Electronic dance music block party features Diplo in downtown Anchorage

Diplo, one of electronic dance music's big stars, headlined an event that filled a downtown Anchorage street with partiers and kept going until midnight on Sunday. The event, called Diplaska and promoted by Showdown Alaska, featured several DJs on an outdoor stage and several more inside Williwaw. Anchorage's DJ Spencer Lee opened the outdoor venue and was followed by Astronomar, formerly of Juneau and now based in Los Angeles. High-energy duo Loudpvck and RL Grime performed before Diplo took the stage at about 10:15 p.m.

Diplo, the producer behind songs from pop music stars Usher, Beyonce, Justin Bieber and more, tours extensively, and the downtown Anchorage crowd was small compared to large international festivals he plays regularly. But for Anchorage it was a unique downtown block party and the crowd packed a portion of F Street, many dancing for the better part of six hours. The featured performer closed his set waving the Alaska flag in front of exhausted fans who were still screaming for more.

Read our preview of the show here. DJ Spencer Lee talks more about his music here.