Dirtwire flows into The Floozies at The Sound in San Diego

Walking up to The Sound a the Del Mar Racetrack in San Diego was quite a scene. You could already tell it was about to be a funky, monkey, crunchy night. Folks with feathered wide-brimmed felt hats walked in alongside flashy people rocking sequined pants and animal ears. The guy with alien figurines hanging from his bucket hat had my vote of who was selling mushrooms in the parking lot… It was the kind of crowd found at the annual Mustache Bash and Same Same But Different fests — the ones always down to get weird.

Speaking of SSBD, that was the last time I saw Dirtwire and The Floozies — and they were B2B then, as well!

It was a transformative experience at the inaugural Same Same year… one that changed my mind about the alt EDM universe forever. Bands like Dirtwire and The Floozies aren’t your typical EDM; they’re not only instrumentally-inclined, they’re multi-instrumentalist geniuses. Dirtwire wraps beats and breakdowns around violins, mandolins, flutes — even a theremin! The Floozies entertain with industrial-strength light shows (you can probably see from space), while playing guitar and drums humbly in the back of the stage to not detract from the sensory experience. Put together, you have a fluid night filled with trancy dancing and vibey visuals rivaling the biggest EDM names.

But before all that was Honeycomb, a guy that can beatbox like a MF.

Laying the foundation with bassy didgeridoo vibrations out his mouth hole, Honeycomb can emulate a four-piece band with just his voice — it’s pretty insane! By the time Dirtwire took the stage, everyone was ready to dance. With soft lighting silhouetting players Evan and David, the electric beats were laced with violins and woodwind instruments, and everyone was all for it. If you weren’t with friends, you were making them. Multiple guests joined the band, including Honeycomb who left everyone’s jaw on the floor with an extended beatboxing jam sesh. At the end of the set, Dirtwire played their banger “Stranger” before inviting both members of The Floozies to perform their latest collab together, “Neon Sundown”.

It was then that the two bands did something I’ve never seen before in my entire experience going to shows.

There wasn’t a set change. No test, test, testing of the mics. No roadies moving around cords and such. Nope, one instrument-playing band’s set seamlessly flowed into another instrument-playing band’s set without a moment of silence. Mind blown.

Of course, The Floozies‘ heavier sound, talk box vocals, and laser lights changed the vibe to a more head-banging atmosphere. Probably the best moment of the entire set was during song one… with nothing to do with the band, actually. While shooting in the pit, a man at the rail tapped my shoulder and asked if I can drape two shirts onstage that he made for the Floozie guys; it was Pizza hut’s logo reading “Penis Butt”. I draped the shirts at the top of the stage for vocalist/guitarist Matt Hill to see them whenever he came out from behind his key stand. Unfortunately, if Hill did see the shirts, he didn’t acknowledge. But, still, I did stuff.

After this night, I personally can’t wait for another round of these two bands live. Or maybe I need to get my penis butt to the next local SSBD-sponsored concert. Whatever the case, I highly recommend getting into these two eccentric bands if they come to a town near you.

Photography by Kristy Rose

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