Before the winter season truly started, Cumulus Entertainment had their Winter Warmup at the Agora Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets were $20 the night of show, and $15 if one was lucky enough to pick up a pre-sale. The show ended up being sold out, and the turnout there was intense. All together, the quality of performers, the overall sound and light package, and the good demeanor of all attending made this event into an amazing event for all ages (18 and up, of course).
The Agora Theater was the perfect location for Winter Warmup; while it was nigh-impossible to find a spot down on the floor after Floortronix begun, there were spots up in the balcony and on the higher tiers of the ground floor. Drinks at the Agora were cheap; a 24-ounce can of Miller Lite and a Red Bull was just a hair above $10. While we did not hit up their restaurant, there was an array of food available for anyone that did not want to leave. The security was hands-off, but kept everything running smoothly as masses came streaming in.
There were a few batches of glow bracelets placed around the Agora for all to pick up, which brightened up the crowd considerably. The behavior of those attending the event was absolutely pristine; there felt to be a palatable sense of PLUR floating through the venue.
The overall sound present at the Winter Warmup was stellar; there was a full and intense sound that was bass-heavy enough to get everyone involved while light enough on the treble to allow people to talk amongst themselves. This is coupled with an extraordinary light show that was added to with each subsequent performer. Replete with a huge disco ball, the ambience of the event could not be compared.
The energy of the performers and crowd were similarly impressive. With each drop or crescendo, the crowd went crazy. Sure, there were a few tracks that everyone knew, but each DJ was able to add their own unique flair to them. What results is a simultaneous sense of familiarity and of forging off into bold new directions. The back to back sets of Floortronix and Hot Mess set off the show; where there seems in many shows to be a decided lack of quality with the beginning and middle acts, Floortronix and Hot Mess were integral for setting the show off into the stratosphere. Bubbling over into the sets of Eric Evasion and NC-17, what happened in Cleveland Friday night could easily parallel anything going on in London or Berlin.
Cumulus has a large amount of live shows happening through the next few months; check their official Facebook out at https://www.facebook.com/CumulusEntertainment .
Winter Warmup – Friday, December 16th, 2011 – Derek Armstrong, Floortronix, Hot Mess, Kill The Noise, Eric Evasion, NC-17 – Agora Theater, Cleveland, Ohio
