CES 2014: Kendrick Lamar Bumps Beats By Dre CES Bash

The Consumer Electronics Show 2014 may have been winding down by Thursday night — but at least one of the show’s last big parties offered up the nightlife excitement that a Vegas CES crowd is used to.

After CraveOnline attended parties Tuesday and Wednesday featuring performances by John Legend and Dave Matthews, Beats By Dre upped the ante Thursday night with a packed blow-out and a set by Kendrick Lamar at the new ‘Light’ night club in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Once opener Axwell of Swedish House Mafia fame closed his set with the group’s 2011 smash “Save The World,” the audience took one deep breath, and, in unison, began to trudge towards the stage from all corners of the club for the ensuing headliner.

KENDRICK LAMAR GALLERIES: Check out images of Kendrick Lamar live at Austin City Limits 2013, Bonnaroo 2013 and Lollapalooza 2013!

For the next 45 minutes, the entire venue was a bumper to bumper madhouse of people waiting impatiently for Lamar to grab the mic. Every 10 minutes or so, the DJ would ask the crowd, “Are y’all ready for Kendrick?” Everyone would scream “yeah!” and cram another couple of inches towards the DJ booth.

Finally, after amounted to a lifetime of waiting shoulder to shoulder, the DJ finally got down to business, announcing, “Kendrick Lamar is in the building.”  The house lights dimmed, Lamar took the stage and the crowd went nuts. During his abbreviated three-song set, Lamar played off the enthusiastic crowd energy, closing the show out with the top 10 crowd-pleaser “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.”

CES 2014: Kendrick Lamar Live at Beats By Dre Party; 1/9/14