When you consider an event with Mercedes-Benz , you think upscale, sophistication, and classy; you think of expensive cars, champagne and hors d’oeuvres being passed around by the tray full amongst money grubbing individuals, but add an English “rock” band by the name of BΔSTILLE, and now you’ve got quite the concoction of people all in one building.
From my vague understanding, the MBEvolutionTour , was a strategic promotion in reaching out to a dominant world of young music lovers that enjoy the luxury lifestyle whether affordable or not, on this account free. Forbes explained it best, as I couldn’t find any type of suggestion from anyone even working the event, so I do what I do best by telling you all that went on and all that didn’t from my perspective
Monday evening, I received an invite from a friend and knowing the time I received it, I replied with an rsvp anyway. Shortly after I received a confirmation with the location and I rounded up my partner in crime Efrem. The event was being held at the Palladium Theater which I’ve never been to but would always see it crazy packed with lines wrapped around the building. I assumed that with it being Mercedes-Benz, there wouldn’t be an issue with the time of attendance even though I wanted to get there at least thirty minutes before the doors had opened; bad move on my part.
Mrs. Punctuality over here almost had a heart attack when I saw the line not even an hour into the scheduled time Efrem and I were to meet up. At first, I thought I was at the wrong location because the crowd of people didn’t fit the image that I had set in my mind. Knowing that Efrem would have a field day, I quickly called to warn him while I was driving in circles looking for street parking rather than paying for what the parking lots were offering. The line, the parking and then an outfit malfunction was the start of a disastrous evening. Okay maybe I’m being a little exaggerating, but thankfully the painful expression I had planted on my face caught the attention of an extremely welcoming group of attendees. When looking distraught at the cross walk, this beautiful soul welcomed me to join her and her group of friends who had been in the front of the line. I knew that this would help ease any annoyance Efrem may have and good thing it did even though he quickly whipped out a cigarette as a rare moment. Ironically, aside from my name, I’m as socially awkward as a turtle in a shell. So I graciously stood in the line with the group that invited me.
Once Efrem and I got inside after being split off from our initial group due to our rsvp’s, we immediately went to the photo area before a crowd formed. We weren’t even through the doors necessarily until we realized just how big this place was. By the time we got in the middle of the building, I decided that it was time for us to get some drinks. Doubling up was probably our best bet by the looks of everyone trickling in a lot faster than the line moving from outside. Most events have a signature list of drinks and their sponsor just so happened to be my most hated liquor, Vodka. I’ve continuously said that Vodka taste like rubbing alcohol; it taste just as it smells, and that is one horrible taste. I needed something to get me going and their other sponsored option was Heineken which was not going to be an option for me considering I also hate beer. With it being an open bar, it was a win win situation. Whatever I couldn’t finish I gave to Efrem at no cost. Thankfully they were handing out two flavored popcorn bags to soak up the alcohol so that just evened the score.
The venue was pretty big at two stories high and surprisingly there was so much to do in order to keep all the guest entertained; the MB evolution tour really went all out on this one. It didn’t take very long to see faces amongst the large crowd of people with those I couldn’t stand, those I could barely tolerate and a few I didn’t get a chance to catch up with. To me, it just felt like another dreaded high school reunion in Los Angeles with more foreign exchange students to compensate for the lack of quality. If you’re not familiar with the Hollywood scene you wouldn’t be able to differentiate between the worlds of Hollywood kids and everyone else. Granted, I wasn’t sure about the whole concept of this toured event, but I also didn’t assume it to be a free for all.
The ones I couldn’t stand and those I could only tolerate, truthfully, fall within the same bracket. These are the types of people that are deceiving opportunist. Trust becomes a slippery slope and you soon start to see slithering scales beneath their skin. There isn’t a reciprocal respect factor in Doing for others as you’d want done for yourself, which is why they would step on as many toes with the sharpest pair of cleats just to leverage themselves by a mere inch, so it was no brainer I wasn’t all that enthused in making disingenuous small talk.
While twirling around them, Efrem and I made our way to the dance floor where we whipped our hair to Dj Ruckus . The large screen behind the dj showed different tweets from many of the party goers tweeting out their experiences to the start of the evening
So I jumped on bored and tweeted out the photo Efrem and I took when we first stepped into the building. While being entertained by the music, it took a group of people near by to inform me that our photo had popped up on the screen long enough for me to catch the excitement. I’m here tricks! So I decided to post another one as a follow-up, now how’s that for taking the spotlight. Leave it to me to have a damn typo in the midst of spelling Ruckus, but whatever, it is what is it, a typo.
In any minute, Bastille was ready to make their way to the stage for an epic performance, so we bounced around from one activity to another up until our friend Danica finally made her way in. There were the free shirts where you could select one out of four logo prints. Then there was the bedazzled area where both women and men dazzled all parts of their faces; some looks were cute while some were just stupid and weird. There was the Mercedes-Benz silver stick on tattoos that stayed on with a soaked water sponge, the selfie mirror, another photo booth that did all the smooth editing during the photo taking and last but not least the Bumbys booth.
What the hell is a Bumbys? Apparently they give an honest review of yourself, your identity and character all by the assumption of perception. I was interested to see if they could accurately write my bio or just vaguely write a few detailed paragraphs that were obvious to just about anyone. Unfortunately, by the time it was our turn, they clocked out for the Bastille performance to start.
Really? Womp womp
I wish I could’ve started a business where I got paid to tell people about themselves just by looking at them. We decided to come back after the show was over because now I was even more intrigued considering their hidden identity.
I’ll admit, I had no idea who Bastille was and a few of their songs were old 90’s sampled songs like that of Rhythm of the night by Corona, who I’m almost positive none of their fan base even knew of. The original at most times tend to be the better version though. Once they performed their famous song, Pompeii, that’s when it clicked to me. That’s the song I’d sing in a mockingly way to accentuate an English accent, but it was all in fun due to the catchy jingle.
The crowd was going nuts and they put on a great show. Me on the other hand, I stayed on the sidelines trying to ease my way through groups of people intensely watching the show. I only needed a few good pictures, but there was no way in hell I was going in the middle of all those people or near the front stage. Instead we went back to the open bar to make new friends and then to stand in the line for free printed shirts that we bailed on from the first try. Danica left shortly after while Efrem and I chose to stay.
The second failed attempt was at the Bumbsy line which Efrem was told would start up again after the bands performance was over. Of course, there was yet another slow moving line.
After seeing how quickly observers were to get their reviews done, we became pretty adamant in wanting to know what all the buzz was about. In most cases people wouldn’t care to know what others think about them, but come on, is one of the few lands of vanity and narcissism where some may like to have their own ideas confirmed.
Then again, others just like the idea of embracing positive words to implement into their lives like these two lovelies. After reading their notes I grew more intrigued, but Efrem’s impatience grew to annoyance and then anger when the organizers were reluctant to reason with even after we stood in the line to play it safe, but that defeated all the purpose after they shut it down yet again. Okay this is ridiculous now. Here’s where my issue stands. If you knew not only the first time, but now the second time that there was a scheduled cut off time, then why in the hell would you continue in allowing people to wait. That’s stupidity at its best. Common sense would’ve been to rope off the area knowing that people would continue to line up. Efrem didn’t hold back from giving both moronic organizers a piece of his mind even though they had a simpleton excuse stating they didn’t make the rules. Yeah well you have a brain that makes up the rules of processing the inevitable and finding a solution to prevent a problem; especially before adding more salt to the wounds by handing out the post cards seconds prior to turning off the typewriter switch.
After that we were ready to go and ended up grabbing some pho in Korea town. Overall it was a great night, really it was. To throw a free concert for a city just to promote your brand is a smart move. I can’t see me purchasing a Mercedes-Benz in the near future though as the last one I’ve been in looked just as basic as your next toy car. I love the luxury lifestyle, but more so when there’s a great investment attached to it, and unfortunately a car isn’t one of them. Unless you loan it off for movie sets and such. Great party Mercedes-Benz and see you next year.
Xox
