The Los Angeles area is notorious for being a hub for up and coming musicians and raw talent. We Are The World, out of Echo Park, is at the head of the pack with a style and presence all their own. We Are The World mixes electronica dance music with a wild stage show that boasts musical, artistic and theatrical talent.
Too many words in the English language describe We Are The World’s brand of music and off-the-wall stage performance. Some that come to mind are crazy, eccentric, original, outrageous, mind-blowing and spectacular, but one thing is certain: It’s obvious We Are The World puts a huge amount of time and effort into creating a stage show that one has to witness live to truly appreciate.
We Are The World is comprised of four members: Robbie Williams, Megan Gold, Ryan Heffington and Nina McNeely. Their music is probably best described as experimental electronica which is a seed that has been growing quickly in the underground scene. The fast-paced beats and catchy synth hooks make it enjoyable for both the hardcore fan and the budding neophyte.
Listening to the music alone would be cheating oneself of experiencing what We Are The World is truly capable of. The live performance is what truly separates We Are The World from other artists in their genre.
Recently on January 24, We Are The World played at the Echoplex in Echo Park.’ From the get go, the two main dancers mesmerized the crowd and seemed fatigueless throughout the entire performance. The dance arrangements ranged from intricate in sync dance moves, to simple but wild leaps across the stage and to a romantic style duet number. At one point, break-dance-style popping had the crowd roaring.
They wore costumes reminiscent of a scene straight out of ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ back derbies with black wigs that covered their faces, white dress shirts, black suspenders, red ties and nylon stockings to cover their faces. One has to wonder why they would go to such great lengths to conceal their identities, but it only added to the suspense and the originality of the show.
Twice during the show there were technical issues where the music stopped playing, but that didn’t faze the band at all. They actually kept singing and dancing despite the problems and the crowd didn’t seem to mind one bit.
We Are The World put on a spectacular unexpected finale that left everyone in the audience at their feet in awe and applause. To give it away would be like giving away a magician’s secret or revealing the ending to a movie more than worth seeing.
We Are The World not only tell a story through their music, but also through dance and performance that complements the musical aspect in a way like no other. They have so much passion on stage that the crowd could feel how much of themselves We Are The World put into their music.
