Fans of “Shrek” brought out their inner ogre for an unforgettable night in Los Angeles Thursday.
The beloved 2001 animated movie is the theme of a rave on its way to hitting every major swamp across the country.
Shrek Rave returned to LA’s 1720 music venue with a sold-out crowd, garnering some 1,000 people, according to the event’s organizer, best known as Ka5sh.
“People just didn’t stop dancing until 2 a.m.,” the LA-based content creator said. “We had to kick them out — they did not want to leave.”
Spencer Rothbell attended both Shrek Raves in LA and said the most-recent event offered an elevated experience with themed drinks, merchandise tables, a photo booth and an area to get tattoos and tooth gems.
One moment Rothbell was witnessing a professional wrestler dressed as Shrek slam Lord Farquaad through a table, and the next moment he was watching people hop over the gate to dance on stage.
“Seeing a chaotic group of ‘Shrek’ characters twerk on stage is something I probably won’t forget,” Rothbell told NBC4.
Beyond dressing head to toe in ogre attire, some attendees were so committed to the theme that they bit into raw onions during the event, one person tweeted.
Inspired by people bringing the sharp-smelling vegetable to his previous raves, Ka5sh decided to be the culprit of the reek.
“This time around, I was like, ‘Whatever, I’ll just get a bunch of onions,'” he said. “Then we threw them in the crowd, and they loved it.”
The idea of a “Shrek”-themed rave came to Ka5sh in 2020.
“Everyone loves ‘Shrek’ just like they love ‘SpongeBob,'” he said. “Those two things are stuck in the nostalgia part of your brain where things are nice and good.”
Attendees agreed that Shrek and raves make a great combo.
“I think it’s just goofy enough that people don’t take themselves too seriously and can just relax and have a fun time,” Rothbell said.
Pedro Carrera
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ka5sh’s vision couldn’t come to life in LA until March of this year. Shrek Rave will make its next stop in San Francisco, followed by Portland and Seattle.
But Ka5sh said it was worth the wait.
“It was maybe the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he said.
