All Photography by Adam Leene
It’s half an hour before the 9:30 pm show and a line has already formed outside the Avalon for their Friday night weekly, Control. The quiet chatter around me is getting louder by the second. The anticipation is palpable the closer I get to the impressive Victorian style relief framing the entrance. Once inside, I’m guided by warm lighting through what seems to be a dining area. The plush booths are adorned with candelabras and very regal chandeliers hang above. Making my way through the path and people, I pass the coat check and a small bar while the ceilings stalagmite-like lights seem to rain multi colored visuals down on the people around me. The classic Victorian aesthetic seen outside continues into the inner decor, except now it’s accompanied by strobes, disco balls and hypnotizing visuals. A lonely wood dancefloor greets me as I make my way up to the main stage—the only thing dancing on it right now are lights from above, but that changes quickly.
The night’s headliner, Mustard Pimp took the stage around 9:30 pm and unleashed a funky, dry bass under an energetic disco house beat. The accompanying visuals projected onto the three overhead screens mimic the flowing transitions of the DJs. The set is a great flow of disco house with varying rhythms and sounds that keep me from getting bored of any of the songs. The towering dome ceiling echoes the invigorating funky beat throughout the Avalon. The stage is flanked with speakers the size of a refrigerator, carefully suspended just above the now large crowd that has been drawn to the remodeled disco beats pounding from the main stage.
The upstairs normal seating area is tiered with plush cushions and tables where people can relax and enjoy a great view of the main stage and eye-catching visuals. Next to the seating you can see the audio engineers observing the main stage while subconsciously moving to the beats of the DJ. I’m at eye level with a sea of various sized disco balls and a light show that draws my eye down to the DJ. The visuals transition into many random things—from your classic Windows-like geometric screen saver to retro cartoons and dancing skeletons. It’s hard not to get caught up as the excitement grows on the dancefloor.
The crowd is mostly what you’d expect to see at a club—girls in skintight short dresses and towering heels. A few leaked ravers can be seen through their fluffy tails and the lights.
Males are in typical casual meets dressy attire. The club world has collided with the raver world.
This was my first time at Avalon and I would gladly revisit if given the chance.
Mustard Pimp “Catastrophe Mixtape Series Vol 10″ (free download via their SoundCloud page)
