Some folks can barely handle the wonderous mystery of a double rainbow, so imagine the visual delight of 300 rainbows in one room! Such was the scene at Yelp's Rainbow Riot @ Vessel Gallery where East Bay Elites took the prismic phenomenon to new heights, decked out in head to toe reds, yellows, purples, and greens. They mixed, the mingled, but best of all this crew of colorful Elites raised nearly $1,100 for the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. A pot-o-gold for a great cause!
Vessel Gallery's sprawling two-story gallery space, with it's rustic hardwood floors, al fresco patio, and provocative artwork throughout set the perfect backdrop for this rainbow affair. Leslie K adds, "the space was so cool with lots of areas to sit, chat, eat, and enjoy the art. I was fantasizing about potential events to rent the space for." Upon entering the first floor gallery space, Domino Wines greeted attendees with "sweet, fruity, and delicious" Moscato and Pinot Grigio to sip on while Elites waited for their turn in the LiveImage Photobooth spotlight. Snapping some shots with the rainbow props was "a great way to bring home a piece of the party and reminisce the fun!" raves Akvile H, while Adele F professes it was her "favorite activity of the night."
Body painting, colored hair extensions, and chair massages lured revelers upstairs where Anna Ash and her band were crooning away, casting a sultry spell on the crowd. "Anna Ash has two new cult followers," claims Stephanie M. "My husband and I were literally grooving and grinding away to her sultry, funky vibes all night." Go girl, we're all about the grindage. Another show-stopper was Alana Dill's face & body painting handiwork, displayed prominently by her semi-nude model painted up in rainbow tones. "I may be an art n00b but that is most definitely art!" professes John B. Naturally, we agree. Further beautification in the form of eye-popping hair extensions were offered by the deBrule Studio Salon glam squad, while Absolute Bliss Massage worked their magic on some lucky chair-massage recipients.
A feast for the eyes? Check. And for the literal feasting, Elites sampled both vegan and meaty pies from Paxti's Pizza, a revelation for Amy J tipping "the vegan one was really tasty! Now I'm going to have to go back and try their thin crust. Glad to see this pizza joint is expanding to the East Bay" while John B praised the "crisp outside, moist inside" fresh falafel pitas from Maoz Vegetarian, pondering "as a budding falafel enthusiast, this was the food highlight of the night. Can't wait to add them to my falafel list."
St Germain was there to add a dash of class to this soiree, with their strawberry-infused Hummingbird cocktails, winning over Leslie K who dubbed it "my personal favorite…hands down. I'm on it this weekend to get some more of that elderflower beverage." Oakland's own House Kombucha got raves from the crowd for their Lavendar Green, Rose Black, and Vanilla-Orchid Root fermented teas. Vanessa S has been "hooked on it ever since Yelp's Field Trip. I definitely left with some bottles!"
Fentons Creamery brightened things up with scoops of their Blue Bubble Gum and Chocolate Malt flavors. Fentons first-timer, Akvile H called the luscious dessert a "great touch of sweetness to the party! I've heard many great things about their ice cream and I'm so glad to have tried some tonight." Clif Bar also kept the crowd sweetly satiated with snack sized samples of their most popular flavors like Blueberry Crisp and Chocolate Brownie, making for perfect take-away treats.
When the music died down and the rainbow splashed faces faded into the night, Yao S was left with "an onslaught of desire for further Yelp-hosted events…everyone has a great time, local artists, entrepreneurs, and organizations are represented, but the socializing and networking opportunities make the moments that much more unforgettable."
Relive the unforgettable-ness here, and scope the dazzling photos by Paul Vu on our Flickr page.
Keep painting the town red (and blue, and green, and yellow…),
your multi-chromatic community manager
