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Holy Priest rocked the foundation of the scene with the first-ever hard dance show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
This past weekend was absolutely stacked for dance music as Niteharts, Head Trip, EDC Columbia, and everything in between took place at the same time. Amid all the chaos, San Francisco hosted perhaps the most special event. Holy Priest landed in the bustling city to deliver the first-ever hard dance show hosted at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium!
You read that right. It was the first hard dance show in Bill Graham Civic Auditorium’s history, and it was completely sold out to top it off. As a diehard fan of hard dance music and advocate for the genre’s Bay Area scene, I couldn’t miss this show. As soon as it got announced, I knew that I had to be there.
The support lineup was stacked to the brim. Holy Priest brought along a plethora of talent, including COLOR K!D, KISTENBRÜGGER, and Junkie Kid. This lineup bangs on any day. But it was even more special that fans in attendance got a taste of both European and Mexican hard dance.
COLOR K!D and KISTENBRÜGGER played epic sets, but there was a completely different feel around Junkie Kid’s performance.
I got the chance to chat with Junkie Kid right before his set, and he was more than ready for the madness to come. On playing direct support for the first-ever hard dance show in this venue, he said, “I feel honored because I’m always trying to represent hard dance music. It feels really special, especially because San Francisco has a big Latino community.”
The plan for his set was simple: “My sets are hard, fun, and energetic,” he said. There were 2010s throwbacks, viral hits like his “Woops” remix, and hidden gems that nobody expected. He took the opportunity to make fans in attendance remember his name.
As usual, this responsibility wasn’t taken lightly. Junkie Kid even took some time to express his gratitude for the opportunity. “I’m grateful to God for everything He does in my life. I’m grateful for my girlfriend who always inspires me. And I’m grateful for for music and what music has given me in life,” he shared.
The main event was none other than Holy Priest, and I can’t say enough good things.
I missed Holy Priest’s debut in San Francisco last year, and I’m still kicking myself to this day for it. Luckily, I got some redemption by attending perhaps most significant show ever for hard dance music in the city.
I likely don’t need to convince you to see Holy Priest, so here is the only reason that I’ll cover: His sets are built for every fan of the harder styles. Whether you like hard techno, hardstyle, uptempo, schranz, slowtempo, or anything else under the sun, Holy Priest has you covered.
The only thing that could’ve put a cherry on top of this event would have been more production. Holy Priest had a custom stage and fans were allowed on stage with him during his performance. This brought the much-needed club vibes to the enormous venue. But that was pretty much it, aside from normal synced lights and his floating head visual.
I’ll admit that I’ve been spoiled. My favorite events at this venue have been Excision and Ray Volpe. It’s no secret that I’m not a bass head, but these artists easily take the spot for the best shows at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium simply for the larger-than-life production they brought with them.
On the other hand, I understand that Holy Priest’s event was all about the music while toning down the gimmicks, which is still a good thing. I’m also not saying that this is a reason to skip a Holy Priest show. In fact, I believe you shouldn’t ever miss a Holy Priest set. Still, I hope that the next hard dance show here is leveled up, simply because the harder styles deserve the very best.
Photo Credit: @kebo_films
Holy Priest delivered the most important show for hard dance music in the Bay Area, and possibly the entire US scene.
Before I give you the context within hard dance, understand that Bill Graham Civic Auditorium has been around since 1915, although not always under the Bill Graham name.
In more than 100 years, there has never been an event dedicated to hard dance music here. Of course, there have been hardstyle-adjacent performances with headliners such as Steve Aoki, who are known to show love to the harder styles. Ultimately, it still stands that Holy Priest brought the first-ever dedicated hard dance event to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
I’ve said it in my previous articles, but I always believed that Lil Texas would be the first artist to achieve this massive feat. Regardless of who was first, the most important lesson here is that Holy Priest just showed everyone that it is possible.
Hard dance in America has arrived, and it is finally here to stay.
What felt like a distant dream — or even a joke — ten years ago has become a reality. Hard dance music is literally drawing thousands of fans, selling out massive venues, and exponentially growing its audience.
So what’s the lesson for the American Hard Dance scene? Never give up. The grind in hard dance music has been brutal, especially when almost nobody was listening, but that isn’t a barrier anymore.
American Hard Dance has taken on a life of its own. I’m confident that everybody who continues putting on the scene and working towards elevating it will make it, for lack of a better phrase.
The scene owes a massive thank you to Holy Priest, too. While it might have been just another day in the office for him, it meant the world and more to fans like myself. The proverbial glass ceiling for hard dance in America has been smashed and broken through, and it was Holy Priest who did it.
I finally got to see the elusive “sold-out Bill Graham” holy grail for hard dance that I’ve been talking about for years, and I couldn’t be more happy. The fire of hard dance is lit, and there’s no containing it now.
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