SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
'Party Rock Anthem' Halloween house shut down by HOA
Kevin Judd enjoys programming elaborate holiday light shows at his Riverside, Calif. home. But after a video of last Halloween's 'Party Rock Anthem' display went viral, his HOA decided that enough was enough.
Mon, Oct 22 2012 at 11:49 AM
Late last week, it occurred to me that Kevin Judd, the mastermind behind a series of absolutely bonkers synchronized Halloween light shows at/on his Riverside, Calif. home, has been awfully quiet as of late.
As you may recall, a YouTube clip of his home “performing” LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” positively blew up on the Internets at around this time last year (over 10 million hits and counting). I absolutely hate that song but the viral video in question is nothing short than mesmerizing. The light show was such a hit that the (mercifully) now-disbanded LMFAO even filmed a Kia advert at Judd’s home and asked the Verizon employee and father of two to create lighting effects for their “Sorry for Rocking” music video (filmed at Universal Studio’s back lot and not in Judd’s Riverside subdivision).
So what’s Judd up to this Halloween? Where's he been? Busy perfecting his “Gangnam Style” display for viral video stardom?
After a bit of looking around, I discovered that “Party Rock Anthem” served as Judd's literal swan song.
So what the hell happened? Were his electric bills still just too unmanageable despite making the switch from incandescent bulbs to mostly LEDs last year? Did he simply burn out? Not too shockingly, it was Judd’s homeowner’s association that shut down the party with a new set of "Holiday Display" rules. Super sucky but, really, how would you feel about this going on next door?
Explains Judd on the website for his lighting design company, Creative Lighting Displays, in a post from July:
We live in a HOA community. Unfortunately there are a few neighbors in the community that didn’t like the display we created. The display drew in thousands of people each night. We would say for the most part, the visitors were kind and respectful ... very family oriented, but with that many people also comes a few problems. Trash, blocking driveways and damage to property ... aka stepping on flowers and lawns. Plus the traffic though-out the streets was a nightmare. Also with the added craziness of LMFAO Kia Commercial which put more fuel on the fire. Oh and to the contrary, we did not receive a Kia Car or anything like that which many speculated. LMFAO wanted to film a commercial at our home…how could we say no?? If they wanted us to pay them, we would have :-)
We have been putting on shows for several years in the same community and many of our neighbors would come out to watch every night. It’s a shame that some of those same neighbors in the community now do not wish the display to remain. We were taken by surprise and unprepared for the amount of people that shows up ... lining up at 2 pm in the afternoon when the show didn’t start until 7:30 pm.Well, all good things come to an end. The HOA issued a new set of “Holiday Display” rules on behest on the few that complained. Basically the new rules shut us down because the display to too “extreme”. We feel the rules only apply to us and no one else, but it’s across the board so we can’t argue that point. We were in talks with the city to work out a plan to make the show run smoother and not be a burden on the neighbors like traffic control, porta-potties, trash collectors, police presents, [sic] etc. Now none if [sic] it is needed.
To help ease the pain of a Halloween in Riverside without Kevin Judd's over-the-top synchronized light shows, here’s another look at the video responsible for the HOA crackdown. It's also worth perusing Judd's YouTube channel where you can watch past performances dating back to 2008 including a much more tolerable "Thriller."
UPDATE: Although chez Judd won't be going "Gangnam Style" any time soon, Gawker has a clip of another homeowner giving it a go.
Video screenshot: YouTube/KJ92508
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- Mystery cause of Irish potato famine finally solved
- Tornado survivor finds dog during live TV interview
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- Why we turn to dogs when disaster strikes
- 5 of the best-looking cars ever
- Superfoods: 11 berries to improve your health
- Is that snake venomous?
- Rebounding from adversity: 7 cities that have survived tragedy
- Bride finds self-esteem by taking a diet from her mirror
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
From our sponsor
NEWSLETTER
ABOUT Matt Hickman
Eco-living expert blogs about best ways to go green at home.
Advertisement
Freaky--is this a product you can buy at the store? Because we have this exact same display in our neighborhood in northern VA this year that IS syncronized to "Gangnam Style"...
Too bad there are so many people out there that can't allow for joy in others' lives that they have to regulate everything that happens. I feel bad for those in the subdivision. They're missing out. Kudos to this guy for enjoying the season!
Let's go to his neighborhood anyway in droves with signs and telling the hoa we will keep coming back.. Resistance is futile.
"After a bit of looking around, I discovered that 'Party Rock Anthem' served as Judd's literal swan song." Except that there was a Christmas light show as well.
Who wrote this article, a 10 year old? Doesn't anybody read these things before they are published? Just one error, police presents? It should be presence. Learn or get a new gig.
Copy editors are a thing of the past. Either deal with it or get off the internet...or start a new business model. I don't like it either, but it seems we must accept this or support pay walls. Nothing is free.
Wow. You guys do realize that the misspellings and bad grammar aren't from the author of this post, right?
At least someone else knows whta [sic] means. ;)
Positives? of the local neighbors none.
For the one doing the public show... some sort of mental stimulation.
Weighed in the balance? Respect the neighbors that have to put up with the negatives so you can feed your own ego.
well if you're in a HOA your life isn't yours so what else could he expect.