If you’ve been in the scene for a while, Claude VonStroke is plenty familiar. The founding father of the Dirtybird label and a truly legendary DJ, my jaw dropped when I saw this event announcement roll through. Seeing Claude grace the headliner slot is always cause for celebration so you can only imagine how stunned I was to learn he was playing open-to-close! The setting for his impressive 5-hour set was inside the mysterious Walter Where?House.
The Dirtybird Daddy showed off his unrelenting stamina by treating us to an open-to-close journey of music. This was a night of firsts for me, as it was my first time experiencing an open-to-close set and my first time visiting Walter Where?House. A quick review of my experience: dark, vibey, spectacular! With his current tour titled “Your Dad Plays Great Music”, Claude is aiming for exactly that. Focusing on the music, the lights were kept minimal and the venue was generally dark. There was something truly freeing about being another face in the crowd on a dark dance floor with nothing but energy pumping out of the speakers. A bit of reckless abandon paired with delicious House beats made for an unmatched combination.
The EDM scene has always served as a respite for those of us that don’t exactly fit in with mainstream society. After a long week of pretending to be an adult in the corporate world, putting on an expressive outfit, fire makeup, and meeting up with my fellow degenerates is what I live for. Walter Where?House is tucked inside the industrial portion of Downtown Phoenix. Who would have guessed that an unassuming building just off the main road held such a secret. If you are a regular in the Phoenix EDM scene, there were little surprises tucked throughout the landscape of Walter Where?House. The familiar UFO that graces the setting of Phoenix Lights happily pulsated in the back corner of the venue. Every turn held something to explore, marvel at, or reminisce over. Walter Where?House was bursting with tiny gems. With artists featuring their works in a gallery portion of the venue and curated hangout cars available to relax in, there was no shortage of entertainment.
From start to end, it was pure House. The continuous and seamless experience made the evening fly by. Energy breaks and set changes typically serve as a reality check throughout the night that time has passed. I was enveloped with unique art and Claude’s faultless beats from the moment I set foot inside. The overall setup had Claude posted up on the ground level and set in from the typical front-of-house stage. This made for a personable experience and I was able to catch a glimpse of Claude that’s not typically seen. I was mesmerized as he commanded the deck. His delicate tweaking of buttons and knobs led to an evening of House music I won’t soon forget.
A gorgeously curious venue and a “back to basics” vibe from Claude whisked me off to a perfect evening of escape on the dance floor. Do I need more Claude after this 5-hour beauty? Let’s just say… I’m breaking out all my camping gear and feverishly prepping for this October’s Dirtybird Campout. It’s clear Claude and his entire team at Dirtybird can throw a hell of a party. It’s undeniably time to pop my Campout Cherry!
Click here for a full photo roundup of the night!
