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October 29, 2024
October 29, 2024
International Artist Series: Meet Wukong
How far would YOU travel to see your favorite EDM artist perform? My answer is apparently over 5,800 miles! That is the approximate distance from Phoenix, Arizona to Honolulu, Hawaii and back again. What a JOURNEY. I flew to Honolulu ALONE on Friday, February 2nd to catch the ALLEYCVT show at HB Social Club the following evening. The opening talent included DJ Mar Coast, FIENDI (who’s set I missed, unfortunately) and TRE BTW. HB Social Club is a multipurpose venue in an industrial complex on Kapiolani Blvd that hosts numerous concerts of varying genres. The club is made up of The Slack Key Lounge, Crossroads, rooms for darts, Ping-Pong and billiards, and numerous bars. Food trucks are also located right next to the venue for easy access to pre- and post-rave meals. For this occasion, I will be covering the Crossroads room as it was the one to host the ALLEYCVT show. Let’s begin.
HB Social Club can be reached via car using a ramp that brings you to the second floor of the complex. Sidewalk traffic enters and exits through the adjacent 24 Hour Fitness, which is a bit of a humorous experience when you are as decked out in rave gear as I was. I could not help laughing at how much I must have stuck out in my galactic ALLEYCVT jersey while walking through the gym. Classic. The friendly door staff greeted me with a smile as they checked my ID. Once in the building, I found the Crossroads room and had my ticket scanned by more friendly staff members. Crossroads is decked out in Christmas lights and utilizes a 360-degree setup to its full potential. This means that the DJ performs in the middle with the crowd surrounding them on all sides. This was my first time experiencing such a thing and it was MAGNIFICENT.
I arrived early enough to secure a permanent rail spot up front as I watched DJ Mar Coast perform his opening set. The vibes were immaculate as Mar Coast performed a wonky, wubby set that got the crowd moving and grooving. He interacted with the crowd well and did several flips of popular songs. A friendly stranger gave me a flashing LED ring during this set and had me pass out rings to others throughout the course of the show. There is very little (if any) downtime between sets at HB Social Club, which is incredible to me. They are on the ball for sure.
TRE BTW came up next. His set mainly consisted of heavy dubstep, but he also incorporated a bit of House and Drum & Bass into the mix as well. His flip of “Feel Good Inc.” by the Gorillaz was outstanding and definitely got the crowd ready for the main event. His rendition of “Rumble” by Skrillex, Fred again.., & Flowdan was also a highlight of the evening. TRE BTW also interacted with the crowd a lot and knew how to hype us up, giving out high-fives/fist bumps left and right. His fang logo flashed on screen as dizzying lights and lasers reverberate off of the walls of HB Social Club. Chef’s kiss. Now onto the main event herself!
ALLEYCVT came on stage to voracious yells and cheers and immediately got to work. This was apparently her first 360-degree-show EVER. She was a natural and took to the new setting perfectly. It was BEAUTIFUL to see! ALLEYCVT is a dynamic performer and rarely sits still. This show was no exception. She was consistently head banging and jumping around with finger guns fully equipped. We are not worthy! She showed love to each side of the venue so that no one was left out and handled the unknown pressures of a 360-set like a CHAMPION. Also, the lasers and visuals were ON POINT.
This is the third state that I have seen her perform in (Arizona, Pennsylvania, Hawaii) and was the best set thus far. She was incredible the first time and only gets better and better. ALLEYCVT is constantly tweaking her set, creating new flips, and making VIP versions of her own hits. Talk about honing your craft. She did an unexpected remix of “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani that made me (and the crowd) lose our collective minds. Speaking of hits, she played “Remember Me,” “Religion,” and “Throw It Down” amongst others. All stand-out tracks. No ALLEYCVT set is complete without getting a little bit silly and this did not change one bit in Hawaii. Her flip of Soulja Boy’s “Get Silly” is a crowd favorite and never fails to get the party going. The people on the rail behind Alley were ferociously slamming it to the beat, which caught her off guard in the best way possible. Someone I had constant eye contact with on the other side kept firing finger guns at me during drops. I would return the favor, and this went on for virtually all of Alley’s set. So much fun.
By the time she played “Religion” I had my foot resting on the rail like Captain Morgan and had my arms spread out as wide as possible. I was staring at the ceiling of HB Social Club and having an incredible spiritual experience, nearly tearing up in the process. This is how powerful ALLEYCVT’s music, presence and performances can be. Shortly after this, her manager Brian noticed me in the crowd and gave me a fist bump. I was unsure why he did this in the moment, but it was still cool nonetheless! Brian is an awesome manager and is constantly putting in the work to capture the best mid-set pictures and videos possible. He hardly rests during Alley’s sets, showing his dedication to what he does so well. What a passionate duo. The lights of HB Social Club were flipped on right at 2am to signal the event’s inevitable conclusion. What a show!
The event was immediately followed by a meet and greet, which I gladly took part in! I may have met her in the VIP crowd in Philadelphia, as someone who looked just like her complimented my ALLEYCVT hoodie, but I was so jet lagged and tired that I still do not know if it was her for sure. She greeted me with a hug as I introduced myself. I gave her a surreal cat pendant made of pinecones that I acquired from a local vendor here in Phoenix. Her jaw DROPPED to the floor when she saw the iridescent cat on the front and said something along the lines of “it is so beautiful! I am going to wear it all the time!” I then asked Bryan by name if he could take photos of Alley and I. He was shocked and asked how I knew his name. I told him that I am a big ALLEYCVT fan and consistently watch her Instagram lives, so of course I know his name. Brian and I talked for several minutes while Alley continued the meet and greet. He was shocked to find out how much and how far I traveled to attend multiple events in such a short time span. When I told him that Alley is my favorite DJ he responded with “you don’t have to lie to me, man” which was HILARIOUS. I was 100% serious but still found this really funny. I left the venue absolutely GLOWING as it was pretty much the best night ever and it all happened in Paradise.
ALLEYCVT is currently touring around the US and is scheduled to perform Day Two of PHXLIGHTS: Supernova at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 30th, 2024. Grab your tickets HERE. Alley is also set to play a 360-degree Relentless Beats show at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. on April 13th. New merch just dropped as well.
Connect with Alleycvt: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud
Connect with HB Social Club: Facebook | Instagram
Connect with FIENDI: Instagram | Spotify | SoundCloud
Connect with TRE BTW: Instagram | SoundCloud
Connect with DJ Mar Coast: Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud
