If you're over 30 and living in Los Angeles, you might have recently been served an Instagram ad for a "coffee rave." These morning dance parties are popping up in little corners of the city, offering a sober way to party and start your day at 9 A.M.
Early Birdz describes itself as "L.A.'s most conceptual coffee rave festival," instructing people to "wake the flock up, and get off your phone and dance." The concept was created by longtime friends and collaborators, Michael Kay Keshishian and Noro Kocharyan, both artists and entrepreneurs who run multiple businesses in the food and entertainment spaces.
Early Birdz is trading shots of tequila for vitamin shots and IV drips, and mixed cocktails for iced vanilla matchas, all to the beats of local DJs. A $55 ticket gets you in the door, a $155 ticket gets you behind the booth, and for $35, you can even bring your child.
Keshishian, who stopped drinking two years ago, said he had been on this trajectory for a while, and it naturally happened.
“It’s been a steady incline to stray from alcohol as a lifestyle,” Kay told L.A. TACO. “People want to have a great time without being intoxicated.”
People are becoming increasingly aware of the negative effects of alcohol on physical health. A study using a sample of 1,659 18- to 29-year-olds found that 7% had participated in a total abstinence challenge in the past year, according to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Vol. 85, No. 2, 2024. Of those, half said they consumed less after the challenge ended, and 15% said they quit drinking altogether.
Michelle Hoefgen and Mike Hansberry heard about Early Birdz from a friend and decided to make the drive from Santa Monica to see what the experience was all about.
“I’m not a big drinker, so this is perfect,” Hoefgen said. "I love to dance, and I don’t need any type of substance to start, so this is great."
On Sunday, June 8, the third "flight" of Early Birdz took place outdoors at Vertigo Event Venue in Glendale, with a long line starting to queue about a half-hour before opening. The coffee bar was operated by traditional bartenders paired with baristas for the optimal experience. Na'Tosha Fairfa, the lead bartender at Vertigo, has worked all three Early Birdz events so far.
“I call baristas 'coffee bandits,' and I’m not normally a morning person, but Mike [Kay] has made me a believer in Early Birdz, and it’s actually one of my favorite events he has put together,” Faira said.
Los Angeles has consistently proven to be a major trendsetter in the wellness and health space due to a unique blend of cultural factors, industry influence and a pervasive emphasis on healthy living. Additionally, L.A. has an appetite for alternative wellness methods, which include practices like vitamin infusions, sound baths and various holistic approaches.
Dripology, a med spa company based in Santa Monica, has brought its mobile business to events like Coachella and the Met Gala, and offered some of its services at Early Birdz: a quarter-liter of hydration for $49 and a half-liter for $99, with vitamin shots as add-ons. In addition to the coffee and IV drip station, there were freshly pressed juices, fruit cups, and other healthy options for purchase.
Each Early Birdz "flight" has hosted three local DJs, with this Sunday featuring sets from DJ Shai, Jeremy Sole, and Yasmina. With music ranging from early 2000s favorites and R&B classics, to disco mixed with the deep grooves of world music, the event's music was genre-bending and curated for inclusivity.
Shai, the first DJ of the morning, felt that the morning rave was actually easier to curate music for than the evening because the people attending were alert and engaged in what she had to offer.
“I knew the group was so open and ready to listen and vibe, if anything, it was more intention because I had an audience that was ready for me,” she said.
Aracely Jimenez, who was attending the event for the second time, felt that amid all the chaos and unrest going on in Los Angeles, this event celebrated all religions and people and was incredibly inclusive.
Early Birdz chose not to exclude families from bringing their children, so they offered a face painting station at the dance party to aid in inclusivity. This is something the creators had hoped would be recognized.
“This is a guilt-free project,” Kay said. “People are having these parties, it’s a global awakening, an avalanche of everyone supporting each other in mindfulness.”
There is no timeline for how long the creators will continue to produce the event but the concept has been constantly evolving with the growth of its following.
Early Birdz has already outgrown its inception venue and Kocharyan felt the migration to another venue was already a test that they passed.
When asked what they were most excited for the future, Keshishian replied, "to wake the flock up."
The next Early Birdz rave will take place on July 20th at 9am.
