It's safe to say the crowd at Dharma is changing.
Hitting the spot I used to frequent just a few months back last night, it was clear that the regulars were partying elsewhere and the energy was different, even if the music was kind of the same. Even with that bit of awkwardness of unfamiliar faces filling the patio and dance floor, Dharma definitely still had its positives. The free keg that is usually gone within 30 minutes of doors opening was actually spread out over time. Working like a blue light special, every time the light came on, you'd see people race from the patio or dance floor to the bar for a free beer. I can dig it.
Musically, I enjoyed the opener Matthew Van Dam, whose set was a more hip-hop and soulful than what you usually hear at Dharma. But the headliner Turbo P was all about the groove. His bass heavy down tempo set at first seemed to please only him, but like good DJs do, he kept building. Blend after blend Turbo P got stronger and the dance floor went from sparse to packed. Still not as packed as I've seen it some Wednesdays where it's hell to get from the bathroom to the patio but packed for the crowd that was there, which had room to break, bounce and spasm. Well, it looked like spasms but some people call that dancing.