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Photos: Crystal Castles, The Rapture, A-Trak At SPIN's CMJ Showcase
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 24, 2011
Modified Oct 24, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 24, 2011
Modified Oct 24, 2011
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Saturday night marked the end of the annual CMJ festival, that time of year when people wearing laminated rectangles crowd the city's sidewalks and the words "Diarrhea Planet" are spoken with utmost sincerity. SPIN's showcase at an old, converted firehouse in Chinatown that featured A-Trak, the Rapture and Crystal Castles left us deaf, sweaty, and really needing to pee.
"I'm not going to tell you how I got in. It's too embarrassing." My neighbor in the bathroom line that stretched 40 feet (there were only two in the entire building!) wouldn't identify himself or elaborate on which of the three strategies he used to obtain admission. He didn't buy a pair of $300 sunglasses ("I'm broke") nor did he have an all-access show badge. Did he perhaps listen for "cryptic clues and location announcements?" Who does that? "I'm not telling you," the man said. "But I'll give you a clue: I'm a two-time Jeopardy winner. Ken Jennings beat me and ended my run. He's an asshole."
By the time the Canadian electronic duo Crystal Castles hit the stage, the audience summoned what was left of their energy to snap their necks and fling fresh sweat, bobbing their heads to "Not In Love," and even took lead singer Alice Glass for a ride on their hands. While watching a burly bouncer snatch Glass from the crowd, we noticed a man in the corner of the room subtly peeing into a cup, his fist still cutting through the air to the beat of the drums: as always, Nature finds a way.
Tagged
cmj
CMJ Music Festival
crystal castles
DCTV
firehouses
Ray-Ban
spin magazine
sunglasses
the rapture
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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