Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars at Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA

Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars at Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA

One exciting part about being fairly new to Los Angeles is that I get to discover different venues and cultural happenings that might be old hat to some, but a genuine pleasure for a first-timer.  Royce Hall, the performing arts concert venue in the heart of UCLA's main campus, is a perfect example.  Admittedly, we did not seek out Royce Hall.  My fiancé and I became fans of Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars within the last year.  When I saw they were coming to L.A. to perform, I couldn't miss it.  I didn't realize until I was climbing the grand Janss steps of UCLA's main quad that this venue might also be something special.

Royce Hall couldn't be in a more beautiful place, on the top of a hill overlooking the rest of the campus, and forming the main quad directly across from the main undergraduate library.  It was built in 1929 as one of the first four buildings on campus.  It has since become one of the defining images of UCLA and a large part of that has to do with the beauty of the architecture, both inside and out.  Royce Hall was designed in the style of the Italian Romanesque Revival period, more specifically modeled after San Ambrogio Church in Milan.  

The interior was what really blew me away.  Royce Hall, named after American philosopher Josiah Royce, has an elegance within the main concert hall that is regally old-world yet also timeless.  I marveled at the ornate designs and carvings on the ceiling right up until the lights dimmed at showtime.  There is also a magnificent pipe organ above the stage; directly below, carved in stone, it reads: "Education is learning to use the tools which the race has found indespensible."

The other point about Royce Hall that struck me was that it didn't feel old; it was very clean and had a neo-classic feel to it.  I learned later that significant renovation to the hall was done in 1997 after a 1994 earthquake severely damaged the building.  For fear of this becoming a book report on Royce Hall, it has elegance, charm and everything that goes with the highest class venue.  Since most shows I see are in halls that reek of sweat and beer, this was a welcome change.

The Sound:

Obviously sound quality in a place built for orchestras and symphonies should have top-notch sound.  That was most certainly the case.  A welcome treat to seeing The Refugee All-Stars on this particular night was that they also screened the 2005 documentary about this band, how they escaped the dangers of war-torn Sierra Leone, and their ultimate journey home.  Being able to experience both a film and a concert in the same night gave me a strong sense of how good – and how versatile – this venue is in terms of sound.  The sounds of African reggae roots filled the hall as strongly as the sound of gun shots in the severely dilapidated Freetown during the movie.  

We sat on the left side of the theater in the orchestra section; both the sound and the sight lines were impeccable (short of a woman in front of us with a massive melon).  I didn't feel blown out by the concert nor did it feel unnatural to screen a movie within Royce.  The only negative on the sound was adjustments that were necessary by the sound board at the beginning of the show.  Lead singer Reuben Koroma's mic was a little hot, producing a couple instances of feedback as well as one instance from the bassist.  However, overall, the sound quality was first rate…as well it should be.

The People:

The Crowd:

This was also a different crowd than I am used to when attending rock shows.  Being that Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars were a part of the UCLA Live program, the audience was decidedly older, really split in two.  About a third of the crowd was younger people in their 20s or 30s.  It seemed that over half of the "fans" there were over 50, possibly donors and regulars to any UCLA Live event.  And that was pretty cool, because this older crowd still got into the funk of the show.  Despite a bargain on student ticket prices, there didn't seem to be many co-eds in attendance.  Although, I guess most of us were more interested in going to the next bar or party rather than to a cultural event.

The Staff:

All very friendly and helpful people.  Most of the staff seemed to be UCLA students, but they were patient, attentive and did it with a smile.  Right when we arrived, an usher got us out of the ticket line and directed us to the Will Call area.  Both bartenders were extremely friendly and the ushers at each aisle were eager to please.  

The Band

Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars at Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA

LINK: Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars - Official Site

The Difference:

Being at Royce Hall was all about the experience of its class and charm.  There was a sense that big performances happen here often, that the space is inspiring for anyone who sets foot on the stage.  That was the difference to me, the grandiosity of the venue.  The UCLA Live website compares Royce Hall to Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center.  Having been to all three, I can say that that comparison is accurate and warranted.  Specifically, they write that Royce Hall is known "not only for its impeccable beauty and refined acoustics, but also for the ghosts of performances that haunt it."  The ghosts had to have been impressed with the performance we witnessed.