Anyone who’s lived in the Greater Los Angeles area for a decent amount of time understands that the capacity to see concerts is only limited by how much you want to go to a show. On any given night there’s at least one world famous band playing, at least two more bands that are poised to become famous, and at least four bands that are going to have a major impact on their genre or become hometown heroes. Those who have been here longer know that the mid size venue, the space adjoined to a bar, or the converted warehouse, is where the real magic happens. These are the places where a band can go from an unknown to a legend in the blink of an eye, sometimes the band playing is already legendary.
Those with a keen eye for experimental music likely caught wind that Blanck Mass would be performing at Zebulon on Saturday, October 5th. Those who knew this and had been to Zebulon immediately pegged this as a must see show. You see, Zebulon is one of those tiny little spaces that fits more people than you’d guess, and is louder than you’d think possible. But it’s also one of the few places where you can just pop in and catch a show. So long as you’re over 21 and have around twenty bucks and a couple hours to kill, you may as well see what’s going on.
The show itself drew a decent crowd, especially given the wild nature of Blanck Mass’ music. Sonically the venue was perfect, though the need for earplugs was paramount as his madcap array of sounds was cranked to an almost unbearable volume for the entirety of the performance. As he often does, Blanck Mass shone in the visual department, showing freakish visuals that played less as background and more as an abstract accompanying short film which had a surprising amount of Chuck E. Cheese in it. This strange blend of eye melting visuals and brain scrambling sound left the room somewhere between paralyzed and intoxicated, as many stood watching in awestruck wonder as they did dancing in rapturous glee.
This is a show that anyone easily could have missed. But that is just a testament to how incredible the day to day lineup that Los Angeles constantly boasts. This town is a treasure trove to those who pay attention, Blanck Mass’ show might have been easily missed but it is mandatory attendance. There isn’t an artist out there who can craft the same wild soundscape that he can, and his show at the Zebulon proved it. So next time you hear about a show at your local venue, maybe give it a shot. Who knows, they could be playing the bowl within a year.
Photo Credit: Adam Blyweiss
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