Apr 15

Apr 15 Show Review: Duck Sauce Bring the 'Block Party' To San Francisco

Duck Sauce
‘Duck Sauce Block Party’
w/ Purple Disco Machine, Chromeo (DJ Set), Justin Martin, DJ Holographic, Kito, Bruja and more
The Midway
April 9th, 2022
San Francisco, CA

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

If I recall, the last time that Duck Sauce ever played a show in the Bay Area was 2012 (!!) at the I Love This Cityfestival in Mountain View, CA. They were on the main stage, opening for Afrojack, giant inflatable ducks behind them and toy duck bills being worn by those dancing throughout the crowd. At that time, I was incredibly new to dance music and wasn’t aware that I was watching A-Trak or Armand Van Helden, the super-duo’s two members, commanding the crowd in front of them to dance the night away with a unique mix of house and disco-inspired tracks. Ten years have passed since that day (!!). I’m no longer in college, I’m married with a lovely wife, but my passion for covering these shows has never been stronger, so I was thrilled when I heard that Duck Sauce would be returning to San Francisco after all this time.

The DJ duo were the headliners for what they dubbed the “Duck Sauce Block Party”, an extravagant outdoor festival that took place at The Midway, a venue tucked away towards Pier 80 in San Francisco. While they wouldn’t take the stage until 9 PM, the party kicked off at 2 PM, with the beat pulsating throughout the streets of San Francisco nonstop. I showed up right as Kito was taking the stage (sadly missing Bruja’s set due to traffic), and the free-loving vibe that this music inspires only grew throughout the day.

The Midway is a unique venue given that it can host both indoor and outdoor events (I’ve seen both types of shows here before). Since the event was on a larger scale, The Midway utilized both the outdoor street and the indoor room to keep the party going at all times, with a stage boasting artists like Drvkwhite, Stridah, and Alex Edward until 9 PM.

My personal highlights on the outdoor main stage included finally getting to see Chromeo, who put on an electrifying DJ set right as the crowd was starting to hit its peak capacity. Their hour long set led into the longest set of the night, a legendary performance from Purple Disco Machine, a German disco and house music producer that elevated the energy throughout the packed crowd with a sleek mix of house, disco, and pop remixes.

By the time Duck Sauce took the stage, decked out in posh embroidered gold jackets donning the group’s logo, the crowd were more than ready to party. There are a lot of great moments when covering dance music shows, despite the argument that the faces of the genre are just “button pushers”. They may not be playing an instrument, but they’re curating a moment, and there’s nothing quite like seeing a full crowd of people moving in harmony when Duck Saucedrop tracks like “NRG” and “Barbara Streisand”. It’s been a decade, but it’s clear that Duck Sauce haven’t lost a single step.