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Music

Around The World In 80 Raves: Shake 'n Bass, Orlando FL

Remember moombahton? In Orlando, the tropical bass still beats at 108 bpm.

Around The World in 80 Raves takes you into the basements, warehouses, and back rooms where the magic happens—from Caracas to Calgary and back. Photos courtesy of Shake 'n Bass.

NAME: Shake 'n Bass
CITY: Orlando, FL
VENUE: BackBooth, a punky dive bar filled with vintage arcade games.
WHEN IT HAPPENS: Every Sunday night 
RESIDENTS: Big Makk, Ma-LESS, Dr. Khan 
RECENT HEADLINERS: Swizzymack, DJ Sliink, DJ Sega, Nadus, DJ Craze, DJ Funk, Rell the Soundbender, DJ Blass, Mr. Vega/Ricky Vaughn (formerly of Sazon Booya), Comrade de Xao, Ackeejuice Rockers, 2DEEP, Minimaxx & DJEJ, & Kid Cedek
VIBE: "A Diplo concert without Diplo," according to resident Dr. Khan

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WHATS THE DEAL THO: Remember moombahton? Track your memory: it came right after you were addicted to the womp of bro-step, but before you were trappin. Ah, yes. Well in Orlando, the tropical bass still beats at 108 bpm. After years of pushing moombahton in dubstep's heyday, resident Dr. Khan calls Shake n' Bass a "big fuck you" to all the skeptical bros. The crowd they draw for this moombahton night confirms Big Makk's statement that Orlando may in fact be the "mecca of twerk." If you aren't a superfan of the Nadastrom-created genre, fear not. Shake n' Bass is known to play genres from Kuduro to Baltimore and Jersey Club, and baile funk to electro house.

After getting fired from a bougie bottle service club, Shake n' Bass' founders, who call themselves the "moombah mafia," banded together to create the underground ass-shaking haven of their dreams. "There's no VIP area, there's no bottle service, no hookahs, gogo dancers or any of that normal club bullshit. It's the only moombahton event in the world that occurs every week," they told me. The stage is open to anyone who wants to hop up, and if you're nervous, the bar sells an anonymous liquor concoction called "twerk juice" for $2. Can't beat that.

From Talib Kweli showing up after hearing it was the place to be on Sunday nights, to DJ Craze playing a last-minute surprise set while stuck in town, the word is out about Shake n' Bass. The crowd ranges from people celebrating their 18th birthdays to senior citizens just taking a peep. The tropical and Latin vibes of Florida thrive in the heat of the night, and if it's your birthday, you can expect a lapdance.

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UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT: "Looking up during my set and noticing this girl had taken off her pants and was twerking in nothing but her sports bra and a g-string. Not a single fuck was given, everyone's jaw was on the floor, including my own. Then Triska blasted her with the Co2 gun. Such a crazy and unexpected moment."

Check out Shake 'n Bass on Facebook

More from this series: 

Around The World In 80 Raves: Ham on Everything, LA

Around The World In 80 Raves: LDL, San Francisco

Around The World in 80 Raves: #THREAD, Newark NJ

Lina likes popsicles and walruses. Follow her - @linalovesit