Event Review: A Club Called Rhonda with Ben UFO & Midland
Since it’s inception in 2008, Rhonda has become a central character in L.A.’s nightlife.
In Los Angeles today, it’s notoriously difficult to establish a brand tied to dance music. It’s even more difficult to cross genre boundaries and host a party that represents one thing: a place to go and dance. But somehow, “A Club Called Rhonda” has managed to do just that, gathering Angelenos together from all different corners of this vast city to celebrate dance culture underneath her shiny, silver legs.
Since its inception in 2008, Rhonda has become a central figure in L.A.’s nightlife. Everyone who has attended the event has their “first Rhonda story,” one they will gladly impart upon you with a kind of starry-eyed bewilderment typically reserved for retelling a movie star chance encounter. One of the great things about her is that she doesn’t compromise herself to suit the average Friday night clubgoer, and if you find yourself trying to take Rhonda’s measurements and fit her into a neat little box, you’re missing the point entirely. Another thing Rhonda is known for is the “holy shit!” lines that start to pile up right around 10 pm. Be prepared to wait and be prepared to do so looking fabulous. Showing up to Rhonda without a strong look is like showing up to a first date in your pajamas.
Once inside, you can either head into the bottom section with one of the louder Funktion One sound arrangements we’ve ever heard, or start out a bit steamier in the upstairs area. We chose the latter and slowly soaked up the pounding house music and DJ stylings of South London Ordnance and Jacques Greene.
DJs are excited to play at Rhonda and it shows in the reach and diversity of their bookings. Chatting with Jacques (real name Patrick) right before he went on to perform really let us know we were in the right place. He had played a few Rhonda parties in the past and couldn’t wait to get back on the decks. Soon after he took over from the warm and pulsating sounds of South London Ordnance, he was dropping selections that had the whole dance floor in a locked groove, all while sporting a beige Members Only jacket. Respect.
Downstairs—once you get over the immediate 10 degree temperature increase—it was hard-hitting disco soundtracked by the touring duo of Ben UFO and Midland. They traded off every few tracks and it was clear who was on the decks at any given time, with Ben offering up disco and house, and Midland lobbing his signature brand of techy basslines and throbbing drums. As the night when on, the pulsating strobe lights dictated the atmosphere just as much as the music, while Ben and Midland brought sustained peak time vibes for the better part of 4 hours.
As we said before, people come to Rhonda to dance, plain and simple. There may be some pomp and circumstance surrounding her events, but this is legitimately the best above ground dance party in Los Angeles, without question. It may not have been the grimy, patio-sprawled days of El Cid, or the sheer scope of the epic 333 parties that included everyone from Morgan Geist to Kevin Saunderson, but it still has that elusive aura that every party strives for.
Some may disagree (they always do), but honestly, there hasn’t been such force and magnitude of raw dancefloor energy since the glory days of DEEP. Rhonda is for the unabashed. She speaks to her friends directly and makes them feel welcome even in the most difficult of times. Rhonda is your best friend and your mother. She will always take you out and show you the world, and she will also be there when you need a shoulder to cry on.
On Friday June 5th, A Club Called Rhonda will be hosting a party at Los Globos with Greg Wilson, JD Samson, Tevo Howard, and Recloose. You can buy tickets for this event on Ticketfly, and you can find out more information by visiting their website:
