DJ/Producer Diplo managed to bring a killer lineup of artists and a healthy helping of controversy to downtown San Diego for his Mad Decent Block Party.

Located on a fenced-in parking area on the South Side of Petco Park, the event was very affordable, costing only $45 for entry. The block party offered the 18+ crowd a chance to see several top name DJs at a nearby location for a reasonable price.

After paying for parking, my group and I anxiously waited in line, dealt with security and headed for the free water fill-up station. My biggest gripe with the event was with the security rules in place. Not allowing standard rave items like plush backpacks and kandi (plastic beads made into bracelets then traded with other ravers as a sign of peace and friendship), was an obvious attack on the rave subculture. The reason for this was that Diplo wanted “everyone… there 100 percent for the music. Not other stuff.” This statement upset many, including the CEO of EDM promotion organization Insomniac, Pasquale Rottella. He expressed his discontent via Twitter stating that, “Since the early days, dance culture has always been a non-judgmental environment where you could express your individuality through art, music and positive energy.” He also mentioned that he “love[s] that these beaded works of art create a special bond between the giver and recipient when traded.”

Securing the smuggled bracelets back onto our wrists, we made our way to the sweet spot between being close enough to see, but far enough to dance in order to catch the last half of Cashmere Cat. His set contained a solid mix of old and new school rap that the crowd was feeling, but not really dancing to. TJR changed that dynamic dramatically within the first 30 seconds of taking the stage. Dropping a fun Melbourne Bounce style set, he managed to maintain the crowd’s energy for his entire mix. The only complaint I heard repeatedly was in regards to the heat.

After TJR left the crowd begging for more, EDM kingpin Laidback Luke gladly provided, spinning mainly bounce, electro and future house with a trap section to please the crowd. We opted to hang back for Flosstradamus’s set, which consisted entirely of trap beats, as expected, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. Trap is currently at the popularity level dubstep was five years ago.

Diplo took the stage after Flosstradamus, dropping a blend of new trap tracks along with his signature dub sound. Unfortunately, about halfway through his set, he turned off the music in order to bring four girls from the crowd on stage to twerk (shaking one’s booty rapidly). He even announced to the attendees that he wanted the “guys [to] get some girls on your shoulders, I want them to twerk on top of you.” Not to mention I got wacked in the head several times when Diplo ordered everyone to remove their shirts and swing them around while he did so on a table on stage- a standard occurrence at his Major Lazer parties.

Zeds Dead saved us from this saddening display of attempted male dominance by closing the night with a dubstep heavy mix, with future house and gritty electro tracks thrown in. The duo sent everyone home on a great note.

I would definitely recommend the Mad Decent Block Party to anyone with an interest in electronic music. Judging by the success of this year and years previous, Diplo and friends will be back to San Diego next year.