Level Up Performs at Skully’s

On January 31, I had the pleasure of attending touring act Level Up’s performance at Skully’s, a venue located in the Short North. The night was full of great performances and it was an incredible time.

Entering the venue, there was already an undeniable electricity in the air, with the dance floor filling up rapidly. The chattering and chirping of a multitude of distant conversations began to drown out as the opener came up to the stage, while the neon colored lighting of both the venue and the audience themselves began to illuminate the floor.

*All photos by Karar Bahar

Starting off the show we have Klubhouse. She started the show off light, with a focus on setting a mood and giving space for the other sets to build off of leading into the headliner. Her set consisted mostly of remixes of modern rap hits, with four on the floor breakdowns to cement the dancey vibes. The biggest standout from Klubhouse’s performance was her infectious energy and enthusiasm. With every switch and transition, she was dancing and commanding the flow of the crowd. As a less established act, I am excited to see how her career grows and evolves.

Next up was Vrybad. He turned things up to 11, and clearly demonstrated an incredible amount of skill and confidence. As soon as he walked out onto stage and began his set, the floor was shaking with the undeniable boom of pounding bass and heavy drums. I reached out to him to get some background info on him and his career. Vrybad began his musical journey young, playing guitar and drums in his childhood. He then picked up DJing in early high school, purchasing a deck with his Christmas money. While at first he did not think he’d pursue it past it being a hobby, a pivotal moment shaped the rest of his career. After being diagnosed with cancer young, he found himself grappling with his own mortality. Thankfully, he managed to beat it, and came to the realization that he had to chase his passion. That passion is evident in his performances. Vrybad describes his style as being heavy, with elements from trap and hip hop incorporated. His biggest influences are RL Grime, Knock two, and he specifically mentioned Centipede by Knife Party as being one of the greatest EDM songs ever. Near the end, he brought out Klubhouse and they did an incredible mix together. Vrybad stated that his performance was tuned down to flow into the headliners better, and I’m looking forward to seeing what a full set from him would look like.

Leading into the headliner is Smoakland. They are a collaborative project started by Anthony Battaglia and Harrison Hays, two established music producers who came out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Their set served as an excellent segway into the primary headliner. The vibes were classic dubstep with heavy tracks that still had an element of lightness to them. Seeing two experienced producers work together to scratch their own music was incredible.  

Finally we have the headliner, Level Up, also known as Sonya Broner. She’s a Los Angeles native who’s been all over the country perfecting and presenting her craft. Not only is she an incredible DJ, she’s also released her own tracks on a variety of electronic music labels, including Deadbeats and GRVDNCR. Fresh off of playing in Pittsburgh just the night before, her arrival to the stage heralded a rush of eager fans and filled the room with an energetic fervor. Her tracks had incredibly hard hitting drums and bass, with melodic riffs that kept the energy at a fever pitch the whole time. Her stage presence was incredible and not only matched her sonically, but also matched the crowd's enthusiasm.

At the end of the show, the crowd demanded an encore and Level Up delivered. Finally after the encore, Level Up took the time to sign something for everyone that came up to her. I would without a doubt recommend going to a Level Up show if you are a fan of Dubstep, or even EDM in general. The energy was through the roof, and despite being absolutely exhausted by the end, I can definitely say it was a great time.

Listed below are Level Up’s tour dates for the rest of this month;

Thu, FEB 20 – Kingdom, Austin, TX

Fri, FEB 21 – 9PM Music Venue, Houston, TX

Fri, FEB 28 – Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ

Sat, MAR 1 – House of Blues San Diego, San Diego, CA