Holy Ship! -- a multiday electro cruise setting sail from Fort Lauderdale on January 6, 2012 -- is practically sold out now. (More lineup details here.) Yet with so many big hitters in town, the announcement of a terra firma preparty at Revolution the night before has been long-awaited.
The organizers have entrusted the evening of Thursday, January 5, to Mad Decent, Diplo's Los Angeles-based label, which has delivered a highly impressive lineup that captures the cross-genre progressive eclecticism indicative of modern dance music.
Notable names include rapidly rising, U.K., tech-infused dubstep producer
Doorly, cutting-edge L.A. crossover artist Destructo, official creator of
Moombahton Dave Nada, open-format Mad Decent protégé Dillon Francis, and
Miami bass and break turntable legend DJ Craze. All of these acts will
play the preparty, then board the next day on the MSC Poesia alongside
more mainstream acts such as Fatboy Slim, Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, and
Skrillex, providing the tunes for the 6-p.m.-to-6-a.m., four-day Caribbean party.
But it's arguably the presence of Major Lazer, who won't be playing at Holy Ship!, as preparty headliner that makes this rather special. Originally just the moniker behind Diplo and Switch's collaborative digital reggae dancehall project, they've developed into somewhat of a global live phenomenon since the release of their 2009 long-player debut, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do.
A party band like no other with an emphasis on pure energized hedonistic fun, expect dancing dragons, bikini-clad dancers, dancehall crews representing, and a visual education in the art of daggering -- all fronted by wild-eyed MC/hype man Skerrit Bwoy and soundtracked by two of the world's finest producers (Diplo and Switch) mixing reggae, dubstep, and dancehall.
Their previous visits to South Florida, particularly a wild headline set at Ultra 2010, are already discussed in mythical terms, and this all feels like somewhat of a coup for Broward County and Fort Lauderdale in particular. Most serious dance-music fans head down to Miami regularly for their kicks, and this is the sort of lineup that would be a hot ticket as an Ultra aftershow at Grand Central, the Electric Pickle, et al.
All of these artists will probably be involved in Miami Music Week 2012 anyway, but the chance to see them all -- expertly curated by Mad Decent -- in a relatively intimate local venue means it's not to be missed.
With a couple of thousand cruisers in town and countless local noncruisers who will want to get involved, one senses Revolution will be more than busy on Thursday, January 5. Holy Ship! ticket holders can exclusively reserve their space for the next week at the bargain price of $20, while everyone else can pick up any left in a week's time for the still very good value tariff of $30 plus fees.
Holy Ship! Mad Decent Preparty. With Major Lazer, DJ Craze, Dillon Francis, Dave Nada, Destructo, Doorly, and more. 8 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2012, at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $20 to $30. Click here.
Holy Ship! January 6-9, 2012. Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, to Port
Lucaya, Bahamas. Cabins cost $449 to $1499, plus fees and required $250
deposit, and are available June 15. 21+. Click here.
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