- Going to Saturday night's Get Lost with Damian Lazarus and friends was like walking into a Paul Verhoeven wet dream. It was a tribute to decadence taking place in a symbol of decadence, LA's Exchange, the former home of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange. At the bar: If you look down to your ankles, you'll find a frieze with naked women (frozen in carbonate) at ankle height. The hallways are something out of Basic Instinct, and the main room could double for the Stardust in Showgirls. You've got glitter guns and plasma projecting futurist-techno graphics. You have cold marble surfaces and laser shows. A giant disco ball descends repeatedly. It was sold out, and it was all chaotic theater.
Photo credit: Chris Soltis
Get Lost, the Crosstown family showcase, is a several-times-a-year blowout, usually taking place in exotic locales like Machu Pichau or Miami. Specifically, this second annual LA iteration of Get Lost is the pre-party to one of America's most explicit gatherings of adults celebrating isolationism, self-indulgence and self-expression: Burning Man. Downstairs in the basement space, Infinity Ink ran through a set to an engaged crowd in the small club room with Ali Love supplying some live vocals. Johnny White and then Jamie Jones delivered strong sets in the main room.
Photo credit: Chris Soltis
Between the switch from Jones to Lazarus, the original moon landing recordings of Neil Armstrong (RIP) + Co. played over arpeggiated spaced dust melodies for several minutes, though it seems this could have gotten lost on most of the crowd. Lazarus descended on the stage like a mad scientist, donning a wickedly anachronistic hat while laying down a solid set of contemporary cuts. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic throughout the evening, proving that this sound resonates loudly with Angelenos.
Photo credit: Chris Soltis
However, like a festival, stacking the lineup means limiting your DJs' ability to go to more exotic places than the ones to be expected. It would be interesting to see the party attempt an open air space in the future, instead of having to rely on the most predictable element of LA nightlife: the megaclub. But, all in all, a mini-festival very well played.