The Life and Times of San Francisco: Roger Shah Live at 1015

Saturday, May 8th 2010- San Francisco, CA- In the heart of San Francisco's Mission District, a group of young people gathered for a night of Balearic, melodic tunes and smooth, layered Bass. In the hole-in-the-wall off of Folsom Street, in the main room of 1015 Folsom, a group of progressive trance DJs were giving San Franciscans a reprieve from the ever-present rap and hip-hop scene that has dominated the Bay Area for years.

Downstairs in the lounge, heavy-hitting Bass filled the airwaves as the crowd started walking in. About an hour into the set, the upstairs doors opened and the event took on a whole new persona. DJ John Beaver opened the evening with a heart-pumping vocal set that had the crowd preparing for what was to be an unforgettable evening. Raging on the turntables and throwing his hands in the air, Beaver entertained a diverse crowd of people between the ages of 21 and no less than 50. At around 12:15, the headliner, Roger Shah, making his first appearance in San Francisco since 2009, appeared on stage for a quick smile and disappeared just as quickly backstage. By 12:30, the crowd became restless, and DJ Shah timed his set perfectly. As the crowd was screaming his name, the familiar female intro voice of Magic Island took over the airwaves.

Finally, after setting up his equipment, Shah turned a San Francisco nightclub into a Balearic island paradise. In a completely unexpected change of pace, Shah moved away from his traditional broadcast format of an hour of layered melodic, followed by an hour of relaxed, chillout tunes. In fact, his set proved to be a beautifully mixed melange of extreme bass and melody. When everyone expected melody, Shah broke out with a track that could blow one's eardrums out due to its complex layers. With such a variety of styles, one wouldn't expect the set to flow. However, not for one moment during Shah's 3 hours did the crowd not dance and feel the music.

DJ Shah also proved to be an eccentric and friendly entertainer. Picking up his keyboard a number of times, he played it as if it were a harp. Giving out handshakes and loads of autographs, the DJ also brought to his DJ booth a number of people, and "assisted" them in mixing his set.

Unfortunately, having to leave prior to the 7am end of the show, I was not able to experience the DJs that closed out the evening after Shah's performance. However, judging by the quality of the three producers I did experience, there is no doubt in my mind that the closers did not disappoint. I think I speak for any one of the countless people that packed the nightclub when I say it was a night to remember, and hopefully one in a long line of memorable nights listening to the sounds of Magic Island: Music For Balearic People.