Luwayne Glass: Dreamcrusher

Luwayne and I were near-strangers when they arrived for their Bed & Breakfast mini-residency at the very beginning of March, 2015. They were the newest of New Yorkers and Room & Board was among their first stops. That night, amidst relentless snow, R&B’s president Deborah and I met up at the Silent Barn to watch Luwayne perform as Dreamcrusher. Deborah and I locked eyes over Dreamcrusher’s beats and snarls: we knew we were witnessing something truly great.

Over the next few weeks, the three of us discussed how to release Dreamcrusher’s power into Room & Board’s space in a way that would allow Luwayne’s many facets to shine. We also wondered how to make a noise show work in my apartment, and how to welcome the diverse crowds — noise rock, art, art rock — that the salon would attract. Plus, with the season’s miserable weather, people would need to take their shoes off as they entered (this is my home, after all). We also saw this as a good way to signal Room & Board as a fundamentally domestic space. To heighten the feeling of homey comfort, Luwayne baked dozens of delicious vegan cookies, which we offered with a selection of vegan milks. Luwayne DJed as guests entered, but was nowhere to be seen. When it was finally time for the performance — when the crowd had been gathered into the living room, the kitchen island cleared of milk and cookies, the mixer turned on, the lights off, and Luwayne’s strobe lights began to make sinister shadows of the row of flowers on the kitchen counter — Dreamcrusher emerged from under the kitchen island, barefoot and microphone in hand, and began to sing.

Luwayne also made a beautiful t-shirt just for their Residency at Room & Board, limited to an edition of 20. Proceeds are devoted entirely to helping Dreamcrusher land in New York. There are a few shirts left, so even if you couldn’t be there that night, you can still get a piece of it.

— Julia