It was a fun, festive and freaky three days for Dillon Francis’s 4th Annual Weekend of IDGAFOS here in Los Angeles before Christmas week. With the Shrine Auditorium decked to the nines for the holidays, and an impressive supporting lineup including Anna Lunoe, Valentino Khan, Party Favor and T-Pain, it was a weekend for the books. For anyone who has been following Dillon’s ascent to the top of the charts over the past few years, it was extremely impressive to see just how his sound has grown.
Each night had a special theme as well. Thursday was Arts & Crafts Night, Friday was Letter Party Night where Dillon encouraged fans to come dressed up as any number of things pertaining to a certain letter, Dillon for instance, was wearing his donut outfit from his “Exit Through the Donut Hole (I Can’t Take It)” short film. I got to attend Saturday night for Ugly Sweater Night and I got some nods for my #DabbinSanta sweater. In addition to all the Christmas decor, fans were treated to live carolers as they walked into the Shrine, and there was a photo backdrop where fans could get their picture taken with Dillon’s alien buddy Klaus3.
Nadastrom kicked the night off with a delightful set of funky deep house and future house grooves. All the bassheads in the house got their fix with Party Favor taking the stage next. Party Favor tapped into the zeitgeist of the moment opening his set with the Star Wars theme and closing with marshmello’s incredible remix of the Adele smash hit “Hello.” The dance floor was stomping during his set which included jams like “Bap U” and “Baddest Things.” Branchez came up next and his trippy and ethereal blend of future bass beats was tasty and on point, it was just what the crowd needed.
Finally it was time for the man of the hour, Dillon Francis. Dillon (and Klaus3) took the stage to sound of jingle bells and showers of confetti as the Christmas staple “Sleigh Ride” played. Dillon announced his presence to the crowd, segued in Daft Punk’s “One More Time” and the party was on! Dillon weaved throughout old-school and recent hits in his set, which leaned a little on the bass-heavy side. Dillon harkened back to the early days with his moody jam “Without You,” dropped his versatile productions from Money Sucks, Friends Rule like “We Make it Bounce,” “When We Were Young,” and the recently revived “Set Me Free” with Martin Garrix. And perhaps foreshadowing the future, he dropped unreleased collabs with Party Favor and NGHTMRE, and a possible remix of Calvin Harris’s “How Deep is Your Love.” Dillon also kept alive his tradition of playfully trolling other superstar DJs during his set. Tiesto’s face was plastered all over the screen when Dillon dropped his recent collab with Kill the Noise, the playfully nonsensical “Dolphin on Wheels.”
The crowd was a joyful blend of all different kinds. There were those decked out in holiday gear and Santa hats, one of the best sweaters I saw read “Jolly AF.” Of course there was also the industry crowd dressed in all black and snapbacks. Some shows have a decided vibe to them, but the crowd Saturday night was as diverse as I’ve ever seen. On my Lyft ride down to the Shrine we actually picked up two fans heading to the show who had driven all the way from Bakersfield, CA to see Dillon. That’s 100 miles north of Los Angeles, shout out to those guys.
From his early days pioneering moombahton to becoming one of the most prolific producers in the game, Dillon Francis is only getting started. 2015 was certainly a year to remember for Dillon, from headlining massive festivals, the success of his This Mixtape is Fire EP, to actually making a guest appearance in a feature film, Dillon was everywhere. 2016 promises to be just as big for Dillon, he’s already announced an upcoming collaboration with Porter Robinson via his social media. Whether working with bass stalwarts like What So Not and Zomboy, or crossing sonic boundaries with Kygo or Disclosure, nothing is off limits for Dillon Francis. Who knows what to expect from Dillon next, but I can guarantee you, it’s going to be good.
Image via Rukes
