Wise men throughout the ages have expressed the idea that all things are best taken ‘in moderation’. I generally agree with this statement, but after seeing techno DJs ‘Hook-n-Sling’ and ‘The Bingo Players’ live at the Avalon last Saturday, I’d have to say there is at least one exception to the rule of moderation—bass. I’m sure all of you bassmongers out there will surely identify with me. There’s some kind of presence in low frequency sound waves that grips your essence and never lets it go; and these guys harness its power like they created it. Before I rant and rave about how ridiculously audio savvy these guys are, I’ll try to give you a glimpse into what the Avalon itself is like.
Located in Hollyhood (or -wood, depending on your vernacular), the Avalon is hands-down one of the hottest weekend spots in the area. Besides the top tier acts they host weekly, there are certain key aspects of the venue that completely distinguish it from the rest of the crowd. Walking into the main lobby makes one feel as if they’ve just been inducted into the mafia and are heading to meet the Godfather. What gives it that feel? Maybe it’s the victorian stairwells, covered in red carpet, that lead up to the upper-level/balcony VIP seats; or the french cut-glass and brass, low-lit chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Maybe it’s the security—stiff, burly types that would likely leave a horse head in your bed for spilling a drink on the carpets; or alas, maybe it’s just my imagination. Regardless, the place has an air of edgy elegance that makes you feel obligated to have the time of your life while keeping your drink in your cup (or else).
Once the doors opened, the music played, the crowds amassed, and our cameras were out to catch it all. To put it modestly, it turns out that bass can be so mezmerizing that listeners can forget they’re in public, and begin to act on ideas and urges better left inactive (things that all cameras within the vicinity will surely catch and expose later). That’s all that i’ll say about that for now, but you can check out our Youtube video sum-up of the night later to see what I mean.
The first act of the night was a gent by the name of Hook-n-sling. Not the coolest name ever but, once you listen to some of his tracks like Take You Higher and Gotta make a move, the name starts to catch on. He was on for a solid hour and some change, and all throughout there were hands up, panda bear masks on and bobbing, and glowsticks shaking left and right. A cool trait in Hook is that he likes to be vocal with the crowd and has the ability to mix in his personality with whatever song he’s playing.
The Bingo Players are a two man set from Europe whose primary art is remixing songs; one of them is a visual artist and actually makes videos of abstract art that are synced to their performance and projected onto screens. Swag. Their biggest jam thus far has been ‘Cry Just a little’, but they have a wide collection of great remixes in their arsenal. The most impressive part about their whole performance was that they kept it going for 3 ENTIRE HOURS. They DJ’d for 10,800 seconds, and the only people I saw not bass-ified the whole time were security and a few lightweights. In a few of their songs, they had what I describe as the ‘floating bass’ effect—it’s hard to engineer, but if done correctly gives the listener alternating sensations of floating and falling. Do you know what I’m saying? If not, then check these guys out live and, trust me, you’ll see!
The Avalon is always a great experience and I would definitely suggest giving their ‘Control’ Fridays a go if the chance ever presents itself. It’ll make you feel like a boss.
