JANELLE MONÁE’S WONDAWEEN
Janelle Monáe DJs an exclusive 1,000-person Halloween celebration at a secret Santa Monica location. Costumes, Bacardi, and pier rides under the full moon made for an unforgettable Wondaween debut.
Artist: Janelle Monáe
Venue: Vampire Beach (Santa Monica).
Date: Oct. 30, 2025
Only 1,000 people knew where they were going. Janelle Monáe's inaugural Wondaween festival kept its location secret until days before, revealing itself as a private takeover of the Santa Monica Pier. The "select 1000" arrived in full vampire beach regalia—fangs and swimsuits, capes and sunglasses, glitter and fake blood—ready for what Wondaland promised would be "a next level costumed celebration."
They delivered.
The entire pier belonged to the Wondaweenies for the night. Free Bacardi drink tickets, carnival rides, and Janelle herself behind the decks, DJ-ing from a booth designed like a lifeguard post, pink and blue lights washing over the crowd as the Pacific Ocean stretched out behind her. Above it all, a full moon.
For over an hour, she curated pure joy. When "We Are Young" dropped, a thousand voices sang back. When "Float" came on, the crowd lost it—hands up, bodies moving, that specific ecstasy that comes from hearing the right song at exactly the right moment.
Between sets, people rode the ferris wheel in costume, the view of the ocean and moon at night feeling like something out of childhood—like watching Rocket Power and imagining what California nights could be. Strangers became friends on the roller coaster. Everyone's inner child got to play.
It felt communal in a way most concerts don't. Intimate. Curated. Like Janelle had invited 1,000 friends to celebrate Halloween the way it's supposed to be celebrated: with costumes, music, and permission to be free.
Vampire Beach wasn't just a theme. It was an invitation to remember what it feels like to dress up and play. If you get a chance, do not miss Wondaween.
Renata Flores
Renata Flores, the ‘Queen of Quechua Rap’ performed an intimate stripped down set at UC Riverside just days before performing a sold out show at the Hollywood Bowl.
Artist: Renata Flores
Venue: UC Riverside
Date: Oct. 22, 2025
Renata Flores, the Queen of Quechua Rap, brought her stripped-down set to UC Riverside just days after playing the Hollywood Bowl with Shawn Mendes. The Peruvian artist opened on grand piano, sharing stories about her grandma and learning Quechua. She mentioned how her songs are first written on piano, though she rarely gets to perform them that way. This night was different, intimate.
Renata went viral in 2015 with a Quechua cover of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel," learning the language at 13 with help from her grandmother. Now she fuses trap and hip-hop with Andean instruments, revitalizing a language spoken by millions but long stigmatized in mainstream culture. Her lyrics tackle indigenous rights, female empowerment, and state violence. Between songs, she played Quechua versions of trap, her voice moving effortlessly between genres. She taught us a few Quechua words, the crowd of all ages repeating them back.
Language as resistance. Music as preservation. Ranata Flores doing both with stunning clarity.
BAMBU
Filipino-American hip-hop veteran Bambu debuts "Their Burning the Boats" at The Paramount in Boyle Heights, joined by Faith Santilla, Klassy, and DJ Phattrick. A night of unapologetically militant Filipino hip-hop and culture in East LA.
Artist: Bambu; Klassy; DJ WenLuv; DJ Phattrick
Venue: The Paramount (L.A.).
Date: Oct. 10, 2025
Bambu sold out The Paramount in Boyle Heights for his last US show of 2025. The Filipino-American hip-hop veteran had dropped his new EP the night before, "Their Burning the Boats." The EP's title comes from Spanish conquistadors burning their ships upon arrival in Mexico, forcing conquest through blood. That web of colonialism connects Mexico, the Philippines, and Los Angeles. Bambu traces those lines, the Black and Brown solidarity and resistance against empire, in every bar.
Keffiyehs in the crowd. DJ WenLuv opened with a set that had the room bumping early, then DJ Phattrick took over the 1s and 2s for Klassy. Halfway through Bambu's set, Faith Santilla stepped up. She spoke about the Community Self-Defense Coalition, the work being done to resist ICE, blessed us with sharp prose, gave a lesson in anti-imperialist solidarity that drew the line from Palestine to East LA. When Bambu came back out, the energy was different: sharper, heavier, the crowd locked in.
Shooting this night was special. Watching mga kasama, fellow Filipino artists and cultural workers creating for the culture, here in Boyle Heights, reminded me why Kilig exists. Music for the culture, serving the people. Unapologetically militant, alive, and loud.
