It has always had a special place in my heart. As a kid I loved running around all night and bashing pots with a wooden spoon; breaking a couple of spoons and denting, if I remember correctly, one pot.
Then there was the period in my life were NYE was a night alone at home watching the "Year in Review" shows. Those were not good years. A fire would build up on my soul, "Why am I here?"
Eventually the time came when I was capable of getting out of the house and since then I have tried to make each NYE better than the rest. I have been to giant Soma shows to Giant NYEs. Traded away my Christmas time soul so that I could take new year's day off to go to Day One.
Last year though, I stayed home. Just a couple of drinks at a local bar and fell asleep on the couch with the wife.
This year, things had to be different, and they were. At first they were not shaping up to be. It looked like it would be a repeat of last year. The line-up at Giant's party did not excite me, and my wife refused to go to Together as One to see Sasha and Digweed. Then I saw it, on MySpace of all places. Hard NYE. Justice. Peaches. Others. Need I say more? I didn't even have to sell it to my wife, she LOVES Peaches. To make the deal even sweeter a friend of mine hooked me up with a room at the Angelino.
We arrived at the hotel at 4 and were amazed by the room and the fact that were scored a view of the ocean. After taking some time to clean up, and a lot more time to find a place to eat we were off. I do have to say this. My iPhone was invaluable in not only finding a restaurant, but to also get us there and to the show.
This was my first time to the LA's Art District, and immediately upon pulling I was impressed with the event staff. Somehow they had scored permission to use the parking lot for a shipping company as the secured parking. The only hang-up getting into the event was the usual pat down. It seems like this is the one area that clubs and concerts never adequately man. Eventually two extra lanes were opened and we got in.
Once in we bee lined for the bathrooms and the bar. These were next to the second stage so we listened to A-Trak spin some bouncy beats for a bit before checking out the main stage. It turns out that we had missed the opening DJ, but after a couple of minutes Peaches took the stage and proceeded to rock.
It's funny, everyone describes Peaches as an electronic artist, but seeing her live it felt much more like a punk show than any electronic act that I have seen. Sure a synth was providing the bass line, but the screeching guitars and pounding drummer seemed to have a much heavier presence. I was surprised to not see a pit going during some of her heavier songs. As we got closer to the new year the crowd began to swell and at midnight the stage was pretty much overran much to the band's delight.
With Peaches' set over, it was bar time again. We were able to check out some of 2 Lives Crew and they appeared to have the same energy as ever.
Back at the main stage Justice had taken over and the crowd was bouncing. There hard electro sound was rocking it. This was in spite of some technological difficulties (The sound cut out a couple of times. The mids and uppers had cut during earlier sets, now it was nothing, overdriven amps?).
Unfortunately I was not able to stay for the entire event, but I am looking forward to next years party.
-Charles Cushman
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