Homie. Lover. Friend. Presents a full day of good food, great connection, and the best music.
As a self-proclaimed introvert, I’ve never been able to fully immerse myself in the GROOVIST way of life.
I’m an intimate lover of music though so when it comes to concerts, count me in. I’ll be right there in the front row cheering on every chord and riff, laughing with the band about the accidental off notes and out of sync moments.
Clubs and parties don’t quite have that dimension and tend to have me slumped over and ready to retreat to the comfort of home quicker than I’d care to admit. So, when I was invited to tag along to Homie. Love. Friend. this past Sunday, I was skeptical but intrigued and in the end – I was not disappointed.
The three women who have put together HLF have done a spectacular job of creating a conversation friendly groove event.
“Homie.Lover.Friend is based on our friendship and love for our music.” Say the 3 founders, Phola, Qhawe and Lungi.
It’s quite clear that the event is oriented around the connections that good food, music and booze can foster. It’s rare that I experience an event centred around groove that I feel at home in - Yet, that’s exactly what I felt with HLF.
The event provided a warm, open environment that I’ve only been able to find after treacherous quests into the nooks and crannies of forbidden lands. It’s a novelty - especially in Joburg.
“One of the first steps is making sure that the curation brings feeling and serendipity through choosing the right space. We also look to create with performers that have eccentricity to communicate the cultural zeitgeist.”
The relaxed nature of the event is reflected in every aspect of the event’s composition, but most prominently in the type of music that was playing.
Anytime I can leave my house and hear the likes of DeAngelo, Pharsyde and J Dilla featured in a mix – I count it as a Damn Good Day. Our Sunday started off with a blend of Jazz, house and soulful RnB then steadily shifted to more funky soul and groove heavy house as the sun set. The soundtrack to this event was so perfectly handled that at some point I had to just leave my Shazam on auto listen cause I kept needing to bring it out
Through their partnership with iconic whisky, J&B, HLF have successfully fashioned a space perfect for creating new memories over good food, great drinks and beautiful music.
HLF Event Rating
Value for Money – 7
Tickets went for around R300. Seems steep until you realise that it comes with a food voucher, dessert, and 2 free drinks from J&B. Doors opened at 11:30 and the event ended at 20:00 - So I’d say it’s worth it.
Atmosphere – 9
Décor was elite, this Katy’s Place space is so cool, with all its random relics and nostalgia pieces.
The HLF and J&B branding elevated the space further and made everything feel extremely intentional. The space wasn’t too crowded or too empty, they found the perfect balance.
A nice touch was the branded Jenga sets at some tables.
Crowd – 8
The people were chilled, there was no chaos or bad vibes.
Food – 6.5
I had a pulled lamb and sunny side up open sandwich. The lamb was flavourful and soft. Unfortunately we only got 1 egg and there was no spread or sauce on the sandwich making it overall a little dry – still a cool meal though.
For Dessert we had something like a custard filled beigne with some icing on it. The icing was overkill but the dessert was still pleasant. I unfortunately didn’t get to taste the cakes but they looked good.
Drinks – 7
J&B were serving 2 main cocktails: a lemonade and mint one, and a Ginger berry one. Anything with ginger is a winner in my eyes so, while not incredibly inventive the drinks were still a treat.
Music – 8
As mentioned earlier, we had a mix of Jazz, house and soulful RnB SO YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS.
Hospitality – 7
The hosts were lovely, the wait staff were cool. Overall, it was a lovely time.
Overall Score – 42.5/70 = 75
THAT’S A DISTINCTION IN MY BOOKS
Deffs an event worth leaving the house for
could be a dope lunch situation then you turn in after 4 hours
OR you stay longer and embrace the GROOVIST LIFESTYLE.
Recommendation: this is absolutely a squad event – take 4 or more homies, lovers or friends for the best experience.
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