Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Spam N Eggs, the favorite party of Los Angeles, got absolutely insane last Thursday night.
When I got word from Transparent Agency early on that DEAN would be performing at Spam N Eggs, I immediately requested a press pass in anticipation of things going down the right way. Spam N Eggs is a party … a throwback to the classic days of raves with changing locations and DJ lineups, before all types of techno was lumped into the one label of EDM. It never has a set date and you gotta keep your eye out for the announcement of the events or you might just miss it! If you love to dance, party, and enjoy hearing an array of amazing DJs spin live, Spam N Eggs is your perfect event, and this one was no exception.
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The day before the event, though, we got word that outside press had been cut off. I immediately had a sad, but once I got myself composed and stopped hulking out, I reached out and asked if we could do it fan-account style and they agreed to let us in as press. Empanada was banned, but my trusty crappy cell phone had gotten a major overhaul and a new battery. I was ready to rumble!
This time, it was thrown at Club Bound L.A. which has apparently become the favored location in Koreatown for all kinds of events (and was the club that our nugu faves BgA filmed their choreo)! The moment word got around that DEAN was performing, the event sold out so fast that people were desperately trying bid for aftermarket tickets online. As such, when we got to the club the line was literally around the block because people had started lining up before the sun had gone down.
When the crowd was finally allowed in, they filled the place to capacity as was promised. The VIP section was stacked with Transparent Agency family members like Far East Movement and Dumbfoundead; mixed with ISAtv heads and heavy hitters like Dan AKA Dan and Rekstizzy. Ben Baller was also there with Tiny and a whole collection of music industry monsters hiding in corners of booths watching the place overflow with thirsty fans waiting to see DEAN croon them outta their panties.
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DJ Zo spun the crowd through current and classic hip-hop and R&B, mixed in some mild EDM, and kept the crowd pumped as they waited hours outside then hours crammed on the dance floor for DEAN.
Here’s the thing, and for those of you who’ve been to K-pop shows you can attest to this, but the people who go to K-pop shows … they don’t dance. They just stand there, a massive group of people either staring at their phones or staring at the stage waiting. It’s incredibly awkward, especially when K-pop fans come to events that aren’t K-pop. DEAN isn’t K-pop, and Spam N Eggs is a rave, so the visual of everyone just standing there and staring at DJ Zo while he spun at a rave was more like witnessing a cult waiting for the Kool-Aid to kick in.
Dumbfoundead actually got fed up enough that he got on the mic right before DEAN came out and said something like, “This is the last mix! This ain’t no K-pop show! I wanna see you dance! I don’t wanna see robots! If I see two of you doing the exact same moves, I’m kickin’ your ass out!”
DJ Zo then proceeded to spin his last song, and the crowd went K-pop wild, which means they put their hands up and swayed to some non-existent breeze.
Then DEAN finally hit the stage and people predictably went nuts! He got up on stage in his jeans, white shirt, baseball cap, and camel-colored blazer, lookin’ like that one college professor you’d consider getting freaky with to up your crappy grade, and sang his heart out. Girls screamed so loud around me that I couldn’t hear the music at one point. I have never seen so many people body roll in an audience in all my life! And I’ve seen some shit! He grooved on stage, as fans reached and pawed at him, and he sung songs like “21” and “I’m Not Sorry“.
DEAN’s voice is exactly how it sounds on the singles, by the way, and I’m not even kidding with you. There’s usually some type of variation from mixing and producing, but he sounds exactly the same and it’s almost creepy.
Can we also take a moment and giggle like schoolgirls at the way DEAN dances? Because seriously, at first I couldn’t understand this massive collective thirst for his ass, but after seeing him live, I might actually understand a bit of it. He’s just so adorable.
When the show ended, people immediately scattered, either to the bathroom or the bar, and we could finally breathe on the dance floor.
In any case, the thing I came away with from the night was that if you get the chance to catch DEAN live, definitely do it.
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Thank you to Transparent Agency and Spam N Eggs for letting me come thru!
