Non Stop Bhangra at OMCA Friday Nights
Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak St, Oakland
April 19, 2024
I had been to OMCA’s Friday night events a handful of times in past years (all pre-pandemic). While it had always felt worth the pop-by. I had never found myself drawn to really, really take in the scene. Luckily, the mix of dance, music and food at the outdoor gathering this balmy and still very sunny Friday evening was an excellent reentry into the possibilities for both me and the community, as the weekly event just restarted for the season this month.
The museum’s terraced sculpture garden has never, in my experience, looked better, than when olden hour rained down on a lawn of families picnicking and dancing, a small stage of activity, and beds and beds of lush plant life. Across the street on one side the lake sparkled. To another side, on the shadowed courthouse steps skaters took up nightly residency, shredding away the day’s public duties. (BBQing too, this night. Right on.)
The event is truly fit for the whole family, with food (trucks) galore, courtesy of a partnership with Off the Grid, seating aplenty, free art, a passable bar table, and, of course, a free performance. This past week’s guests were Non Stop Bhangra and the dancers of Dholrhythms Dance Company, a Bay Area collective that both produces their own events and collaborates with institutions like OMCA. Their mission is to remain “focused on helping the greater world community by raising awareness to embrace a more global conscious unity through music and dance,” and from what I saw, I’d say the unity was visibly present through their presence.
I found people to be engrossed in the moment, lost in the music, and dancing their little, or not so little, hearts out. For example, meet Susan, in town from a couple hours north to visit her daughter and granddaughter — but really here to dance. And yes, don’t worry, I have already texted her these photos by the time you read this.
Was the environment a lot to take in? Yes. Was it a great number, in every sense? Yes. Was the music unbelievably loud? Definitely.
We spent the performance right next to the stage, as did many, and loved every moment, but were surprised by the volume, not to mention with so many little eardrums present. And those kiddos were getting as close to the loud as they could, sometimes to an upsetting end. Even after, having moved to the back of the lawn for our final minutes, my friend and I were coming down from the sound.
My major takeaways are: maybe bring takeaway, unless you want to brave the lines for the food trucks, but come through the museum’s lovingly created Friday night space for young and old alike. Try to leave before the witching hour turns your companions. Bring your sunnies, and maybe your earplugs, too.
