Chris MartinsOver the past year, West Coast Sound has hipped you to a number of free nights thrown by Calling All Kids. The weekly event — Friday nights at Silver Lake's Hyperion Tavern — has featured DJ sets from Flying Lotus and Lucky Dragons, plus live performances by Nite Jewel and Serengeti, among others, along with the always present selection of tasty beers and tastier beats chosen by the night's organizers.
In fact, it was a year ago that C.A.K.'s founders — Sodapop, a.k.a. Anticon Records label manager Shaun Koplow, and Matthewdavid, a.k.a. Matthew McQueen, who works with Alpha Pup Records and Dublab — kicked this thing off, and they're celebrating that fact this Friday.
[We talk to Koplow and McQueen after the jump.]
“We just wanted an excuse to DJ more often,” said Koplow, “and a night to call our own, something open-ended [musically]. It's totally surpassed our expectations. Our guests can be people who normally play much larger venues, or people that nobody knows at all.”
Tending toward the former are this week's guest DJs. L.A.'s own Dntel (Postal Service, James Figurine) will be spinning, as will Anticon's cult-legendary soundsmiths Odd Nosdam and Jel. According to McQueen, a few other treats will be on hand as well: a limited mix CD going out to the first patrons of the night, collectible anniversary posters designed by Jesselisa Morretti, and, he hopes, soft pretzels courtesy of Hyperion Tavern owner Jens Hommert, who also owns the Speranza restaurant down the road.
“I think there are many spots in the city that are specified to a sound or crowd,” said McQueen, asked about his night's place in the greater L.A. scene, “but our night was started to provide an outlet for our eclectic tastes — to get folks energized to hear a variety of music regardless of genre.”
As for what's next, Koplow and McQueen plan on starting a Calling All Kids blog and hope to branch out into throwing special events at warehouse spaces or galleries, though they plan on the weekly gathering staying at the Tavern.
“We just need to upgrade that sound system in there,” says McQueen. “It will trip on a really loud band, or when [Low End Theory regular] Kutmah DJs.”
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