Visitors walking outside of The Waterfront Venice may not hear much sound, but they definitely see both happy smiles and happy feet inside.
On the final Friday of each month, a new beachside bash takes place both in and around the restaurant and bar, courtesy of a longtime businessman who re-discovered his passion for music. Adam Malovani, owner of World Sound Productions, has organized the Sunset Vibes silent disco at the locale, transforming the frequency of boardwalk gatherings in 2024.
A "silent disco" has been an increasingly popular trend for parties and music festivals alike, a personalized musical journey for many. Each participant of a disco receives a pair of wireless headphones that connect to multiple channels, corresponding to a number of DJs playing a specific genre. The headphones keep the area’s sound minimal, with the exception of those wishing to sing along or chat with others, and provides a cavalcade of choice for the audience.
Those entering the Waterfront are given headphones that can connect to 10 different DJs at five stages, playing everything from house and electronic dance music to old-school disco and pop hits. Malovani says that he has roughly 200 DJs in his rolodex, on-call for the latest disco, with the next Waterfront installment coming this Friday.
The organizer also recognized the visual as an accompaniment to the audio, as the Waterfront experience includes ample lighting, lasers and disco balls throughout the sunset hours. Along with the "great ambiance," he notes that it’s easier to gain confidence on the dancefloor when things are silent.
"There’s something about [putting] on the headphones, you know, it gives people the permission to dance," Malovani said. "A lot of people that wouldn’t normally dance feel completely uninhibited … because the vast majority of people are dancing, and I think there’s a real freedom … at the core of this experience."
This sentiment is echoed by Greg Montemurro, Executive Producer of 4siteVideo who captured the disco’s January debut at the Waterfront.
"It’s so cool to see all the smiling faces, the reactions when people put headsets on for the first time," Montemurro said. "It’s like they’re brought into another world … it’s fun stuff, the content sells itself, so it’s definitely not a difficult thing to [shoot]."
A longtime entrepreneur, Malovani was drawn to the disco during a skiing trip at Mammoth Mountain, seeing the experience for the first time.
"Instantly I was having such a good time dancing with 500 other people, and I told my son right at that moment [that] I’m going to do something with this technology, but take it to the next level, which is what I always try to do," he said.
Previously working with audio through GPS walking tour technology, including selling headphones to the Santa Monica Pier for its weekly guided tours, he began doing discos at the base of Hermosa Pier. His brand of Sunset Vibes also fit in Santa Monica, doing several discos during Locals’ Night events on the Pier and working a silent disco beach cleanup with Heal the Bay.
Having an eye on the Waterfront for the past couple of years, because "it’s such an ideal venue to do what we do," Malovani felt the January grand opening went "fantastic" and attracted a younger crowd, appreciating seeing "an eclectic mix" of people.
"It’s been quite a journey, a fun journey, and … I think we’ve done really well (with) the experience itself, people really love it," Malovani said. "I think as long as we keep doing that, it’ll grow."
Another advantage of the event, he noted, is the headphones’ quarter-mile range with the ability to rent a pair to walk outside the venue and along the beach. The organizer says you’ll be able to catch him strutting everywhere, as the event reignited his long-dormant passion for music.
"It’s funny, because now I’m so much less inhibited, because I was one of those people that wouldn’t be on the dance floor [with rare exception]," Malovani said. "But now, I’m like that old guy that you’ll see dancing on the end of the pier … it’s liberating to allow yourself to dance."
Sunset Vibes at The Waterfront Venice, 206 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, takes place the final Friday of each month from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sunsetvibesevents.com. Readers of the Daily Press who use the Eventbrite promo code "smdp" will receive 20% off their purchase.
