The El Rey Theater held a silent disco event this past Thursday night. With different music genres available, the night was a fun experience for regular and casual silent disco-goers.

There were three music channels to choose from, playing music ranging from EDM, hip-hop to a more random genre channel. People had the chance to use headphones and choose whichever stations fit their mood.

Kelly Larsen, an employee at the El Rey, described the difference in experience when attending a silent disco.

“I think the biggest benefit for a silent disco is being able to take off the headphones, and to be able to talk to your friends instead of having to scream at them,” Larsen said.

She also explained how having a variety of music options makes it a new, fun experience. 

“My favorite part about the silent disco is that you have three different options, so if you’re not a really big fan of EDM, there is a rap channel usually and then there’s usually a spice type of channel,” Larsen said.

Justin Torres, a marketing intern at the El Rey, also added that the headphone aspect makes it an easier setting for socializing.

“I think it makes people feel a lot more comfortable,” Torres said. “I think it’s like the way to introduce people to this type of social lifestyle, especially because our generation is very much uncomfortable with socializing.”

Throughout the night, attendants could choose between three music stations, each being curated by three different DJs. Theo Burton, one of the DJs of the night, talked about his experience working silent discos.

“I’ve been DJing silent discos for about two years, and I’ve been doing my own for about a year,” Burton said. “I started doing them in Sacramento, and I took the idea and brought it here.” 

“We started at the Naked Lounge, with about 75 headphones, to this, so we’re trying to get bigger, and do bigger events,” Burton said regarding the progression of his silent disco career.

As a DJ, Burton described how the audience’s response to his set tells him what kind of music they prefer.

“I like the instant feedback,” Burton said. “If you play a good song, you know exactly when. It’s just instant feedback, no guessing, it’s raw, real and honest.”

In addition to silent discos in the future, Burton will also have an upcoming 21 and over show on March 21, at Lost on Main (319 Main St).

To find out about other silent discos or other events at the El Rey, visit their official website. 

Danielle Kessler can be reached at [email protected] or @reserv0irpups on Twitter.