Benny Benassi Makes His Satisfying Debut at Insomniac's Academy LA

Benny Benassi Makes His Satisfying Debut at Insomniac's Academy LA
Jasmin Ayala/EDMTunes

Over the weekend, dance music legend Benny Benassi brought his iconic energy-rich style electro and techno house to LA’s newest nightclub, Academy LA; formerly Create Nightclub.

Insomniac Takeover


It’s been nearly a month since Create closed its doors for its renovation—part a joint Insomniac-Exchange LA ownership—and a promising new nightclub emerged. The birth Academy brought with it subtle changes to both the interior and exterior, including an extra bar and new logo. Perhaps the most impactful upgrades made to the venue are the installation a series LED panels and state--the-art speakers that run overhead from stage to dance floor and on the periphery. This stunning stage design is arguably one the best to grace Los Angeles’ nightclub scene.

Benny Benassi Satisfies a Full House


Benny Benassi’s legend status was evident in the massive crowd he pulled for Friday night’s show. Fans all ages and backgrounds, packed shoulder-to-shoulder to witness Benassi drop his infectiously groovy collection hits. Benny did a fantastic job amping up the energy with his flawless mixing an incredible track selection.

Then came the most anticipated moment the night. A gritty pulsating synth seeps into the speakers, and a recognizable female bot voice utters “push,” repeating it over and over. A sea phones instantly jolt up—including my own—to capture this iconic number. Benny kept em guessing and dropped a bouncy mashup “Satisfaction,” The Offspring‘s “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” and Valentino Khan‘s “Pump.” Benny brought everyone back down to earth and into a feel-induced trance with his smash hit “Cinema.” Voices rang across the room, singing the lyrics, “You are a cinema / I could watch you forever / action, thriller / I could watch you forever. He then proceeded to swiftly turn the show on its head with a transition into Skrillex’s filthy remix “Cinema”—making for the rowdiest moment the night.

Benny Benassi took his set to unparalleled artistic heights and made sure to keep us on our toes for the entirety his two hour set. Coupled with Academy’s visually striking production and sound, Benassi put on an archetypal show what the club scene should aspire to be.