Venue: Studio Central - Atlanta, GA
Presented by: Pleazure

And they all had Pleazure. From the excitement of a virgin venue to short lines at the door, August 28 at Studio Central was by most counts successful.

I was a bit salty that I received my mailing long after Aug. 7 only to have pre-sale prices of $22 end that day. Not to mention that there was no discount for presenting your Pleazure card. But hey, if you didn't know, these parties cost money — and with a newly acquired 20,000-square-foot arena — it's only right that Pleazure try to break even.

With such a solid, enthusiastic turnout, I imagine that they did. Although the Jungle Sky party across town threatened to rip some away from Studio Central's spacious two-room playground, the pull was about as weak as Monday through Friday. Complaints of screwy directions and folks who left Club 321 scattered the room.

The visuals were tight. The smoke machine was in full effect in the second, smaller room, leaving the game of laser tag to the bigger one. Light beams frantically swiped one wall after the next as realistic projections onto plastic globes made you feel on top of the world (or at least under it).

The scene outside was just as lively come 2:30-3 a.m., enough so that security started calling people back inside. Prior to that, beautiful weather and plenty of space to chill made people want to do just that. There was no violence, hardly any wooters and absolutely nothing but good vibes.

Security also was cooler than a fan. I talked to one officer who said that as long as headz weren't doing anything out in the open, there wouldn't be any problems. When I asked him if he was having a good time, he actually said yes.

I was also happy with the sound and the clear separation of it between the two rooms. Only at the entry point could you pick up beats from both rooms. The speakers were pushing harder than Salt N Peppa in the main room, and the rumbling bass that moved my body without giving me a crucial case of ear-ringing the next day were truly impressive. (Lean against a stack of speakers in the second room for a few minutes to experience what I'm talking about.) The Rydim Ryderz crew called to the soundman to do some tweaking, but I couldn't tell anything was wrong (save that screeching in the middle of their set). They came off Proper (yes, that's a capital P).

I'm partial to jungle, so I'll start there. Don't let the simplicity of Roger's name EVER fool you. Dude is wicked, and you can tell he enjoys what he's doing. Local talent, worldwide skill. L-Double brought the straight-up ragga/hip-hop stylee, and judging from the dance floor vibe, he'll be in demand in Atlanta from here on out. Rydim Ryderz played some of the jungle favorites while displaying their own form of hard-core. Heather Hunter is a Barbie-type hard-core: Nasty. Haze and Wednesday took turns for a minute, with MC LP and XQR bringing it with the lyrics. Warlox contributed to the madness, even freaking it en español.

Earlier in the night, Roll-X and Chris Lucid kicked it off, spinning before robo-funk master Tommie Sunshine. I thought the duo's set was one of their finest. They really seemed to be vibing, and most of the people in the room were, too. They definitely set the tone for the evening: Y'all better dance! Tommie kept it coming, bringing that song "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" to mind.

Don't be mad that I spent most of the night heating it up in the jungle room (it was a bit toasty in there; I spotted reports of a broken air conditioner on the Lunar forum). Dean Coleman's beats beckoned me into the house and the dancers locked me in for awhile. His soul-stirring set made me homesick for Chicago. T-1000 competed for my attention once he hit the decks, but I never did see the Stickmen on 4 tables.

(F.Y.I. I don't dig giving run-downs on the DJs because it may seem as if I'm leaving someone out. The bottom line is, unless mentioned otherwise, everyone rocked.)

Last, but definitely not least: $2 water and $2 Gatorade. Yes, I said $2 Gatorade! That sets a precedent. And if you're wondering why I'm not ragging on the bathrooms (no dividers! no soap!) it's because I'm waiting to see what awaits our booties come Aphrodite. Pleazure promises there will be no room for peekin' the next time around.

[Read Alainna's review of First Episode]
[Read the Lunar interview with T-1000]