Photos: Masquerade 2014

Written by
Lucent Dossier Experience by Lindsey Best
Lucent Dossier Experience by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Photo by Lindsey Best
Les Sins crowd by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Minutes before the doors opened for KCRW hosted its 6th annual Masquerade Costume Ball and Dance Party, a thunderous drum line, horn section, accordion player and assorted other musicians led by Noah Lit swept members of the Lucent Dossier Experience, who were gathered at the bottom of the impressive grand staircase awaiting attendees, into an soaring, roaring song that was the only proper kick off to an evening such as this.

The gypsy jazz ensemble, Noah and the Megafauna, traveled the haunted halls of the Legendary Park Plaza Hotel from the famed staircase to the back lot food truck hang out all night long, while the fantastically costumed vaudeville troupe Lucent Dossier dazzled party-goers from the moment they entered the event.

Noah and the Megafauna by Lindsey Best
Noah and the Megafauna by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Lucent Dossier Experience by Lindsey Best
Lucent Dossier Experience by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
KCRW DJ group photo with cheerleader/blog editor RR by Brenda Janairo
KCRW DJ group photo with cheerleader/blog editor RR by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

A group of KCRW DJs had just gathered for a group photo before splitting off to get behind the decks and enjoy the festivities as fans.

Hollie Cook by Brenda Janairo
Hollie Cook by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

I headed straight for reggae goddess Hollie Cook, who did not disappoint.

Watching a prisoner, a rabbit, a Girl Scout and the Pope get down to some dub-style tunes never ceases to amaze me.

The amazingly costumed attendees seemed to fill up the venue within minutes. Unlike other years, I rarely saw any costumes repeated.

Everything was original, creative and sexy/scary/fun.

While Tom Vek held court in the upstairs Grand Ballroom, treating us to a rockin’ set with just the right amount of punk attitude and dance beats to please a party, LA’s own Fool’s Gold brought influences from around the world into the Bronze Room.

Tom Vek by Lindsey Best
Tom Vek by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Fool's Gold by Brenda Janairo
Fool’s Gold by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Later in the evening, Tokimonsta was all smiles as she led an epic dance party while across the hall, Chris Malinchak, Bonobo and Les Sins played to an always-packed Terrace room.

As with every year, it all went by too fast and I missed too much but was fully entertained from the minute I arrive to the minute I left!

Tokimonsta by Lindsey Best
Bonobo by Lindsey Best
Bonobo by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Brenda Janairo
by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole
KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Lindsey Best
by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
DJValida by Lindsey Best
DJValida by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Brenda Janairo
by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Brenda Janairo
by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Jason Bentley by Brenda Janairo
Jason Bentley by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Brenda Janairo
by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
DJ Chris Muckley
DJ Chris Muckley (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
EJL export45
DJ Eric J Lawrence by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Bella Donnas by Brenda Janairo
Bella Donnas by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
photo by Lindsey Best
photo by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
DJ Marion Hodges by Brenda Janairo
DJ Marion Hodges by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
DJ RaulCampos aka Senor Discos by Brenda Janairo
DJ RaulCampos aka Senor Discos by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
french royalty brenda janairo export26 sm
by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Dan Wilcox by Lindsey Best
Dan Wilcox by Lindsey Best (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Travis Holcombe by Brenda Janairo
Travis Holcombe by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Timothy Norris
by Timothy Norris (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
by Brenda Janairo
by Brenda Janairo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)