Nightlife Review: Steve Aoki at LIV, January 13

Photo by Nicole Cussell

Steve Aoki takes a rare break to stand still.

Steve Aoki is a rock star ... or so it seemed by the turn out at the Dirty Hairy party Wednesday night. The monster venue was packed with bodies early on, with those hoping to avoid LIV's notoriously exasperating cattle call at the velvet rope. The spot to be seen in the scene was complete madness. Think models and bottles crowd meets hipsters meets tourists with a splash of confused ravers ("Where's the dance floor?"). Now imagine them all sardined together with the mutual interest of partying hard and not feeling the least bit shameful about it.

Aoki kicked off the first stop of his "I'm In the House" North American tour with an indie-electro-house set heavily laden with his trademark productions and head-banging antics. As expected, he put on a show for his audience by getting on the mike, jumping on stage, and running around in the crowd. Hey, some might call it cheesy, but he gives his all to entertain and energize. It sure tops a DJ that doesn't bother to look up, connect with the crowd, or move to his own beat. A true performer's job is to project personality, and in that respect, Aoki delivers.

Despite the lack of breathing room, it was fun, albeit that bubble-gum sort of fun. About halfway through the night the club cleared a bit, and those that came to dance were finally able.

Click here to view the full slideshow from LIV.