Danny Brown, Hannibal Buress, Neil Hamburger & More Perform at Eric André’s Fyre Fest Birthday Party
While Billie Eilish and Juice WRLD were getting fans riled at Coachella, there was a hotter ticket happening at the Regent in Downtown Los Angeles, Eric André’s Fyre Fest Birthday Party. You can’t say we didn’t warn you it was coming. And, from the looks of things, it exceeded expectations. It wasn’t as zany as last year’s Quinceañera. However, what it lacked in pink dresses and Mexican wrestlers, it more than made up for in music and comedy performances.
We weren’t able to attend in person, but between Adult Swim’s live stream of the festivities and substantiating Instagram evidence, it appears to be one for the books. Weird Al Yankovic, Peanut Butter Wolf, Derrick Beckles, Ariel Pink, Thomas Middleditch, Kitao Sakurai, Emily V. Gordon, and Kumail Nanjiani were among the guests.
Dubbed the ERYC festival, Eric’s birthday party parodied the Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule’s failed “luxury music festival.” Both Hulu and Netflix released documentaries about the disastrous event earlier this year. One of Eric’s featured guests was Fyre Festival survivor Andy King, who is seen in Chris Smith’s Netflix doc. Plus, outside the venue, Eric had Fyre Festival-like tents, a petting zoo, a school bus, and an installation dubbed ERYC VIP section that consisted of old mattresses, empty water containers, suitcases and reeds from palm trees. Additionally, in the lot, guests could ride a mechanical shark or pose for a photo with a cardboard cut out of Bill McFarland and Ja Rule. There were also cheese box lunches and other party favors.
Photo by Tim Heidecker
Inside the venue, Eric hosted a stacked lineup of performers. Chicago comedian Sarah Sherman (aka Sarah Squirm) opened the show. Sarah is about to head out on her Helltrap Tour, it comes to Brooklyn on April 20. Reggie Watts followed Sarah with his signature beatboxing. Then in succession, OG Swaggerdick, Fat Tony, DJ Douggpound and comedian Kate Berlant performed. Tim Heidecker then took to the stage with his “fictional” rock group, Dekkar. The band led the audience in a rousing cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The remainder of the evening featured sets by Playboi Carti, “The King of Clowns” Clownvis Presley, “America’s Funnyman” Neil Hamburger, a rapping Hannibal Buress, and Danny Brown, who closed out the night.
Eric appeared on stage to introduce the acts and chat with the audience. He invited Tiffany Haddish up. She wished him a happy birthday and he kissed her feet (see below). Also, he drank Evian water with Andy King.
Photos snatched from Instagram of the night are below. You can also check out Eric’s Instagram for more. Hopefully, the live stream will be archived on the Adult Swim website soon.
Photo above from Eric Andre’s Instagram