Lina LecaroWe knew it! Bumming out over missing music at Coachella does not last long in LA as there is always so much to do the week afterward, often featuring bands or DJs who were at the fest. From legit gigs (Lauryn Hill last night at Nokia) to unannounced-til-week-of DJ sets (JFK of Death From Above 1979 at Dim Mak Studios Tuesday) to corporate bashes taking advantage of the biggies in the vicinity. Last night The Strokes packed the old Robinsons/May space and parking lot in Beverly Hills for T-Mobile's Sidekick 4G Party, a tented event that had so many goodies and amusements, it surely brought back Coachella flashbacks for some.
A trio of Onesies.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Thrown by Bolthouse Productions, who also did the desert bash, 944 & A/X Neon Carnival, the party offered lazer tag, photo booths, games, a mini karaoke recording studio, a pizza and ice cream parlour, sushi from Katsuya, and tons of flowing booze. There was also a pop shop featuring merch from Juicy, Vans and fleece OnePiece jumpsuits (a new fashion trend we've been seeing around since Perez Hilton gave them away at his b-day soiree). We might all be sick of wristbands at this point, but the ones at 4SKG's party were special. Similar to Coachella's, they had a chip of some sort inside which guests scanned at various posts throughout the event, earning a token. The tokens were then used for swag in the giftshop. Of course, everyone had to sign up to participate, which means T-Mobile now has a ton of tastemaker email addresses, something that will surely come in handy for the company as it fights to stay in the celly game dominated by iPhones and Blackberry's. They definitely spared no expense on the party.
As for The Strokes, they earned the mega-bucks these types of gigs yield. We've been to many of 'em and the band did not phone it in (pun intended), serving up a mix of hits from Is This It and Room On Fire. The guitars and drums were sharp and robust, and Julian Casablancas' lazy vocals glided around and on top of them in way that, like the cuts on their records, were complimentary, cocky and undeniably cool. Maybe the band is a bit too cool (Casablancas never took off his black shades) but as far as we're concerned they get to be.
Sidekickin it in the crowd.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
The band was obviously in a groove and though company parties tend to feature only about 5-6 songs, it felt like they could've and would've played more. Unfortunately the shindig got so packed, the Fire Marshall paid a visit during their set and the live music stopped after about that many. Casablancas apologized for ending it that soon, but no one was disappointed. It was a fantastic set. His last words as he left the stage, “Hope we get paid!”
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.