SHOW REVIEW: Fred again.. @ The Shrine

Fred again..

One Week With Fred Again..

Halloweekend is a sinister yet quintessential part of the American college student’s experience. The moon is full, the elixirs are strong, & spirits are lurking about. In tandem with this year’s Halloweekend, Fred again.. haunted the Shrine for a week-long residency – 8 sold out shows at the Shrine. Known for his laid back persona & usage of voice memos from strangers, friends, & lovers within his music, Fred again has taken the electronic music scene by storm. After my dear friend Gretchen purchased the tickets & rallied our chums together, I had the opportunity to see Fred again grace the Shrine on the first night of his LA residency. 

After kicking the night off with a BBQ, we began our journey to the Shrine. As we got closer, we joined the great flock of Fraternity brothers walking over from 28th street who were attending the event. We saw a joy in their eyes that is only comparable to a child’s joy on Christmas morning. Before entering the Shrine, we could feel the bass pulsing. As we entered the Fred againverse, spirits were high & two-stepping with anticipation. Big screens lit up at the front of the Shrine, displaying a random guy expressing his thoughts that Fred again most likely encountered on the street. Flashing blue lights on the ceiling twinkled like stars. Everyone in the crowd whipped out their phones for the great reveal – Fred again had arrived. 

Fred again stepped up to the CDJ & began to work his magic. Starting off strong with “Kyle (i found you),” the crowd began to sing along immediately. Like most of his work, the main refrain of the song is a random voice memo. “I found you beautiful, exploding.” A part of me does wonder if the strangers, friends, & lovers included in his music are being paid for the usage of their voice – if not, that’s a story for another time. 

Much to my dismay, the crowd was kinda lame. Many people did not dance, let loose, & let the music take control. The crowd was bent on recording the entire concert. Twenty minutes into his set, Fred again parted the crowd as if it were the Red Sea & walked to the center of the floor – where an additional CDJ was planted. One of the gargantuan screens from the ceiling was placed above him, creating a temporary place to DJ. Phones everywhere flew into the air to capture this moment, with the people around me treating his presence like Christ on Palm Sunday. The crowd was absolutely rabid for this bloke. While in the middle of the Shrine, Fred again started to play a lot of jungle based music, departing from his laid back house style. As a big fan of jungle/drum n bass, I went absolutely insane.

When Fred Again went back to the CDJ at the front of house, he began to tone things down – bringing the sound down to a subtle synth. As he began to thank the crowd for the love & support he’s been receiving, flickers of 070 Shake began to appear on the screen. Once I saw 070 Shake on the screen I knew EXACTLY what Fred was doing. Bringing the energy back up, Fred began to play one of my personal favorites – “Danielle (smile on my face).” Once the song concluded, Fred again ended his first night at the Shrine. 

After the show, the streets around the Shrine were filled with festivities – hot dogs, fake merch, & many discombobulated folks wandering about. With the full moon out, shining down on us, the spirit of Halloween & Fred again week filled the air – unleashing a special kind of hysteria & chaos sweep through people.

- DJ MENSA AKA Meena Aspeytia