Bay Area Hard Dance Artists Shined During Lady Faith's Return to SF

Lady Faith made a grand return to San Francisco at DNA Lounge alongside the future rising stars in the Bay Area Hard Dance scene, Brizzy and FADEAD.

Just over a week ago, Basscon partnered with Vital Events, one of San Francisco’s staple promoters in the dance music space, for a brand-new show featuring the queen of hardstyle, Lady Faith, at DNA Lounge. This marked a new partnership as Basscon continues expanding its footprint in the Bay Area after a successful debut with TNT and Wasted Penguinz at The Midway back in March.

Although Basscon made quite the splash during its inaugural event in San Francisco, one glaringly obvious element was missing – Bay Area representation. For years, fans had been clamoring for more events in the area, and they finally got one with legendary headliners. Fans from the region, however, are extremely in tune with what’s happening in the scene, so the first event admittedly left a craving for more.

This time around, the two promoters made sure that the diehard fans got what they wanted with a banging lineup that featured a plethora of Bay Area Hard Dance talent in FADEAD and Brizzy and a headliner who always brings the party no matter where she goes, Lady Faith. And after nearly two months of anticipation, I was ready to see friends crush their sets and watch the hard dance movement continue to grow.

Gaztech and Jystdoe kept the vibes high before Brizzy took the stage when the clock struck 10pm. She delivered a standout set of the night, taking fans on a wild ride across the hard dance spectrum. Fans in attendance were treated to various genres with a dose of American uptempo from Rollz Royce, Latin Hard Dance tunes from J. Slai, and the hottest tracks from Europe.

Despite being one of the first sets of the night, Brizzy proved that she’s earned and deserves a headline spot at any event she plays. Her skills as a masterful DJ were on full display as she got everyone moving on the dancefloor while she was behind the decks. For one hour, Brizzy had the crowd in the palm of her hand, raising the energy until fans had no choice but to accept their fate as speedy BPMs and distorted screeches blaster through the speakers.

After Brizzy, another striking Bay Area talent, FADEAD, took the stage for a set that came straight out of Europe.

While American Hard Dance is thriving locally, it’s always great to bring those overseas vibes to an intimate space full of dedicated fans, and that’s exactly what FADEAD did. Kickrolls, fake drops, and maximum distortion reigned supreme during his set as fans got a mix of rawstyle, unreleased originals and remixes, and a sprinkle of hard techno.

As the energy continued to soar through the roof, FADEAD flawlessly controlled the crowd to showcase some brand-new records that saw him dip his toes into Latin Hard Dance and the metal/dance crossover that’s been popularized in the States. Original records paired with tunes from close friends like GRAVEDGR and OverDrive made for the perfect storm before the main event in Lady Faith.

After two brutal sets from the Bay Area rising stars, Lady Faith took the stage to deliver one of her signature sets that mixes her timeless records like “Winner” and “Strike Gold” with the latest bangers like “Feel So Good” by DJ Isaac. However, one record to watch out for of everything she played is her 2024 edit of the iconic “PLUR,” which fans can hopefully get their hands on soon.

While hard dance events have historically been lacking in the Bay Area, promoters should never lose sight of the value that local artists bring to important shows.

Lady Faith always draws a crowd no matter where she goes; she deserves her flowers for that alone. On this night, however, the true stars and unforgettable performances came from the support talent of Brizzy and FADEAD. It’s no secret that Southern California has always been the hotspot for hard dance in America, but promoters and fans may be surprised by the amount of incredible talent from the Bay Area who rarely get the chance to shine.

Nothing could have replaced the pride on display by the Bay Area fans who show up and show out when deserving local talent is used in key positions. All of this is to say that loyalty runs deep in Northern California, and it’s about time that industry giants worldwide begin to notice what promoters like 2HARD, Vital Events, and fans have known all along – Bay Area Hard Dance is the future and the future is here today.