All photos by Philip Cosores.
The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles hosts plenty of contemporary rock, rap, and pop shows, between its more common bookings of LA Philharmonic productions and crooners your parents love. But this past Saturday night, something rare happened: a local community took over the 17,500-capacity outdoor amphitheater to present their own unique musical vision.
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Associates of the trailblazing instrumental hip-hop and electronic LA-based label Brainfeeder didn’t just perform, they made themselves at home. The Gaslamp Killer logged numerous stage-change DJ sets, blending his own compositions with oldies that paid tribute to both the venue’s traditional atmosphere and his parents, who were in the audience. Bass virtuoso Thundercat waved sheepishly from the massive stage before offering up a confident set that included a surprise appearance from singer-songwriter Michael McDonald. And on a night that also included memorable performances from Shabazz Palaces and Funkadelic featuring George Clinton (who recently announced he’s releasing an album on Brainfeeder next year) and Parliament, label founder Flying Lotus closed the night with the biggest headlining set of his career.
He previewed new music (set to drop next week he claimed) and ended the night in the crowd, shaking hands and thanking fans, not wanting to let the moment end. His crew of musical outliers had conquered his home city’s most prestigious venue, and the feat was not lost him.
The Gaslamp Killer
Shabazz Palaces
Thundercat
George Clinton with Parliament-Funkadelic
Flying Lotus
