We caught up with rapper Dame55 and asked him about his musical beginnings, current projects and upcoming shows. 


1. How long have you been performing? Do you play any instruments?
I've been performing as the artist dame 55 for about a two years, but prior to that I was in a couple groups and also went to the school of performing arts in San Diego and Cincinnati, which I performed in musicals since the age of 9.

You know the funny thing, I didn't play any instruments, but a couple weeks ago I bought an Orbit 2 synthesizer in order for me to hit singing notes a lot smoother on stage. Needless to say, I'm learning to play the piano!

2. How'd you get the name dame 55?
I got the name dame and the name 55 separate from each other. I was in a group about two years ago and went by the name dame. Eventually, my friends starting calling me 55 because my obsession with Rebel Without A Cause and James Dean.

3. Are there any artists you look up to? Who are some of your influences?

I'm a huge Kurt Cobain fan because of the time I grew up, he was one only man who spoke to me and represented my generation. I also have had amazing mentors who i have worked with such as Boys Noize,will.i.am , and the entire Black Eyes Peas camp. Artist that embody my influences would be MIA, Beastie Boys, MOS DEF, NAS, Daft Punk and a bit of what made the shape of punk to come.

4. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard it before?
Electro/grunge/ hip hop acid trance...but I get a lot of my style from my love for comic books. It sounds like a good graphic novel.

5. Can you describe your first time on stage?
Dang, to be honest I cant really remember the first time on stage. I can remember the first time playing in front of my first sold out crowd. It was early this year in February, opening up for Wale at the Roxy. It was crazy man. I was stupid nervous about rapping my lyrics in front that big of audience.

6. What are some of your favorite songs to perform on stage?
Savour the Moment, "Holy Brap," my cover to Bart B Mores track and I think "Hold On" produced by Rusko.

7. Are you working on any projects at the moment?
Yes, I'm working on my next installment of whoisthepopkiller pt.2 Free Thinking is Expensive. Also my first full length cartoon that will be out next year.


8. Where can we catch you next? Any upcoming shows?
Yes, I have a couple shows coming up in Arizona, Seattle but other then that you can catch me @ South by Southwest in Texas next year.

9. What's the best piece of advice someone ever gave you?
This music industry is political race, never stop making music and stay away from bullshit you can avoid.

10. Anything else you'd like to add?
For all my vigilante's who are popkilla's keep your eyes on the prize, check for the bow tie line t.a.b.b. at thinkabitbigger.com and also remember the underground is the new mainstream!

For more information about dame55, visit:
whoisthepopkiller.com

The Hollywood Palladium was sold out Saturday night as fans flocked to hear David Guetta's bass thumping beats. A handful of unfortunate fans were turned away from the venue for having counterfeit tickets, which were purchased for $100 each. Those with legit tickets were able to enjoy the sounds of David Guetta, Manufactured Superstars and Joaquin Bamaca. Even Black Eyed Peas' members will.i.am and Apl de Ap made a cameo joining Guetta onstage.

Inside the Palladium, Joaquin Bamaca and Manufactured Superstars opened the show each spinning two-hour sets, playing Top 40 hits to get the crowd warmed up for Guetta. We saw light shows both on the large LED screen as well as from intoxicated attendees wanting to really "feel" the music. As with any rave, the music wasn't the only thing attendees were feeling as they massaged each other and huddled in cuddle puddles. The show was actually a bit tame compared to the likes of Monster Massive or the Electric Daisy Carnival. Regardless, party-goers enjoyed the night and danced for hours on end.

DJ's took the crowd on an emotional, high-energy journey with slow beats that progressively escalated to fast, loud and in your face house music. The crowd was engaged and sang along with arms in the air to popular songs.

As soon as David Guetta hit the stage at midnight, the crowd screamed in excitement. Before playing, "Getting Over You," his latest, popular track, he told the crowd,

"I'm so happy to be here tonight. You have no idea. So listen, I've been on tour in South America playing every night in a stadium for three weeks. Tonight is my last night and I'm ready to party. I'm ready to celebrate. I'm ready to get drunk. I'm ready to get crazy and all I want to know is, are you ready to party?"

Guetta pumped up the crowd doing fist pumps of his own.




If you were unable to attend the show, here's a snippet of the beginning of Guetta's performance.


His set was complete with robots on stilts shooting laser beams into the audience.




We even heard a "Like a G6" Far East Movement mix:



We also heard Flo Ridas' "Can't Handle Me" mix:


The crowd sang in unison to, "Time of My Life" (Black Eyed Peas version):


One of the highlights was when Black Eyed Peas member Apl de Ap performed "The Dirty Bit" with Guetta.


Fortunately, the show was energetic and party-goers in the crowd were amped. The DJ's definitely played up the progressive moments, especially Guetta, who never let down the high-energy beats. If you were "raving" that night, then the music definitely played to your emotions. For those that were there to hear Guetta's biggest radio hits, you were probably disappointed because they weren't played back to back, but rather spread out throughout a course of hours. In between his mainstream radio hits, house music was played. Although we felt like the night was dragging a bit, having been on our feet since 7:30pm, we were amazed at how enthused and relentless the crowd was. Guetta was definitely the main catalyst in creating the party atmosphere that night.

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About the Author

Formerly an editor and writer at Citysearch, The Examiner, LA Youth Newspaper and proofreader at The Los Angeles Daily News, Christy Buena decided to start Disarray Magazine because she missed writing what she wanted. From hiring writers, to contacting publicists and making assignments, Christy is responsible for the editorial strategy of Disarray Magazine.
Questions, comments or suggestions? Contact Christy@disarraymagazine.com
Twitter.com/ChristyBuena

The Hollywood Castle was the hotspot Saturday night as hundreds of Angelenos gathered at the private event to celebrate the official launch of First Class Marketing's ItsMyFreakingBirthday.com, a site dedicated to throwing unforgettable parties whether in the Hollywood Hills, on a yacht, at a mansion or at the hottest Hollywood clubs. The event also doubled as a birthday party for First Class Marketing founder Elias Zepeda and went off without a hitch.

Party-goers were transported to the exclusive Hollywood Castle via shuttles and enjoyed an open bar sponsored by Asahi, Blue Ice Vodka, Amp Energy Drink and Coca Cola. Inside the castle, DeeJayHem and Jayson Aquino provided the soundtracks for the evening. The location was nothing short but gorgeous with views overlooking the city. Additionally, the castle was equipped with your typical medieval times decor including knights, coat of arms and furniture from the era. Did we mention there was a pony at the castle? If this launch party was any indication of the type of celebrations thrown by It's My Freaking Birthday, then you guys are in for a treat as these guys know how to show guests an amazing time.

Have a birthday coming up? Check out: www.itsmyfreakingbirthday.com for pricing and packages.

L to R: Founder Elias Zepeda with Rashid Byrd and Mary Alexia

Hollywood Castle

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About the Author

Formerly an editor and writer at Citysearch, The Examiner, LA Youth Newspaper and proofreader at The Los Angeles Daily News, Christy Buena decided to start Disarray Magazine because she missed writing what she wanted. From hiring writers, to contacting publicists and making assignments, Christy is responsible for the editorial strategy of Disarray Magazine.
Questions, comments or suggestions? Contact Christy@disarraymagazine.com
Twitter.com/ChristyBuena

"This is a show, not a concert so if you're not going to dance, go to the back," Mayer Hawthorne told the crowd at the sold out Music Box in Hollywood Friday night. He also exclaimed that the "Pee Wee's Playhouse word of the day" was "FUN." Without a doubt, the statement set the tone for the last stop on the  Mazda2Music Tour, which transformed the Music Box into a giant dance party. There was absolutely no shortage of fun as Hawthorne and The County had the audience singing along to soulful croons, silky harmonies and smooth falsettos all night.


If you've never heard Mayer Hawthorne, his music is reminiscent of 1950's-1960's R&B soul, and it's no wonder the artist is gaining street cred from mainstream acts including Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and John Mayer. See what Snoop Dogg had to say about Hawthorne:



Looking around at the attendees in the venue, it was clear that good music attracts a diverse crowd. We saw fans ranging from teens to middle-aged parents excited to listen to Hawthorne. The silky smooth harmonies of The County made the show complete.



There was something about this show that stood out from all the concerts we've attended in the past. Perhaps it was the Mayerettes' synchronized choreography or maybe it was the matching red cardigan sweaters worn by the band or the level of audience engagement, but whatever it was, we loved every second of it.

Check out our coverage of "The Ills." Watch the dancers (Mayerettes):



These guys deliver an entertaining show and even taught the crowd how to do the "Errol Flynn" dance move, which reminded us of Beyonce's "Put a Ring On It" hand-movement.

See live footage here (courtesy of Disarray Magazine):


Check out some live footage courtesy of WhiteFlightBD and see the swagger brought to you by Hawthorne and The County as they performed a new song titled, "No Strings."


As soon as "Maybe So, Maybe No," was performed, the audience cheered and sang along to the entire tune. The crowd also went crazy as soon as Hawthorne infused a few cover songs into his set including Snoop Dogg's "Gangsta Luv." Hawthorne also performed notable tracks, "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out," "The Ills," "Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin," and anew track titled, "No Strings."

Hawthorne finished his set with Empire of the Sun's "We Are the People." Check out our coverage:



After-party

After the performance, we headed to the rooftop where Hawthorne was DJ-ing (without a laptop.) He was spinning old school jams, which kept the dance party going. Here are some photos:








Make sure to check out Mayer Hawthorne in concert. We can guarantee an energetic and engaging performance. For more information, visit:

http://www.stonesthrow.com/mayerhawthorne
http://www.myspace.com/mayerhawthorne

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About the Author

Formerly an editor and writer at Citysearch, The Examiner, LA Youth Newspaper and proofreader at The Los Angeles Daily News, Christy Buena decided to start Disarray Magazine because she missed writing what she wanted. From hiring writers, to contacting publicists and making assignments, Christy is responsible for the editorial strategy of Disarray Magazine.
Questions, comments or suggestions? Contact Christy@disarraymagazine.com
Twitter.com/ChristyBuena



Were you at this show? Let us know what you thought of it! 

L.A. Fashion Week wrapped up two weeks ago but the Beverly Hills Fashion Festival curbed any chance of runway withdrawals by showcasing collections from Elie Tahari, Teresa Rosati, William Rast and H. Lorenzo, this past Saturday.

Nestled next to The Beverly Hilton, the event attracted an affluent crowd dressed to the nines. Like most fashion shows nowadays, vendors were on display. The only difference here was that the attendees weren't too interested in the various booths. We saw a few people at Custo Barcelona, Young Fabulous & Broke, Leslie Fastlicht Russo Jewelry, Aireheart by Sydney, Gypsy05, Skin by Monica Olsen, Per-fekt, Tahiti My Pearl, Isharya and others, but overall the vendors themselves looked bored.

And unlike other L.A. Fashion Week events, the open bar was missing, but there were plenty of food trucks including Sprinkles Cupcakes, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Cart for a Cause and Global Soul.

As soon as festival goers were in their seats and ready to see Elie Tahari's line, a representative from Israel's  Shenkar College of Engineering and Design thanked Tahari and BHFF for benefitting their scholarship program. After the short speech, models graced the runway sporting stylish hair courtesy of Paul Mitchell. Tahari's collection consisted of an abundance of gold dresses and gowns adorned with sequins and some with lace.








See our full runway coverage:



An hour later, Teresa Rosati debuted elaborate and intricately designed gowns fit for any red carpet event. Bravo's reality star Jonathan Antin, introduced the designer. As soon the first gown hit the catwalk, the audience cheered and applauded. This was the theme throughout the entire show. Almost every outfit was welcomed with claps and whistles. See some of the amazing gowns below:








Check out our slide show for full runway coverage:



At 7pm, the William Rast line opened with a captivating and energetic dance number. After the performance, the audience waited in anticipation for Justin Timberlake to come out. (We didn't see him).

The collection consisted of military colors combined with rugged denim, leather and an array of coats.

 See our favorite looks below:










Full runway coverage of the William Rast collection below:




Finally, the last collection to take the catwalk at 9pm was H.Lorenzo presenting Michel Berandi, Olima Atelier and SKINGRAFT. Before the show, we got a sneak peek at The Linor Documentary Project, which was put together by Linor Abargil in an effort to spread the word on rape and help victims tell their story. A portion of the proceeds from the event went to the Teddy Bear Clinic for abused children in Soweto, South Africa.

Next, the much anticipated line of the night was set to hit the catwalk: H. Lorenzo. The last time we saw the SKINGRAFT line was at the Concept LA installation back in March. It was great to see the clothing in movement on the runway.

We saw not only black outfits but overall neutral tones including grays, creams and beige paired with feathers, see-through tops, leather, hooded sweaters and dresses.









For more looks, check out our full runway coverage.



While the event inaugural event was a runway success, there was some room for improvement. For one, red carpet arrivals were timed too close to show time, leaving photographers scrambling from the red carpet to the riser. We would have also preferred to have two designers showcase their lines back to back, rather than waiting one hour between showings. Second, those seated in their designated seats were asked to move closer to the runway only to be kicked out by attendees who were assigned to sit in the exact spot. Third, it's probably not a good idea to turn the lights off completely while people are still in the process of finding their seats.

Overall, the fashion was impressive and we have faith that the small kinks will be ironed out by next year's event.