Clubbing Package Pt.16. Odd Mob @ 11:11 EP TX, El Paso

Last Clubbing Post:

Main Plot Starts Here

My head dropped on the seat cushion, and as I opened my eyes, 2.5 hours had passed, and the airport said, Welcome to Texas. El Paso, Texas.

Western US smells like heavy summer. The glazing sunlight demolished me. I could barely open my eyes after the shots and frequency bumps in Chicago, and now I felt absolutely grilled by stepping under the sunlight. Anyways, the novelty hit me and sobered me up, 100%.

I called the hotel to send a shuttle to pick me up. Life hack!

I got on the shuttle. Distant mountains said hi to me on the highway, along with the pieces of housing and architecture scattered upon the distant hills. Evidence of human residence is everywhere. I mean, of course...? But they seemed to be less robot-like than concrete. It's life everywhere. I believe Mexico is pretty nearby. Tacos anyone??

Almost like a fairy tale.

I guess I am in Texas now.

Who Goes To El Paso On A Friday?

The section title was a sentence I overheard from some passengers in the boarding gate.

I would like to sleep, but I just couldn't. Why waste time being conscious when you are in another city? The Odd Mob show starts at 8 pm, and I naively thought he would open at 8 pm again. Like, are you learning from experience or barely existing.

I would go to the city and eat at some fancy Mexican restaurant, but I was so tired. I didn't sleep, but was being a screenager as I ate take-out food. Didn't even put makeup on. I mean, who could see your eye shadow under the dim club light. I ran out of time, so I carried my food to the Uber to 11:11 EP TX. The Uber driver arrived with a cool truck. Neat and capable.

Maybe He Is Marshmellow

The driver's name is Leny.

My mouth was full of food, and I commented:

Your car is so cool.

You think so?

Yeah, it's a truck!

I realized that I might look ignorant. It's a truck. But I still think it's cool.

By the time I heard Leny talking, I realized that his voice sounded like it was backed by loads of things: confidence, strength, experience, nonchalance, whatever. I was painting characters again. I instantly knew the ride was not gonna be boring.

Conversation flowed from me, oversharing that I am a visitor from Boston + China; I like the city scenes; I study computer science because being a music producer sounds like living under the street; I like raves and parties; I travel solo because there is no need for accomodation, yadayada... to him, saying he WAS a producer and STILL produces with a shift from EDM to live instruments; he understands the freedom of travelling solo after he got divorced...

Leny said he once produced a track with his friend that hit 1.6M streams, and it was played at a music festival. I asked for his stage name, but he gatekept it. Uh-uh. Ain't no way. I said, looks like I need to search up all the hottest house tracks with 1.6M hits then. He shook his head.

He asked about my impression of Mexican culture. I gave all the credits to Disney -- Despicable Me 2, where Gru was eating his cowboy hat made of chips and full of guac.

My friend told me it is a disrespectful comment. Why?!

And he broke a chip from the hat, and dipped it with the guac inside it... I was like, Dame!

Leny started laughing so hard, like so hard.

And I mentioned Coco. Leny said he usually cosplays Miguel on Halloween because both of them are brown kids who can sing and play guitar.

And I mentioned that I like tacos, and that was just pure stereotype.

What are you eating?

Oh, I promise I won't spill... I feel so bad.

No, I am just curious.

I am eating a salad bowl... Because I am going to drink later, and I don't want to feel too bad throwing up. Just kidding! I tend to eat light before drinking.

Huh, interesting...

...

Leny was in the military -- served the US once? He said my English seemed good.. Thank my parents for putting me through after-school hell. I said, I go to Brandeis.

So, you gotta be really smart!

Now he turned over his head and took a serious look at me, and I just realized that I had never looked at his face as this conversation was going all over the place. I was just talking to a faceless impression this far, about drug misuse, parties... Leny shared that he was drugged and almost mugged by a girl at a festival once. He said, You see all sorts of weird people there. He asked if I "use some." I said I "occasionally take 1 or 2." I am not even surprised. We also touched upon EDM, Fisher, Mau P, Dom Dolla, and Odd Mob. He knows Odd Mob! And when I mentioned Mau P, oof, he shook his head again, in the way that you do it as if you just had some super nice food. Get outta here! He also said that there are loads of talented producers in Australia. I mean, Dom Dolla? Dom Dolly! He shook his head again, in a way of extreme approval.

Noooo, I am not smart.

What is 2+2?

Em, 5.

Almost gotcha!

Almost there.

You are going to... the night club 11:11 EP TX. Of course you are. Of course you are.

Yep, I am.

I arrived.

Don't do drugs!

Haha, I won’t, pal.

Don't Get Too Fucked Up

I arrived way too early. I planned on going through the show sober, but it is literally 8 pm sharp right now. I asked the bartenders. They told me bro won't go up until 12:30 or so, and I should head over to my VIP area around 10 pm, because it is going to be PACKED by then. Now, how do I spend 4.5 hours in a nightclub by myself? Sober?

Ain't no way. Grab a drink.

Later? Now.

The hot bartender's name is Monique. Monique poured me redbull and Tequila. I asked her about the show, and my boredom of showing up way too early.

What should I do?

Just dance, girl!

Another bartender girl vibing in the back said:

Odd Mob is probably going up around 12:30, so don't get too fucked up before!

She smirked. I nodded.

Drinks made me an extrovert. It seems like I can only be an extra-extrovert in front of pure strangers. No strings, no care. I asked a guy to guard my drink while I asked for the VIP wristband. A girl asked me, “Can I give this to you?” and gave me a self-made friendship bracelet. Some guy gave me a plastic gummy bear charm (which I lost later). I asked a girl to take photos for me. A guy called Dylan showed up and offered his camera. Dame, the pictures are giving retro casual vibes. He said he will send those to me. No, you will not. I forced him to let me take photos of the camera screen. Just to make sure.

Lol thanks I love this photo.

DJs

The opener DJs - if you know you know. They played John Summit, Fisher, and Fred Again. 3 dudes and 1 girl, back to back to back to back. God I wish I could be one of them. I fucking wish. They knew what they were playing. A mixture of alcohol and mood hyped me up. The 3-4 hours before Odd Mob showed up were chill. I shook hands with one of the DJs. Another round of crowd watching. All sorts of people. I was just an invisible point among many.

In the middle of their sets, I went to get one last drink before Odd Mob showed up. While I was in line, some guy told me my pendant was somehow on my back and helped fix my necklace. At the bar, it was Monique behind the bottles again. Maybe it wasn't her. She did not remember me, or did she? Some guys were fanning everyone around him, as in just being nice. The girls nearby sent him their love. Memories were slightly blurry at this point, but I knew clearly it was time to lock in for one of my favourite House crushes.

Odd Mob

Heart and meat of the night, the penultimate show of my interstate trip. Odd Mob looks way younger than I imagined. He looked like a nerdy high schooler! But how could a young man like him produce all those jaw-dropping, eye-opening, mind-blowing, soul-blasting mixes? His VIRUS was the first track I have ever mixed. His Get Busy hit me so hard when I first heard it in Fisher's Cow Palace debut set video. Those are my 2024 summer crushes. No way. It has been a whole year. Seeing him was seeing myself, if I want to phrase it egotistically. Saying that I am obsessed is not an exaggeration at all. But there he was, right in front of me. I reached my arm forward, and he shook my hand.

It was Odd Mob.

Man, I fuck with your mixes.

One of the young opener DJs was standing right next to me. I assume he was obviously in love with Odd Mob as well. We were getting hyped by the same tracks. Crazy. When Odd Mob played Won't Be Possible, the transition LIT ME UP. I am sorry it won't be possible. The track is comparatively tender, but the grooves are seductive. They are showing up and showing OFF. The key sounds like purple. Purple and blinking like shooting stars before they hit a planet. In this case, they hit me head to toe.

I tried to zoom in to examine Odd Mob's tracklist. They all mix in live. I always wonder how those DJs can hear the other track when the venue is this loud. One thing I noticed -- everyone played Toxic by Chris Lake, Victory Lap remix by Fred Again, some John Summit... Walking on a Dream became the most popular remix lately, replacing Messy... Do those big DJs share tracklists?

Hmm. Referencing...

Odd Mob played Easy My Mind remix mixed with VIRUS, and I lost my mind. I was sweating like a mf and my dress was drenched from the inside out. Moments passed by so slowly yet so fast. This show is one of the best. It's the best when you enter a smaller-scale show, hoping your fav artist is going hot soon, but so hot that their ticket prices started soaring right up to heaven. By the time Odd Mob finished his last track and walked off stage, I sprinted to the aisle and luckily got in front of him. I asked, Could you please take a selfie with me.

He smiled politely and took 2. He was wearing shades, and I could only see his tiger teeth. I said, I really, really, really like your mixes. He said thanks. I am sure he is used to it.

DJ Jarret and Driver James

The crowd was dispersing again. 2 am felt like 2 pm. The debris left over was somewhat legendary. Almost as if an inner world just collapsed. I asked the opener DJ Jarret, who happened to be lingering around, how he got his position as an opener. Connection, he said. I asked him again later on Instagram, and he stressed again the importance of making connections and talking to people. His post says that he felt incredible shifting from a bedroom DJ to an opener for Odd Mob. It was so inspirational. I need to lock in. Trust.

The Uber price was insane, but I booked it anyway. It was scarier as people started leaving the venue, and there were sketchy presences all around.

I got on the Uber, the driver, John, said, There is water in the back seat if I need it.

Oh my god I am CRAVING water right now...

As I said it and started chugging from the bottle, John gave out a light laugh.

That was quite a crowd. How was the party?

I told him it was awesome. I accidentally started yapping because of the drinks inside me. John was divorced and had custody of 4 kids.

4 kids? That was so much work!

Well, they were all teenagers...

That was even more work!

We talked about how the bar charges a shot + red bull combo for 20 dollars. John was so shocked. He couldn't believe it, and that fueled the comedy of the night.

John told me as he drove past a highway stop: This is a scary stop -- the left exit leads you to the airport, and the right way goes straight to Mexico. What if you accidentally went to the right stop? Well, there are still turnarounds, and you can still go back here. There was once a piece of tragic news: a lady shot an Uber driver because he accidentally drove to Mexico, and she thought he was kidnapping her to the border. Why did she have a gun? Who knows. She was from Chicago. She committed suicide before she was about to go on trial...

I think John was trying to calm me down and let me know that he was not shipping me to Mexico, and hopefully, I don't have a gun. So I said, What a tragic story!

John accidentally hit a harsh stop, and I almost threw the water bottle on the ground.

Are you ok?

Yeah... I didn't spill any water! The bottle is capped.

No, I was trying to make sure that YOU are ok. :)

...

I reached. Hi Hyatt. It was 2-3 am already. I showered quickly and sank into the bed. I couldn't sleep, though. I think I was on the brink of frying my nervous system. I was thinking about everyone I talked to today. 11:11 EP TX was a magical place, if you want it to be. I am glad I arrived at 8 pm. I am glad that I stayed through the end. I am grateful for all the stranger acquaintances. Am I really lucky? Almost everyone I encountered seemed so kind. It’s a bit unrealistic.

The whole night was a bit unrealistic.

And I think the caffeine and alcohol finally drifted away. I passed out.

Next Up:

🫡🫡🫡

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Published 01 Aug 2025