Minimal Effort champions LA nightlife with stellar NYE event
New Year’s Eve is often one of the more overhyped and expensive nights of the year. Thankfully, Minimal Effort, fresh off its critically-praised Halloween extravaganza, disproved the notion with its end-of-year bash in Los Angeles that balanced top notch musical talent across four rooms and a receptive crowd, unpolluted by pretension — a rarity in LA nightclub culture.
House and techno staples like Danny Daze, Jimmy Edgar and J.Phlip helped usher in 2016 in the ornate, confetti-splashed Belasco Theater while Tara Brooks, andhim and Fur Coat seduced audiences both down low in the basement and up top in the venue’s ballroom. The level of detail and care put into the night’s production proved to be far superior than a ‘Minimal Effort.’
Photos by: Jamie Rosenberg
As patrons clamored into the main theater to revel in the countdown balloon drop spectacle with their loved ones, the pulsating hypnosis of Jimmy Edgar managed to still take center stage as the audience danced through the celebratory hugs and kisses of the new year. Meanwhile, LA collective, Droog, seamlessly handed off their barrage of infectious melodies (including a few off their Spectral EP alongside Edu Imbernon) to Venezuelan duo, Fur Coat, who took to the booth surrounded by eerie, Tales From The Crypt-inspired candles. Though buried underground, the basement remained the party’s lifeline, keeping techno heads coming back for more.
Photo by: Jamie Rosenberg
The 9-hour event also took pride in representing for some of the underground’s leading ladies like Masha, Jeniluv, Mor Elian, Tara Brooks, Lee K, Adra and Whitney Fierce. In fact, women made up nearly half the music’s lineup. Unlike the majority of festivals, shows and events spearheaded by male DJs, this noticeable advancement in booking reminded us what we always knew about women on the decks: they are downright badass.
Innovative DJs and stunning production aside, Minimal Effort’s magic truly rested within the passionate attendees whose nonstop dancing and endless positivity fueled the spirit of the all night/early morning event. A combination of city slickers, burners, newfound lovebirds and wandering souls united for a night unlike any other that brought back the roots of electronic culture’s founding principles. Clearly, loads of energy and time went into the audio, visuals and layout of the rave playground, but what made the experience “minimal” was the ability to revive that rare, yet ever-growing environment where just being wholly yourself, good dance moves or not, is more than enough.
Photos by: Jamie Rosenberg
While other venues around town lured club-goers with more mainstream EDM acts, fireworks displays, and unforgiving bottle service prices, Minimal Effort harkened back to the origins of dance culture: great vibes, great people, and great music.
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Categories: Features