Event Recap: Drunken Devil Presents NIGHT OF 1,000 DEVILS

Welcome witches and warlocks,

I had the great pleasure of attending Drunken Devil: Night of 1,000 Devils over the weekend and figured I would offer up some thoughts. This is my second event with the Drunken Devil family so some of this review will be using the past event as a point of comparison. To best describe this iteration, I will turn to a modified version of the press release:

“Damian Bloodworth, mysterious Los Angeles socialite and suspected cult leader, invites you to his lavish Halloween party, where it soon becomes clear that no one is safe.”

Not long after walking through the door, I was greeted by the infamous Mr. Bloodworth himself. He came across as the life of the party, but his pauses and looks implied something lurking underneath. This idea that all the nicely dressed people might be involved in something truly sinister was the main thrust of the narrative. Each player came off as a bit too happy, seemingly hypnotized, and no one ever acknowledged the darkly clad lady who kept setting items on the table. This specter only appeared from time to time and when she was carrying only candles all seemed to be fine, but soon she was bringing in skulls followed not long after by a knife. Meanwhile, the party kept swirling around her, right up until the events of the evening came to a head.

The main story was wonderfully enacted by the cast who did a great job of seeking people out. I was able to interact with all of the actors at one point or another, and only had to initiate one of the conversations myself. My banter with the cast was humorous, chilling, and still managed to feel appropriate against the cocktail party backdrop. I also liked that they occasionally played coy with me, forcing me to seek out information from others or keep a closer eye on them during the evening.

From the moment we entered, I was impressed by the lovely Halloween decorations. The Jack O’ Lanterns were numerous while old fashioned pictures graced the walls and tables. The décor was all done in a tasteful fashion so that it never felt gaudy, but just enough to set the tone. Given the upscale setting, it worked wonders in creating ambiance, which was further reinforced by the classic music playing in the background.

Given that this is a Drunken Devil event, there was plenty of booze and burlesque on offer. This evening’s soiree had provided a little something for everyone as they had more options on both fronts than the last event I attended. Of particular note was the burlesque which consisted of five performances with one of the dancers being an international star. What I appreciated most about the acts was that nearly all of them had some old fashioned or noir theme to them, creating a cohesive whole with the events of the evening.

One massive improvement over the last soiree I attended was the overall story of the evening. This go round the characters were not only interactive with the guests, but also kept building upon the plot with their cryptic actions. There was also a set ending to the evening that rewarded those who had talked with all the actors while still being accessible to the people who did not want to engage with the main narrative.

All in all, this was a fun evening that added a bit more to the average cocktail party with its structured plot. Those who did not want to engage would have no trouble finding entertainment with the burlesque acts, booze, tarot readings, or magicians that were also on offer. Fans of stylish LA parties should definitely be looking towards Drunken Devil’s next event.