By Taylor Desmangles
Although Sacramento has a diverse and growing community of artists and musicians, they don’t often collaborate. That’s where Elysium Live comes into play.
“Elysium Live is an event geared toward cultivating the culture here in Sacramento, CA,” says Brandon ALXNDR, an artist, fashion designer and the event’s creator. “It gives entrepreneurs and artists a chance to meet, connect and showcase themselves on the highest level of exposure.”
This recurring event strives to create good vibes: People of all colors, ages and talents can collectively let loose and be free, dance openly and exude confidence without being judged. Musicians, visual artists and local fashion visionaries were all at the second official installation of Elysium Live on Saturday, April 29.
While downtown at The Pier, my friend and I jammed out with guitarist Malik King J Littles, observed fashion game by Urban Rarity and saw some incredible images painted by Aliyah Sidqe. I damn near sweat my afro flat before some of my favorite acts even came on!
Later in the show, Zyah Belle walked onto the stage like the goddess she is, shining more and more with every step toward the mic. She crooned to the beats of her own songs as well as covered The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly,” and revelers in the audience belted out each word. Belle and her band curated an environment so vibrational, it was as if I was feeling all my senses at once.
The Philharmonik came on immediately after, jumping from the stage and performing in the crowd. He made everything that much more personal and created a relationship with the audience. During his song “Energy,” The Philharmonik tore it up on the keyboard and spoke directly to the hearts and souls of each person there.
The host, Cliff Hutchinson—better known as Spliff—seamlessly transitioned through acts and continued to reiterate the main point of the night: recognizing each other’s talents and working together to elevate everyone.
“If you’re an artist, if you’re a designer, if you’re a producer or a photographer, it doesn’t matter, —there’s a place for you,” he said.” Everybody goes to that place, and we all connect. That’s tonight. That’s Elysium Live.”
The event series is set to continue every other month. Currently, there’s no set date for the next one, so keep a look out by following Brndn Alxndr’s accounts on Instagram (@brndn_alxndr) and Twitter (@alxndrgarments).
