Let’s be honest for a second, Los Angeles is damn spoiled when it comes to dance music. With three clubs in the DJ Mag Top 100 (if you care about that kind of thing), and home to dozens of DJs, labels and collectives, it’s a hot spot for creativity and fun that almost can’t be beat. However, sometimes I do find it necessary to venture out and see what other parts of country have to offer, and that’s how I ended up at San Francisco’s Temple Nightclub last weekend.
Walking into Temple is like entering another planet, as any great club should be. The first thing you notice are the LED columns lining the dance floor all the way from the entrance to the DJ booth. Though they might provide some impedance to dancing, and reduce maximum capacity by like 10 people, it’s worth it to complete the general aesthetic the club is going for.
The second thing you notice is when you finally look up and notice all of the small, LED “orbs” that are embedded into the ceiling. Technologically, it’s a fairly simple setup: small, programmable LEDs encased in a translucent plastic shell. In terms of design, along with all of the other elements of the club, the simplicity is probably its greatest strength and it blows away most other typical LED screen designs that I’ve seen in so many other clubs.
The headliner for the night was Lucky Charmes, hailing from Amstelveen in the Netherlands, who has had releases on Musical Freedom, Spinnin’, Fly-Eye, MixMash and more. Blazing through a wide variety of house and big room styles, Lucky Charmes made sure that no one in the club was left standing or motionless by night’s end.
As far as clubbing experiences go, my time at Temple was met with courteous staff, welcoming patrons, and damn-good music. There’s really nothing more you can ask for.
Find out more about Temple via their website, and be sure to check their calendar to find out when you will be making your next visit.
Images via Patrick Tiu
