No cell phones in sight, just people fully in the moment. That meme comes to life at the city’s most original event, which is celebrating its final two nights this weekend.
Brassroots District: LA ’74 is an immersive theater, live concert, and dance experience that drops audiences straight into the heart of 1970s, at Jewel’s Catch One. Set around the fictional rise of a 9-piece funk band releasing its debut album, the show blends storytelling, live music, and audience interaction.
In this phone-free show, the audience becomes part of the action as record-label tensions unfold in real time. After a difficult creative journey puts Ursa and Copper at odds with the label run by Ursa’s brother, Gil, the band is forced to navigate family conflict, ambition, and the pressure between artistic integrity and commercial success when a Columbia Records executive suddenly arrives with urgent demands.
After a successful four-month run, this Saturday 16 and Sunday 17, are the last opportunities to step inside this unique theatrical experience, dress in your best vintage fits, stay fully present, and for a few hours, travel back in time to “the ‘Me’ Decade.”
Jewel’s Catch One, an L.A. cultural landmark
Jewel’s Catch One is a foundational piece of the city’s nightlife history. Opened in 1973 by activist and entrepreneur Jewel Thais-Williams, it became one of the first major Black-owned discos in the U.S. and a crucial safe space for Black, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities.
The club operated for over four decades, surviving police raids, restrictive laws, and social hostility, while becoming a hub for activism, AIDS-era support networks, and community organizing.
Over time it earned the nickname “the Studio 54 of the West,” due its influence and its ability to attract a mix of legendary performers and everyday people under one roof.
