You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air. The end of another decade was upon us and what better way to close out the year than with Trance legends Above & Beyond! And what better city for all the festivities than New York City, the city that never sleeps.
It was a perfect New Year’s Eve in the Big Apple and the Anjunafam was in full force for an entire night of revelry. First up on the agenda was the New York Anjunafamily meet-up. The vibe for the pre-party was excellent and set the tone for the entire evening. On the Decks were Dru West and Kev Blundy and they kept the basement of The Parlor Bar bumpin. The best part about these meet-ups is meeting new friends from all over the world and seeing face to face ones you might only know from the Anjuna forums.
After the meetup, we made the trek to the Bronx for the main event. The New York Expo Center was a hub of activity over the weekend hosting Eric Prydz: HOLO. Having attended the Saturday show, I already knew the lay of the land. The lines were fast and the venue had plenty of space to roam. There were multiple bars, bathrooms, and quick coat check lines.
When we made our way into the venue Nox Vahn was already on the decks. I’ve never seen him perform before and he blew me away! By the time Andrew Bayer came to the stage, the crowd was already in a frenzy. Midnight was just around the corner and the excitement was palpable. In true Bayer fashion, he brought another level of energy to the already fervent crowd. He played hits like “In My Last Life”, “Open End Resource”, and “Bottle Top Trance”.
Soon the countdown had begun and there were so many things happening all at once. The countdown on the big screen, along with a live shot of Times Square and then all of a sudden balloons and confetti were falling from the sky! The sweet sound of “Auld Lang Syne” and then “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra was blaring throughout the venue. The crowd was singing along and hugging everyone around them and elated with pure joy and happiness. It was then when Above & Beyond took over with their track “Hideaway” and had the crowd dancing their heart out.
Their whole set was outstanding, and they played favorites such as “Always‘, “Peace of Mind”, ”Bittersweet & Blue, “Blue Monday”, and “Sun & Moon”. The energy at the Expo Center remained high throughout the entirety of their performance. Their set flew by but the show wasn’t over yet. Genix was up next and boy were we in for a treat. Genix brought it freakin hard to close out the night. To say his set was amazing would be selling it short, it was exceptional!
The show was over but the night or should I say the morning was still young. The after-party at The Parlor Bar was about to begin and would rage on until almost noon on New Year’s Day. With special guest Nox Vahn and Marsh performing a back to back set along with an Anjuna Classic Set by Dru West and Kev Blundy. Also, on the lineup were Ericksii, and Jeff Osimitz who were keeping the party going until the sun came up and beyond.
As always, whenever the Anjunafamily comes together it is always a good time. Throw in a thrilling night of ringing in the roaring 20s, in the city that never sleeps, and you have one hell of a party!
*Featured Image | via Above & Beyond FB*
