[EVENT REVIEW] Sonny Fodera & Friends Takeover The Mirage With Shuffle-Inducing Heaters

When Friday rolls around in New York City, there's always an electrifying buzz in the air. This buzz can be traced to the myriad of EDM fanatics throughout the nightlife hotspot, eagerly waiting to flock to the Avant Gardner. July 14th was no different, as Solotoko label-boss Sonny Fodera led a cast of prominent tech house technicians at the Brooklyn Mirage.

A Star-Studded Opening Lineup Builds Up Hype For Sonny's Set

Despite the heavy rainfall during the early hours of the show, veteran DJ duo Love & Logic had the crowd fired up for the remainder of the night with their opening set. Then rising tech house prodigy LOVRA took center stage. Her hypnotic beats and seamless transitions incited roars of approval from the crowd. 

Following up a masterful set from LOVRA, UK-native Biscits came on a little after midnight. This infectious artist is known for his simplistic yet extremely groovy basslines and collabing with singers who deliver breathtaking vocals. Getting his audience amped quickly, he executed a jaw-dropping buildup of Mau P's “Gimme That Bounce.” In the second half of his set, he blended in a variety of his hit anthems, such as his remix of “Heal Me” and “I Confess”, featuring ROMÉO.

Up next was iconic Chicago superstar Lee Foss. Founder of prime label Repopulate Mars and one of the biggest names in underground house music, Lee has been igniting dance floors for nearly 20 years. A wizard on the decks, Lee immediately reigned in the bangers with a tasty remix of “Se Acabó”. As usual, he was bouncing up and down with excitement, while minimal visuals flashed on screen.

At certain points, the screen was mostly black, which combined nicely with the multicolored spotlights that panned across the crowd. During other songs in Lee's set, aesthetic neon blue dots were aligned in unique shapes on The Mirage's massive LED screen. Lee closed out his performance by playing his latest sensational fusion of modern-era house with a timeless hit, “To Be Real”.

Sonny Fodera's Long-Awaited Mirage Headlining Debut

Although the opening acts were incredible, the noise level of the crowd nearly doubled when Sonny walked up behind the mixer. Many of the attendees started to weave towards the rail so they could get a closer spot and bask in the thrilling presence of the beloved DJ-producer hybrid. 

Sonny instantly took a hold over the crowd, playing his emotional and riveting remix of Sinéad Harnett's “Unconditional”.

Not long after, he played his recently released heater with MK and Clementine Douglas, “Asking”. Sonny could not stop jumping as fire erupted from the stage and bright red circles blinked across the screen.

Each song flowed into the next like they destined to come after one another. The house-lovers faces were constantly illuminated by the flames, and a sea of smiles could be seen throughout the venue.

There was a surplus of today's top house tracks, from FISHER's rework of “World Hold On” – featuring lush floating clouds on-screen – to an edit of John Summit and Hayla's “Where You Are”. And of course, the crowd went bonkers when Sonny queued up “Remember”.

To wrap up his set, Sonny descended into a progression of a mixture of his favorite productions and flips of sing-a-long classics, like the Black Eye Peas' “I Gotta Feeling”. One of the best moments was when he dropped “One Night” which is the optimal representation of how the takeover unfolded.

Summarizing A Legendary Introduction To NYC's EDM Circuit

Perfectly recapping the show, two Aussies who were amidst their big trip to the states shared their experience. Eamon and Angus knew there was no way they could pass up on catching the Australian top-tier talent in action and simultaneously rip a night out at the prestigious Mirage. 

Reflecting on the Sonny Fodera takeover, Eemon said, “tonight felt like letting loose and being free, in a less free world. Being myself and having the time I should be having.” Agreeing with his friend, Angus highlighted that the “music was reverberating and the energy was euphoric. Everyone was present at the moment, fully emerged in the sonic atmosphere.”

There is a solid chance that after the night they had, Eemon and Angus will be sending it to NYC again soon for another memorable time at The Mirage.

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Photos courtesy of Zach Dilgard and The Brooklyn Mirage. 

Check out our review of John Summit at the Brooklyn Mirage HERE!

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