Low End Theory calling it quits, announces final 10 shows

on
0
Co-founder Daddy Kev at the 2014 Low End Theory Festival (Photo by Carl Pocket)
Co-founder Daddy Kev at the 2014 Low End Theory Festival (Photo by Carl Pocket)

Low End Theory, the weekly club night that spawned a movement, will close up shop in August after a 12-year run.

A statement on social media signed by residents Daddy Kev, DJ Nobody and D-Styles, announced that tonight’s Low End Theory would be the first in its final 10 shows. The club wraps on Aug. 8.

The Wednesday night parties at Lincoln Heights club the Airliner served as an incubator for what became known as the L.A. beat scene, showcasing some of the most forward-thinking artists in electronic music and hip-hop. The collective spawned a festival and a tour and helped further the careers of the most influential artists in electronic music and in L.A., including Flying Lotus, Nocando, Nosaj Thing, Jonwayne, Daedelus, TOKiMONSTA, the Gaslamp Killer, Thundercat, Baths, Dibia$e, Ras G, Shlohmo, Teebs, Matthewdavid and Gonjsufi. And the nights over the years have featured drop-ins by the likes of Thom York, James Blake and Erykah Badu, among many others.

“When LET started, it was really a bunch of misfits coming together — definitely not a “cool” scene — and there was a genuine camaraderie that formed as we’d always felt like outsiders,” Daddy Kev said via Twitter. “It’s an amazing irony how much brilliant and original music can result from said situations.

||| Recommended: Jeff Weiss’ oral history of Low End Theory

Low End Theory’s full statement:

What a long strange trip it’s been. First and foremost, the residents of Low End Theory would like to offer our sincerest gratitude for the nearly 12 years of support. It has been an honor and privilege to serve in the capacity we have, rocking over 600 Wednesdays at the Airliner in Lincoln Heights, as well as various tours and spot dates across the US, Asia, Europe and Africa. To every artist who has blessed our stage, we are grateful. To every person who has joined us on the dancefloor, you are the primary source of inspiration for making Low End Theory happen every Wednesday since October 2006.

The journey has not been without its challenges. It is therefore with a sense of sadness that we are announcing our last ten shows, starting tonight at the Airliner in Lincoln Heights, with the final Low End Theory planned for August 8. There are several factors affecting this decision. Family obligations. Work demands. Life. The general consensus amongst the residents is that we have overstayed our welcome, and our greatest hope now is that the final ten weeks of Low End Theory can serve as a time for the beat community to set aside our differences, come together, and hopefully remember what made Low End Theory a special place to begin with: the music.