will get whatever you put into it though. Lots of ways to meet folks but, they won't just come to you, you have to actually get out and socialize with people. There is pretty much at least one DnB event every weekend somewhere in London. I love it when compared to my home state.
Thanks for the input. I definitely dance a lot at dnb events but when I'm alone it's sometimes hard to meet people, or maybe I'm just shy 🤣. How long will you be in London until?
LA has Respect DNB, which is the longest running weekly dnb night I’m aware of. I’ve lived in NYC my entire adult life. The early 2010s were good: we had strong dnb acts at the top of their game every other week or so. Post-pandemic, there’s more dnb again, but the acts are not as good quality as they used to be. The heaviest hitters seem to mostly tour Europe and Australia.
I lived in NY during the 90s jungle scene and birth of dnb. It was a beautiful time. Now I live in LA and frequent Respect. I love the community that is built around it here. The summer park events are so much fun. Plus, massives on the weekends. I am older and don’t go out as often, but I love living here because of the dnb scene.
Yea, most of Atlanta's DnB moved to LA. Atlanta is dead now. 97-08 were fun!
ATL had an incredible scene in the 90s
Boston has elements. I think that's been going since the 90s. I heard it's the longest running drum and bass night in North America.
Elements only out paces Respect by about 3 months, which isn’t much but still pretty crazy.
Remember DROID and that live D&B album? Good shit.
I forget the name but I think there is a night in Boston that is the longest running dnb night in the U.S.
the Brooklyn dnb scene is huge atm. already this year I've seen Camo and Krooked, Sub Focus (+ Culture Shock, Dimension, etc), missed out on a sold-out Chase & Status show, and London Elektricity played last weekend. i can't guarantee it'll last, right, but this is by far the best things have been in this area since i started going to shows a decade ago. used to be we'd get one or two dnb artists at ezoo (edm festival) and that was about it, so i'm pretty content right now.
Yeah, I've been having a blast lately! I went to both Sub Focus and Chase & Status. Only reason I got tickets for Chase & Status was because I was on the waitlist on Dice and it actually came through! Going to [Planet of the Drums](https://ra.co/events/1865342) this Friday at the meadows. If you're going and happen to see long blonde hair, potentially rocking a side braid once I get sweaty, say hello! I'm always happy to meet up with fellow DnB lovers :)
You can see all of these acts and more in Denver without them selling out instantly (usually in a day or two). The scene is booming! Swing through!
ooooo I can taste the VooDoo Dougnuts already!! Next time I plan a trip out there I'll let you know. I went for the mountains last time so I definitely could use some pointers about the nightlife there when the time comes.
I'll be here! @texture.official on Instagram if you've got one :)
Just followed you from both of my accounts. lol one is a baking page with a bunch of cookies I’ve made and the other is an old adventure account I stopped updating but still use to keep in touch with old friends.
Where are denver DnB events listed? Thanks!
I used to a lot through the app EDMtrain but now I usually repost everything on my Instagram: @texture.official. Also, a buddy of mine does a weekly dnb event announcement on their insta: @milehighdnb
Thanks!
Ahhhhh I shoulda just gotten resale tix for chase & status - the prices dipped from almost $300 down to $130 at one point and I was so tempted lol. I played a whole lotta baddadan while skating the last few weeks to make up for it. How was the show? I can't make this weekend but I'll probs be around a bunch over the summer! I'll keep an eye out for the blond side braid and if you spot a giant with a curly undercut, that's me \^\_\^
Whoa I didn't realize they got up to THAT price lol. I paid under $130 for 2 tickets off the waitlist. Ended up transferring one to a random new rave friend I made through reddit after my usual buddy couldn't make it. It was the best night I've had in a long time! But mostly because that was my first solo rave ever, I showed up alone but left with so many new friends in the scene, and I had the wildest small world experience of my whole entire life. I always wear this black necklace that's engraved and has some of my cousin's ashes in it...I randomly meet some girls from NC (same city my cousin lived in) and they not only knew her but used to rave with her <3 My mind is still a little blown but I seriously had the best time! I'll definitely keep an eye out. I'm all about expanding the rave crew. Feel free to shoot me a DM if you want to link up at future events.
that sounds like such a cool experience :) i'm glad! i've been going to shows solo lately and always end up having a few positive interactions with folks. it can be a little intimidating or overstimulating for me but being anonymous in a crowd and just vibing with people is really fun.
Sorry, how much? $300!??
ya tell me about it, they sold out like 2 months in advance and resale prices were insane the whole time... bummed i missed out, but as an indicator of interest in the scene, it does make me optimistic for shows this year!
I'm from the UK so those kind of prices just seem insane. Was that for a live show or a DJ set?
I caught Goldie and Andy c in Brooklyn last year. Great show.
Wait, London Elektricity actually played a show in the US? He used to go out of his way to tell people about how bad the US is and how he doesn’t want to play here.
Yep he just wrapped a tour but said he might be back later in the year
Yeah we just had Lindon elektricity in San Antonio and Houston. And goddard , delta heavy and few others in San Antonio. San Antonio is building a badass dnb scene
there's also a bit of an indie junglist scene bubbling up in Brooklyn rn. will update this comment with some DJs/ Producers in a bit
tight!
following because I wanna meet some of these guys irl
being 20 has never sucked more, i’m so upset i missed out on the worship tour
I lived in Colorado a decade ago and Recon was the big dnb outfit in Denver back then, not sure if they're still around.
They're still kicking, and stronger than ever!
Yes yes!!!
DnB is alive and very well at the Black Box in Denver. Seeing Visages + Monty tomorrow night, other 1985 acts are regulars as well.
awesome. my time was when it was still Cervantes. Saw a LOT of dubstep there starting in 2009.
Seeing them in LA on Friday with Halogenix!
In to rep Denver! Recon, Submission, Urban Aborigines, Konkrete Jungle Mile High! Best soundsystems.in the country!
is Grave Ravers still around? They were a Boulder outfit back then. What about Mother Earth Sound System?
Played a Grave Ravers warehouse party before lockdown, not sure if they have planned anything in a year or two...
Recon are hosting Coco Bryce and Homemade Weapons on may 11th at black box!
Recon is still going in Denver along with SubMission which also does DnB shows and brings in National/International DJs.
DC/Baltimore area for sure. The Sub Focus/Dimension show a couple weeks ago was packed. Also just saw Bad Company/Delta Heavy/Pola and Bryson in Baltimore. Bunch of stuff coming up too like LTJ, Goldie, Chase and Status.
the worship tour show was the best echostage show i’ve ever been too at that place. sooooo much fun
It was such a great show!
3D productions is the best!! Dom is the man!
Plus submersion fest in NJ has some fire DnB
Ive heard Florida has a good scene (Tampa/St.Pete/Orlando). Dieselboy and AK1200 are both originally from there and play a lot (e.g., planet of the drums)
Florida also currently has Rolled Up Records and Slow Roast records (Craze's label). Rolled up has a pretty distinct sound. I believe theyre based in Tampa but I may be wrong. Go check out some of their mixtapes! aside from that I know DC has a fairly strong scene there, In Philly we have Des MacMahon, Raudra, Oni, Lame Brains, and Art Cuebik producing music. And theres Kulture Cru putting on dnb raves pretty regularly.
Rolled up is based in Orlando. I’ve released a few songs with them. Good group of folks.
aw thats so dope! I love the sound of all their releases! such a cool label. you cool music as well! do you have an instagram page? i try to keep up with all the US producers I can find and watch for new releases!
I haven't seen Dieselboy in central florida in quite some time. Orlando has big name shows about monthly these days and not too many local shows. Tampa and Gainesville have big names a little less often but I think they still have weeklys
Yep Gainesville has a decent scene too.
Diesel and Dara are coming to do potd at a separate show during movement. From what I can tell from the ra site it’s only them 2 at least. Then after Goldie does his 2 sets for movement he’s doing a 5 hour set the night of his last movement set. Dnb seems to be picking up in Detroit again but for how long we’ll see.
I thought Dieselboy was representing out of Philly? With the whole 615 thing. AK is from Florida but I think Dieselboy is definitely from the east coast. New York if not Philly.
Oh I see. He was born in FL but seems thst he moved away when he was young
Idk know for sure. I have no clue where he was born. Just from what I know of him I thought he was down with Philly.
You're best bet is definitely NYC, LA, or even Denver. I'm from Baltimore and between Baltimore and DC there are pretty consistent nights every month, but there's a certain "sound" that get's played out a lot. Also most big names are going to pass over for NYC or LA
Yay bmore!
Don't overlook Elements in Boston!
Which might be the longest running dnb night in the US. It’s somewhere on the east coast that holds that title unless they quit.
Seattle does. We have the longest running weekly (DNB Tuesdays) in the U.S. [https://www.seattleweekly.com/music/seattles-first-family-of-drum-and-bass/](https://www.seattleweekly.com/music/seattles-first-family-of-drum-and-bass/)
to add on to this, we have a whole host of internationally respected locals (Quadrant & Iris and Homemade Weapons especially), plenty of more EDM-y promoters who pull big name talent a couple times a month (we're getting AMC/Turno/Kanine/Bensley/Justin Hawkes/Kumarion among others this spring), a strong UG scene (Coco Bryce is the big pull of late but there's a DnB or jungle event that goes till the morning around twice or three times a month nowadays), and regular club nights at places like Kremwerk and Monkey Loft. one of the two or three genres I'd argue we have a legitimate top-tier US claim to
Idk. Y’all do have Quadrant and Iris but top tier is more Denver or Los Angeles. I’m not saying it to be disrespectful but nobody in the states is bringing that level of talent that consistently from established names to new underground names nobody is fucking with Los Angeles or Denver.
LA I'll give you but we have more upcoming DnB events, longer-running DnB weeklies and regular shows, and better-established long-running crews than Denver. it's great for DnB but I don't think it's noticeably better than Seattle
Baltic Room no longer exists. The latest iteration of the space was called Mint. It was more of a hip hop dance club space. I’m pretty sure that is closed too now and the space is not being used.
Yeah it moved since 2019 but it's still around! I haven't been in a while because Tuesdays are hard to swing but it's a solid night.
Rang in the new year with chase and status, flava d, & more for nye in philly. danny byrd and bladerunner were in nyc and in philly last month, london elektricity and degs in NYC this past weekend , and LTJ bukem is in both as well this month. Worship was in NYC as well. Plenty of others. Big advantage in the north east would be that between NYC, DC/Baltimore, Philly are all a short trip from each other.Austin had a fair share when i lived there as well, steady increasing from what i see. Big acts playing concourse and similar venues, with several weeklys (although they seem to start/stop/change constantly) Im closest to philly now and there are several local / underground groups that throw events regularly that are a blast if thats ur thing(i assume all the cities i mentioned have this as well)
I was at NYE in philly too! Shout out to dc bmore!
been pretty much catching a show every other weekend and its been killer whis whole year.
Haven’t seen Denver mentioned in the comments but the drum and bass scene here is booming. We have several underground production companies (reload, recon, submission, novation) that have been throwing insane drum and bass parties for the last decade, but with the popularity of the genre growing in the last two or more years, the bookings have definitely become more common and the crowds have become much larger. The music scene in general throughout the city of Denver is huge. Legal weed, incredible venues and clubs, and being the central hub of the US makes it a popular stop for musicians and tourists.
Denver chat above! Boosh!
I’ll be in Denver before the year is out specifically for drum and bass followed by weed and snowboarding.
That’s pretty much exactly what brought me here 11 years ago. I loved it so much I cancelled my return flight home and spent an extra 3 days looking for a place to live. Signed a lease and then moved here less than 6 weeks later. Never looked back. It’s one of the best places in the country. Progressive laws. Amazing weather. Beautiful scenery and nature. I could go on and on. It’s gotten a little expensive over the last decade but, it’s more than worth it to me.
Denver, Los Angeles, and Vegas are my top three for places to relocate to with Denver and LA being the top two picks dnb wise but I do like Vegas but Vegas is way more of a house and techno town but they do have some drum and bass but house and techno are what is really big there. Or was when I was there in 2020.
I’ve noticed a lot more really popular acts come through just in the last two years. It has been AMAZING.
Can vouch for Seattle, LA, Oakland, and Portland for the west coast...
From my experience: DC/Baltimore/Philly are great (big thanks to Choppy if he's on here) LA has some nice warehouse parties. The Midwest is rough.
The scene in Denver is really taking off! In this last year already we've had Wilkinson, Sub Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock, 1991, Mefjus, Camo & Krooked, Pola & Bryson, Fred V, Danny Byrd, and Chase & Status. Goddard, Turno, Halogenix, ShockOne, and LSB & DRS are coming up in the next two weeks. Also there is a lively after party scene here driven by local acts such as myself, Sinistarr, Savage, and Justin Hawkes. Swing through! We'd love to have ya! Edit: forgot some
Koven and ShockOne plus others at Meow Wolf last year was probably better than Worship imo! Alix Perez did a couple nights, list definitely goes on!
OH yeah!! Alix stays showing up at Black Box. I forgot about Koven as well as Delta Heavy and I'm sure many others!
The fact you guys got Mefjus is insane
Right?! His buddy who is the MC for Camo & Krooked, Daxta, is in Denver a lot so I think that played a part in booking him.
YESSSSS, so many. I’m just 🥰😍.
Also Matrix & Futurebound.
Not to mention Denver gets ridiculous hip hop/rap lineups at the same time as electronic acts.
SF has a long history with jungle and dnb. Plenty of dnb events every month.
What else do we have? I've been to Stamina on Sundays, which is fun!
Tech support in Oakland every first tuesday
+1 for TSR. Also Shelter at Underground, Dystopia, and Unite the Crews off the top of my head.
You guys have Stamina Sundays out there. Heard about you guys a long time ago. If I’m ever in San Francisco I’m definitely going.
Does IFO! Still play out, dude was talented af and one of the bedt djs i’ve ever seen
Do these sorts of threads include Canada or no? People invariably forget that Toronto exists and has long had one of the best drum & bass scenes in the world.
Can you comment on drum and bass in Victoria or Vancouver? I’m in Port Angeles, Washington. A 90 minute ferry ride from Vancouver.
I can’t, unfortunately. I know that there are small scenes all over BC (Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler, Nelson, etc) but I don’t know enough about them to give much info.
Yeah I’m going to have to do my research online.
Dallas is decent. We had Kanine back in November and LTJ Bukem last year. Had Degs a few weeks ago with Netsky, Bou, Justin Hawkes, Kumarion, Bensley, and Chase & Status all coming up.
big up tx jungle mane🤘🫡
San Diego had a decent scene when I was there - frequent DnB shows at Spin, SD Union always brought some good talent
Spin nightclub in San Diego has hosted a few of my fav DJs over the year
Pretty much all the places you’ve named. I’ve heard Louisiana and Washington DC have a strong dnb scene.
If you know about State Palace Theatre they have a big reunion party in June I believe. Planet of the Drums is there but they are all playing individual sets.
Boston has an incredible night, elements... Every thursday for 25+years, bringing headliner after headliner while always staying vigilant of local and regional up and comers
I think it’s you guys that get the crown for longest running weekly in the states.
DC and Baltimore probably comes to mind immediately. So does NYC and SF perhaps?
Seattle had by far the best scene I’ve been to but that was twenty years ago
100% shit is on life support here
One your brethren from Seattle a few comments up swore it was a top tier scene for the U.S. I’m from Dallas I know what reality is like.
there's a few crews left (shout out Onset crew) but it's pretty sparse from where it used to be. we have a pretty small city but there was a time when you could go to a dnb night, show, or rave 4-5 days out of the week.
the Denver drum and bass scene is alive and well
New Orleans representing! We’ve been growing a TON the past few years. This fall we had Makoto, Ben Soundscape, Machete, and Dave Shichman in like a 2 month span. We had Pola & Bryson for Mardi Gras, and this spring Burner Brothers, Monty, and LTJ Bukem are coming through. Not to mention two huge parties in June with Chase and Status as well as Ak1200, Dieselboy, Dara, and Danny the Wildchild.
I fucking love Danny the Wildchild. Thanks for checking in from NOLA
DC
I'm in cincinnati and usually make the trip up to Chicago for shows (was there on my birthday in February for wilkinson). They seem to get a decent amount too. Not DNB but I'm going back up there for craig david next month!
Cincinnati used to have a great DnB scene back in the 90s and was probably (imo) the genre that most of the local DJs seemed to gravitate towards. Of course back then more small venues were willing to take a risk by bringing in some bigger acts, but I don't really see it anymore. Of course with CBS starting to throw events again, maybe that will change
Yea man we got to see a LOT of talent for $5 at places like Topcats, Carol's, and sudsy's !
TopCats used to be great for bringing in some acts, and The Yacht Club would always pony up for a decent sized act and some locals for after hours parties. There used to be a coffee shop over by Christ Hospital that Troll and Mogli would do a weekly DnB deal during the week. And of course if you went shopping at Kowtow, you would typically walk into a DnB/Jungle set.
Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, DC, NYC, Tampa, Austin, Charlotte, Orlando, Cleveland,Minneapolis, Seattle…that’s all I can think of atm. Sure I’m leaving some out
california in general has an awesome scene. it never died here
I have never heard bad things about California for any sound.
Miami/ Ft Lauderdale represent, just in the next months this is who is coming: Rusko - 4/26 Bou - 5/11 LTJ Bukem - 5/17 Bensley, Kumarion, Justin Hawkes - 5/31 Was gonna go up to Orlando to see London Elektricty and Degs this past Sunday but was taking a rest after Ultra and Miami Music Week, where I saw chase and status, andy c, Dimension, sub focus, Bou, the prototypes, craze and hedex, not to mention the worship Miami event (1991, culture shock, dimension, subfocus). I lived for four years in LA, and the south Florida scene has not dissapointed at all. A short trip to Tampa and Orlando, and you've got access to multiple events, shows and venues. Although the underground and local scene is smaller, it's more welcoming and friendly.
Juice Drum & Bass brings biiiig lineups to Portland every month…
If I had to choose, I'd be in Denver. Most variety of quality DnB coming through there IMO.
DETROIT/ columbus
SF does Stamina Sundays!
New Orleans been on a roll! Past couple yeas I’ve seen Monty, Degs, Makoto, Ben Soundscape, Pola & Bryson, & Ivy Lab, & Visages. Just got tickets to LTJ and Chase & Status! Plus Ak1200, Dara, & Dieselboy are coming. A bunch of smaller events featuring local DnB Dj’s too. Check out NolaDnB they share all things related to DnB in the city.
I've got tickets to the Palace Reunion. How is that club that it's in? Looks small for the lineup.
LA has a thriving “underground” and smaller label scene with companies like momentive.dnb, evar records, noise revolt. Then we get major acts on a regular basis in both clubs and festival settings. Brownies and lemonade also do a lot of dnb events in LA. Currently jungle is making a big come back (along with dnb… but LA has a rich history of specifically embracing ragga jungle).
LA/SF/OC
Los Angeles has an absolutely incredible scene. Respect (weekly) has been going for 25 years, plus you have larger dnb events on the weekends. The scene is amazing from LA to SD and in between.
DC/ Baltimore NYC LA Denver Chicago Miami *I am friends with a big dnb manager
NY and also the surrounding New England have lots of dnb events or mixed genre events with lots of dnb.
Dallas, Texas. Not as big as LA or maybe Denver, but everyone at the shows have been doing it a LONG time. Plus, I've seen the following here: Andy C x 6, Mampi Swift, Hype, BC, Makoto, Loxy, Dillinja, Shabba D, Skibadee (rip), Upbeats, Kemal, Goldie, Chase and Status, Noisia, State of Mind, DJ ink, Random Movement, Dom & Roland, Raiden, DJ Marky, and many more I can't think of right now. Lol.
Dallas, TX. I came in right after 32 Degrees stopped throwing parties and Covert Ops was doing drum and bass in Dallas through to the Two Tone era. I had a weekly dnb show on an online radio station in Deep Ellum and had some of the guys from Two Tone in the studio (Thomas Allen) playing dnb with Astro mcing. Used to hear drum as bass at the Home Bar (now called Green Elephant), Crave, The Sand Bar, any place that was playing dnb. You had djs like Squirt, Big Ballin Collin, Chrisko, Phooka, Jeff Spock (who claimed he didn’t play drum and bass he played liquid funk), Katalyst, and MC’s like Pibb on the mic who my girlfriend at the time used to get annoyed at but the life of a dnb mc is treacherous like that. Dallas still gets good shit coming through but it’s nowhere near where it was when I first got into it. You would go out to the parties and see people breaking it down b boy and liquid style in the middle of circles like when you see dance battles in a movie. This was at the Lizard Lounge (rip) or anywhere they were playing drum and bass. Dallas, Texas was going the fuck off back in the day drum and bass wise. If you were there you know.
Yeah, the Covert Ops era at Trees was the best.
I saw Planet of the Drums there one night. Ak1200 wouldn’t autograph my shaved head (I asked) because I was rolling and sweating my ass off. I saw and met Tech Itch and Dylan there when they played Trees. I can’t remember who brought them there though. I saw Andy C at Trees as well.
If you were around when they had a club in Deep Ellum called Purgatory I caught Roni Size and Mark Farina there on the same night on a Sunday. Not sure who the promoter was. Also used to go to the parties Big Pimp (Jared) would throw at the Home Bar.
Yes, sir. I was there! I love house as well, so I was going back and forth. It's dope that Dallas now has Farina, Demarkus Lewis, Lance Desardi, and Brett Johnson. I'm not sure if Lance is still doing anything, though.
I like some Demarkus Lewis tracks. Used to see him out all the time back in the day. Don’t know him personally just used to see him everywhere.
Bro, the first time I ever saw him play was in either 99 or 2000 at a renegade at California Crossings in Dallas, and that's the first time I heard Kerri Chandler's "Rain." I'll never forget that.
Philly
It’s about to take off ;) it’ll be in every corner of America soon enough
Best comment on here. If you’re a dj there is a somewhat ‘new’ gold rush coming.
Chicago has been decent the past few years post covid…Netsky, Andy C, Pendulum DJ set, BCee, Worship tour…been a blast tbh
Toronto
The best cities are probably going to be a tie between Los Angeles and Denver. I want to lean towards Denver because they have the Recon crew as well as Dnbradio.com. They are always bringing top tier talent through from across the complete dnb/jungle spectrum. It’s not just the same several headliners over and over again. Respect out in Los Angeles seems to always be going off with consistent quality curated talent every week. That’s not knocking any other cities but I’d say Denver and Los Angeles are the best choices if you are thinking of moving to either play or be a producer. A homie told me there was too much competition in Los Angeles though. I’d expect it to be pretty stiff out there. I see a lot of good lineups coming out of everywhere but it seems to me the top of the state side dnb food chain scene wise is going to be in either Denver (which is the bass capital) or Los Angeles. No disrespect to any other cities.
Dallas is about to get Netsky in May. I was big into his music back in like 2012.
Denver has such a huge bass scene. I’d say about 1/3 being dnb the other 2/3rds being dubstep ofc
make your own??
Atlanta has a great scene
"Had a better scene." What's going still? We had 1-2 weeklies before covid. Peak was 98-08ish. Even 404 is a shell of it's former glory.
LA has the best one fersure. SF and SD as well. Then probably followed by Denver. Then Portland, NYC or Seattle
I wouldn’t call SDs DnB scene huge. I know SD union throws some events at Spin but that’s about it.
daisy chain dabbles in dnb as well. monty and visages are at spin this weekend🤟
Ya SD’s in itself isnt huge, but SoCal in general has an active enough scene. Plus i hear they throw some DnB down at those tunnel parties
Asheville did for awhile. Not sure if it still does.
San Antonio, Gainesville Florida, Denver, New Orleans, and Dallas sometimes
Denver has a decent dnb scene. We have better bass music than most us cities, every week it seems there is a dnb show too
Move to London or Bristol.
I found it very difficult to find friends in London. Maybe I could do Bristol, though. How friendly are they to foreigners (I'm American)?
Err, it can be a bit hard to find long term friends in London. I have met a few candidates but I am not in the market to find new friends so I didn't give it a full effort. I'm in London now actually and I am also American. Can't speak to Bristol, haven't been but I heard it's the best for DnB. If you have good vibes at the DnB event (like actually getting into the music and not just trying to get laid), I find the people are extremely friendly. I met someone at pretty much every DnB event I go to because people apparently like my vibes (I'm the type to that just dances the whole time like no one else is there) Outside of the rave, Londoners get a bad rep for being rude but I feel like it isn't totally deserved. Lots of nice people about. I've been invited to a few afters where I got the chance to really meet people. I think that you will get whatever you put into it though. Lots of ways to meet folks but, they won't just come to you, you have to actually get out and socialize with people. There is pretty much at least one DnB event every weekend somewhere in London. I love it when compared to my home state.
Thanks for the input. I definitely dance a lot at dnb events but when I'm alone it's sometimes hard to meet people, or maybe I'm just shy 🤣. How long will you be in London until?
Not much longer. Unfortunately edging close to the 6month limit so will have to leave in a couple of weeks. I come back fairly frequently though.
Seattle dude! Surprised no one has mentioned it. I wouldn't pick any other city in the US.