KCRW had their annual masquerade ball at one of the beautiful historic theaters scattered among Broadway Boulevard in Downtown L.A. Built in 1931 The Los Angeles Theater stands as a reminder of a time of opulence. The French Baroque architecture is a thing of exquisite grandeur and is a perfect setting for an extravagant night out.
Bands White Denim, Cherry Glazerr, Wajatta, and Shannon Shaw were mixed in-between the DJ sets on the main stage.
KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez, Chris Douridas, Dan Wilcox, Jose Galvan, Liza Richardson, Marion Hodges, Raul Campos, and Travis Holcombe played dance sets on both the main stage (Ballroom Magnifique) and the smaller room they called the Dime Museum. Other DJ sets were played by The Flaming Lips drumming duo under the moniker Brothers Griiin, Santigold, and DāM-FunK.
The lower floor the Lurid Lounge had a small stage sponsored by Lucent Dossier a performance group in the same vein as Circ Du Soleil. The lounge had dancers, acrobatics and contortionists. No Halloween party would be complete with about a bit of fear and fright; The Nursery dedicated to bringing out the spooky with spirits and dark tales. Another themed room was Chamber of Luminescence a light installation by LightRiders. Perfect for the selfie obsesses (isn’t that all of us these days?) the small cavernous space filled with hanging tubes of lights programmed with color and strobing effects. Unfortunately, it was pretty hot in there and at times overcrowded.
All Hallows Eve has grown into one of the biggest American holidays and probably rivals New Year’s Eve for the club and party scenes. The sold-out evening was a great place to see and be seen. The venue was filled with guests in costumes from the stunning to the surreal and the satirical. Some store-bought or perhaps rented, and some custom works of art. A few that made us do double-takes were Sonny and Cher, Dr. Doolittle with Mr. Rogers, a girl in cinema quality Wizard of Oz Flying Monkey, and the best team costumes Prince’s “When Doves Cry”. For balance, there were dozens of Waldos and Mario Brothers in the crowd.
Lasers and projections decorated the main room adding to the atmosphere without distracting from the original decor. Large dancing skeletons were projected on to each side wall. Above the stage was a projection of an animated monster with enormous moving googly-eyes. The Halloween projections were more cute than scary, but at the high ceiling was a slightly disturbing newer addition to the theater’s architecture. Nestled in alcoves along either side of the tall walls were haunting life-sized female figures (where cherubs once were). The female statues had a very sinister quality to them and almost looked alive.
KCRW is known for its genre-crossing musical program you can catch everything from progressive-pop to trip-hop,
electronica, Latin and soul. The sounds of the evening reflected their diverse style.
Shannon Shaw and her band took the main stage early. Just after the first DJ set. Shaw, best known as the singer for Shannon and the Clams released her first solo album Shannon in Nashville this summer and is doing shows with her backup band. The group dressed mostly in black all wore cat ears as their costume. The band played a short set, but Shaw and band were delightful and retro in all the right ways. Shaw has a beautiful vocal inflection and delivery to her vintage style torch songs reminiscent in feel to female balladeers of old like Patsy Cline or Tammy Wynette. More stylistically, than vocally Shaw has more buttery undertones to her voice.
There is also an air of Nancy Sinatra perhaps in her tone more than style.
For the next live band, Cherry Glazerr aka Clementine Creevy played a set of captivating and wistful indie rock. Creevy dressed as an angel, along with her drummer Tabor Allen dressed as a skeleton, and bassist Devin O’Brien who was in some sort of exotic island or plant theme. The three-piece headed by Clementine is art-pop/noise-rock meets grunge. There is an ease with which they perform the songs that level a much larger sonic footprint that you’d imagine capable of a three-piece. Pleasing to watch, Creevy’s costume of choice was made more angelic from the stark light and haze clinging to the air surrounding her as she played.
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Cherry Glazarr
The most notable act of the evening was the four-piece prog-rock band White Denim, from Austin, Texas. The four dressed in bright suits (kind of flashy kind of comical), White Denim created a strong wall of sound built on astounding musicianship and strong song composition. The songs showed the bands formidable dexterity and fluidity of sound going from almost smooth R&B in feel to more groovy, fat, sludgy funk-metal or fuzz-rock, and even touches of punk. Once you’re already sold on this band Frontman
James Petralli blows the vibe wide open with a progressive rock, psychedelic guitar solo, that is awe inspiring.
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – White Denim
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Santigold
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Santigold
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Santigold
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Santigold
Wajatta was the final live act to perform after the last KCRW DJ played. Wajatta is the musical partnership of comedian, improvisational musician, bandleader Reggie Watts, and techno superstar John Tejada join their strengths constructing a dynamic mix of electronic-funk. The duo came on with equipment on a table and without costumes. Both wore a pair of glasses with lights used to see their boards. Tejada remained all business on his side of the table while Watts took the occasional dance break that was cheered on by the crowd.
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball – Wajatta
Looking at the crowed venue this year’s event was a great success. There are a couple of things that may have made it better. Though this evening seems more catered towards DJ’s and dance music it would be nice to have the bands get a little more time in their sets. During the middle of the evening, it was nearly impossible to get a drink from any of the bars in the theater. The outside area where the food trucks were parked wasn’t well appointed or thought out which made it hard to navigate and also difficult for people to enjoy their food. Probably most important, there seemed to be a major hurdle in keeping the venue a comfortable temperature.
Overall these are small complaints and the first one is more a matter of taste. And it’s of little consequence when the crowd was having a really good time at the event. Wonder what the station will do next year.
KCRW’s Masquerade Ball KCRW had their annual masquerade ball at one of the beautiful historic theaters scattered among Broadway Boulevard in Downtown L.A.
