Turn Down for What? GoldLink and Soulection Turn Up in LA

Red Bull’s 30 Days in LA event series is in full swing and shows no sign of slowing down. Saturday night’s Soulection show was no different. The LA-based collective of music makers always manages to bring a large crowd to the Regent in Downtown Los Angeles, but last night might have set a new record with a line that nearly wrapped the block before doors opened. The excited crowd of at least 2,000 was more than ready to see the Soulection crew and a host of special guests tear down the house. With the release of Gold Link’s debut album “And After That, We Didn’t Talk” this past Tuesday and upcoming release of Sango’s “Da Rocinha 3,” the show was a celebratory occasion and everyone was ready to turn up.
The greatness of the Soulection crew lies in the ability of each member of the collective to have their own distinctive sound while also managing to masterfully build upon a common thread that is making their namesake a genre in it’s own right. The night started off with The Whooligan ushering the crowd into the Soulection experience with beat heavy, chill vibes before Andres came on-stage and played a soul-infused set that kicked off with Kanye’s “Late,” a little bit of BJ the Chicago Kid, and some Marvin Gaye. Midway through the set he brought out LA natives, Tiffany Gouche and Iman Omari to perform new tracks.
At this point the place was at capacity and the building practically shook once it was announced that SoSuperSam was coming up. SoSuperSam came to party and her set was so high energy that anyone that pretended to be too cool to dance started partying right along with her. Joe Kay kept that vibe going with a trap-heavy set and ended it with an appearance by Gold Link.
The party only intensified once Sango started spinning. The crowd was ready for him and he was ready to put on a clinic. He murdered his set by deconstructing and blending your favorite 90s and early aughts tracks with unexpected songs from a variety of genres. He set the stage for GoldLink, whose energy could not be matched. GoldLink performed tracks from his new album. Just when it seemed like the crowd couldn’t get more hyped up, fellow DMV rapper and recent collaborator, Wale, hopped on the stage.
From crowd-surfing to turning "the club to a mosh pit," it was a great night for everyone involved. If Red Bull is starting out this early with the heavy hitters, imagine what they have up their sleeves for upcoming shows.
Photos: Red Bull Content Pool