Originally published on AXS.com on Jan. 8, 2019. Archived here as part of portfolio.
The new year got off to a great start with Minimal Effort’s New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles. The show took place at the Belasco Theater, which proved to be a great venue with its sprawling, massive rooms. Each room was offset by smaller rooms where fans could get a taste of both the vibe and energy of the large crowds, as well as the feels of the smaller, more intimate crowds.
This, coupled with a lineup featuring some of the best artists that house music has to offer, made for an event that would bring old fans together with new ones. As they rubbed shoulders together, celebrating the past year and getting ready for the new, Minimal Effort delivered with stage sets that raged, light effects that dazzled and confetti that simply rained down from above.
In addition to a great venue and masterful set up with multiple rooms and sounds, the stars of the night were the people behind the decks. From VNSSA to Sasha to Skream, there were plenty of artists bringing the sounds that the crowd loved. But perhaps the true star that night was the countdown, itself. It reigned supreme that night as confetti filled the theater sky to the cheers and chants of the assembled masses in various rooms.
So what set this event apart from the numerous others on hand in the city that night? Was it the organization, or the well-organized bars and quiet lines, or the ample security keeping the packed rooms easy to navigate and transition between? All of this was true as the new year was about to dawn. However, the true difference was the crowd itself.
There was no pushing, shoving or jockeying for position. With ample room on the floor, more in the balconies and a good vibe to be had by all…it was, truly, a minimal effort to bring in the new year. And that’s what it’s all about. Let a great production company take care of the logistics, the worries and the schedule. All fans should have to worry about are the vibes and the feels.
And if those fans were at Minimal Effort this past New Year’s Eve, well, they were able to rest assured as everything was clearly handled for them.