San Francisco’s Dirtybird Records wasn’t just sittin’ by the dock of the bay this past weekend—they were grooving along with 600 friends aboard the sold-out San Francisco Spirit. The 4/20 boat party, thrown in association with the North Bay Area’s Sunset crew, was a five-hour full moon party which delivered one of the best events during Earth Day weekend. Those aboard the super yacht were treated to a mix of hyphy, reggae, old school favorites and Dirtybird’s unique blend of grimy house. Label boss Claude Vonstroke got the dance floor shaking early into the voyage as the Spirit sailed under the iconic Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. The unbeatable view and sublime music proved why these tickets sold out in less than a day.
Fans and friends celebrated Justin Martin‘s birthday and also got to see the Dirtybird crew off—Vonstroke is about to embark on a Spring tour of the UK and Europe, while brothers Justin and brother Christian are setting up shop in Berlin for two months this summer. They’ll be taking part in a showcase for both the Dirtybird and Mothership labels over the Fouth of July weekend, as well as doing some touring of their own. While on the decks, they busted out a slew of fresh tracks during the afterparty at Vessel including Justin’s new remix of Radiohead’s “Nude” (created as an entry in the band’s official competition) and a John Coltrane track which Christian Martin said they had just recently secured the rights to. Bay Area house fans can rest easy though, because the crew will be Cali for several of the famously free Golden Gate Park barbecues this summer.
Words & images: Blake Styles