Dance Disaster Movement created a ruckus. The Long Beach based experimental rock duo of Kevin Litrow and Matt Howze was wild, unpredictable, and shattered that wall between performer and audience by leaping through it kung-fu style. Among the bands fusing punk and disco in the early 2000s, they were one of the noisiest. They put out their debut album, We Are From Nowhere, on Dim Mak, played a slew of crazy shows, including a sold out tour with Blood Brothers, and then retired. Ten years passed. And now they’re back! Catch them tonight at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. We asked Kevin Litrow about the band’s reunion.

What prompted the decision to start playing together again?
Kevin Litrow: Fun is Fun! Chatting becomes talking. Talking becomes conversing. Conversing becomes jamming and jamming becomes playing a show.
What have you each been up to in the decade-long break?
Matt’s been playing with various bands in Long Beach. I was doing 60 Watt Kid until 2010 and since then a solo project called N.O.W. We both have been enjoying life to its fullest.
Why are you excited to play together?
Matt Howze and I connect in a special way with music. When we play together, a certain magical energy gets released. That energy can transform a room. It’s freedom, which is what we all need in these times. And It’s fun to watch people in the crowd break free from their chains. That’s the most exciting part!
Where did you like to play?
We played Long Beach a lot because it was local. Had some epic shows at the Prospector and the Smell. Had good ones in Pomona too. But I think our most craziest shows was touring with the Blood Brothers playing sold out shows that completely turned into chaos…
What do yo think Dance Disaster Movement contributed to L.A. music during its heyday?
At the time when we started the band, there was a big spacerock thing going on. And it was great time for music, although, going to a show was a really boring. Nobody was moving around and noone was moving on stage either. So we wanted to start a band that was fun, good times, where the crowd gets to interact and on stage pure energy. And I think we’ve reached that time again full circle….2014

—Daiana Feuer