Event Review – Throbb House Thursday @ Caravan Lounge 10.2.25
By, Stephanie Do
A 13 minute walk from San Jose State there is a modest khaki building. At the end of a semi quiet street corner in downtown, you might miss it if you don’t know what you are looking for. This building is home to The Caravan Lounge. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and the best part, they never charge cover. The Caravan Lounge is a space for comedians, local bands, and underground artists to thrive. A first step and a community of support for those with a passion for performing.
On the first Thursday night of each month, The Caravan transforms into something else entirely an electrified stage for underground EDM talent. Throbb House Thursdays showcases a rotating selection of electronic subgenres. October’s focus? Hard techno and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
With its industrial, no frills sound and heavy, driving kicks, hard techno carries a dark, powerful energy that makes you feel the music as much as hear it. I had never been to The Caravan before, and honestly, I was a little lost finding it. But once I got close enough, I knew I could just follow the pounding beat.
Once I entered I was greeted by the walls that shook with the magnetic energy. The crowd was modest but authentic; hard techno is a growing community here in the Bay Area. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find out we had local artists that were going this hard. The first set was a B2B between DJs Loko and Trill. They worked together seamlessly matching each other’s energy as they switched between mixing, dancing, and hyping up the crowd. Something I love about techno is the way that it allows the DJs to connect with their audience. You’ll never see a techno dj just standing there waving their hand around. They move with the energy. The pounding bassline radiating a raw uncontrollable demand for movement. I’m not sure how long Loko and Trill have known each other but from their seamless set I would imagine they could be best friends.
Closing out the night was Checkz, a DJ whose personality came through in every mix. Even though it was nearing 1am, music doesn’t care about time. With heavy drops, mechanical rhythms, and a few playful pauses that faked the crowd out (in the best way), he kept the intensity high all the way through. The night ended in full-force chaos, with the soundboard literally getting knocked over from theenergy.
As I left that night with a euphoric sense knowing that I just witnessed something special. I’ve been into techno for a while but it’s only starting to make its way into the Bay Area. This night made me feel like I was a part of the beginning and I’m excited to see where these artists go and how far techno will reach.
With how nearby the Caravan Lounge is to campus, it’s a real shame I haven’t heard about it until now. The way Stephanie describes the Throbb House Thursdays will definitely make me mark my calendar so that I can experience it for myself.
I can’t say I’m massively into EDM music but reading this article has really made me want to go and check this place out! It sounds amazing. With any kind of music I really love how the audience connects and has this shared experience. Music has such power and I’m not sure people always appreciate that
This is amazing. I feel like San Jose has so much unrecognized talent in all genres, and having places like this that hold events for the community is exactly how we need to start. It’s not only a place for the artists to showcase themselves but a place to connect with people OVER MUSIC, which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things the world has to offer.