The underground scene was alive and well last night at El Cid, tucked into the heart of Sunset Blvd. Headlined by Swapa and featuring a stacked lineup that included Luclover and Dexelz, the night felt like a real-time snapshot of the rising generation of internet-fueled, boundary-pushing artists. There’s something different about watching these names exist outside of just your screen. In an era where artists blow up overnight on TikTok, getting to see them move a crowd in real life is a whole different experience. And these guys delivered.

From the jump, Luclover had the energy on ten. If you’ve been on TikTok anytime in the past year, you’ve probably heard his music whether you knew it or not. His songs have been everywhere, soundtracking thousands of clips, and last night was proof that virality can translate into something real. The crowd was locked in from the second he touched the stage, rapping every word back at him. Then came Dexelz, stepping up for what was surprisingly his first-ever live set. You wouldn’t have known it if nobody told you. With only about a year of making music under his belt, he moved through the set like he’d been doing it forever. The wildest part? The crowd already knew the words to his music. For an artist that’s just getting started, that’s a different kind of moment. It’s one thing to rack up numbers online, but to step onto a stage and immediately have people connect with your sound, that’s something you can’t fake.

And then, of course, there was Swapa. If Luclover brought the energy and Dexelz brought the hunger, Swapa brought the command. He stepped up like a real headliner, keeping the audience moving from start to finish. There’s a reason he’s sitting at nearly 400,000 monthly listeners and gaining momentum fast. He’s built his name with a mix of melodic rap and ambient soundscapes, quickly being recognized as a pioneer in the scene, sitting right in the sweet spot of underground and mainstream potential. But last night wasn’t about streams, internet motion, or anything in between. It was about presence. And Swapa had that locked in.

Beyond the performances, what made the night stand out was the energy in the building. This wasn’t an industry plant showcase or some label-manicured rollout. This was the underground, in its rawest and realest form. Everyone in the room was there to be a part of something, and that’s exactly what it felt like. The LA underground is always shifting, always evolving, but nights like this prove that it’s as alive as ever. These artists aren’t just names on a playlist, they’re carving out a movement, one show at a time.