Impressions: Sunday Vibes at Boomyard LA, Cali’s Best New Dancehall Party

Words by LargeUp
Photos by Sean Maung

We’ve been telling everyone who will listen. If you want to experience a propa bashment vibe in L.A., come out to the Boomyard.

Boomyard LA, which takes place on the patio of Delicious Pizza, a NY-style pizzeria in LA’s West Adams neighborhood affiliated with record label Delicious Vinyl, has been bringing out the bashment gyal dem every second Sunday of the month since last November. The party, started by music-industry managers Leslie Cooney and Cary Sullivan, features house DJs, Delano of Renaissance Sound and DJ Daneekah, along with guest selectors, which have included LargeUp’s DJ Gravy, Deejay Theory and DJ Rampage. Jovi Rockwell was the first artist to pass through and do a guest set, in December, and since then, things have picked up, with guests including Mr. Vegas, Kreesha Turner and Blacka Di Danca passing through last month. This past Sunday’s edition featured a surprise performance from Shaggy, who stopped by to perform his new single “I Got You” with Jovi Rockwell, and a set from East Coast-based dancehall artist Alandon. Photographer Sean Maung caught the whole thing, from the afternoon “early warm,” to the bere badness on the dancefloor.

Los Angeles is definitely coming up when it comes to Caribbean culture. Hollywood Carnival has become a major event on the calendar, and we’ve seen a wave of Caribbean performers, DJs and dancers relocating to the area, their numbers creating a vibe that Caribbean transplants who moved to the area in earlier times found wanting. Boomyard LA has become a magnet for this growing SoCal massive, as well as for casual reggae/dancehall enthusiasts — and those who just want to buss a lime outside after grabbing a slice of pizza. Come out and you’ll run into people like part-time Cali resident Machel Montano or reggae-loving singer/actor Leon Robinson, while fixtures like the dancers Crazy Hype, Zagga Zo (Dancehall Funk), and Tango Leadaz can be counted on to take the energy to peak levels.

Catch the vibes in Sean’s photos, and, should you find yourself in L.A. on a (second) Sunday, get yourself to the Boomyard.