This past Valentine’s Day, whether you chose to go on a romantic dinner with your significant other, spend the time to (insert activity here) & chill, or celebrate Singles’ Awareness Day– I hope you had a good one all the same.
Thanks to Mikey Lion and his record label Desert Hearts, a vacant furniture warehouse was transformed into a space of music, intimacy, and wonder. As part of their ‘Winter is Coming’ Tour, the Desert Hearts crew collaborated with SummerDaze, Bespoke.Experience, Dirty Decibels and Way of Acting, to bring together strangers, lovers, and friends alike under one roof.
Although Mikey himself couldn’t make it, as he explains in a recent Facebook post, the other crew members, along with Toronto acts Shea Marie, Thomas Cardin, and Dirty Decibels, threw down for what was an amazing night of nonstop dancing.
After what feels like an eternity waiting in line in the freezing cold, coat check seems like a soon-but-sure haven for heat – especially since many of us regrettably wear the wrong shoes that evening. With a name such as Desert Hearts, one would come to hope for warmth and comfort once inside… however, once finally in, there’s no sense of relief, as we come to the realization that it’s just as cold inside the warehouse as well.
Almost everybody in the crowd still has their winter gear on, whereas coat check is merely a booth with a multitude of hangers. Luckily, it looks as if everybody is prepared for a frigid night out, and came properly bundled.
None of us seem to mind, though – one of the patrons, Kathleen, mentions how she didn’t expect to party in her parka, especially given the name of the event. She goes on to exclaim, “I like it though! It’s different.”
Even still, there are some individuals who don’t have jackets, and are dancing in as little as t-shirts and shorts – they keep warm through nonstop movement, and don’t feel cold at all.
Throughout the warehouse, there are tents set up with mattresses for people to lounge on, as well as some gourmet food being served, and some ping-pong tables at the back. There’s also an old-fashioned kissing booth set up in a corner, but it looks pretty vacant.
The music starts off pretty deep and mellow, and increases in energy as more Tech/Techno is incorporated – as midnight approaches, the energy starts to rise, as heavier bass takes over and gets the room fired up. Amidst the music and the visuals/lasers cutting through the smoke, there’s acrobats hanging from hula hoops, which are suspended in midair by moving steel beams.
At one point, I feel inclined to dance without my jacket, despite being perfectly comfortable with it on. As the cold air permeates through my skin and into my bones, it feels rather invigorating – dancing in the cold not only forces you to find a way to keep warm, but it’s also as if the cold energizes you as well.
It all comes to an end at 5am, as Lee Reynolds closes out and thanks everybody who rocked out until the very end, as the authorities come and shut down the party. With a few dozen people pouring out, we all have huge smiles on our faces, having been united for such an intimate event.
As warmer weather and festivals slowly approach, this was one of the best ways to embrace the cold, and turn a wintry evening into a warm and passionate night to remember!
~Mikey Lion~
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~Lee Reynolds~
~Deep Jesus~
~Marbs~
~Porkchop~
~Dirty Decibels~
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~Thomas Cardin~
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~Shea Marie~
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