Lightning wasn’t the only thing lighting up the night Saturday. Just one day after the release of their highly anticipated collaboration EP, Buzzin’, powerhouse artists Shiba San and CID gave an electric performance on their latest ALL U NEED tour stop in Durham, North Carolina. A cultural hub for the weird and funky, the Durham Fruit served as the container for their glowing display of electronic music prowess. (Just one room over, Dan Savage’s national amateur erotica festival, HUMP! was screening films from this year’s selections.)

Next up to the booth were Shiba San and CID. By this point in the night, the crowd was thrumming with excitement. Both musicians boast impressive careers in the industry, and the decades of experience between them show. They held the crowd in rapt attention with their infectious tech-house sounds for the duration of their 3.5-hour extended set. Moments of reverb-washed tension-building paid off via bone-rattling bass lines and snappy percussion grooves. The disco ball overhead cast beautiful swirling lights through the audience, who, in turn, swirled and swayed to the music. Tucked away in the corner, one man danced his heart out in a prop phone booth. Lush chaises were left empty as even the allure of a comfortable seat amidst hours on the dancefloor wasn’t enough to draw people away from the action.

Outside on the porch, one attendee described their experience at the show as “spectacular.” Though from North Carolina originally, they spent quite a bit of time on the West Coast before returning recently. This was their first time to the Fruit, and more broadly, their first time exploring the electronic music scene in Durham. What they found here transcended expectations. Initially intimidated by the thought of coming alone, the welcoming atmosphere and incredible performances made it a worthwhile experience. 

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If I could sum up this show in one moment it would be this: at the center of the dance floor, a group was blowing bubbles—bubbles from a wand, the kind you might remember from your childhood. They floated up and up, refracting shimmers of iridescent light from the disco ball. As they danced through the room, so did those cast under their glow. Though a storm raged on outside the venue, the party never stopped.