CALI SOUL JAM

When Grand Performances and Hello Stranger link up to throw a show, good things happen! This past Saturday’s Cali Soul Jam saw an outpouring of love as a large crowd representing multiple generations and ethnicities gathered in unity to appreciate lowrider oldies.

Building on the success of last year’s Art Laboe tribute (which was also curated by Hello Stranger) we had live performances from Chicano Soul Revue, Kelly Finnigan, Cruz & Lujan, and Joey Quinones. Each artist was completely locked in and electrifying, playing a mix of their original hits and crowd pleasing favorites.

 The iconic oldies lowrider culture permeated every aspect of our show, from the fashion of our audience members to the tricked out lowrider bikes that adorned the stage. Countless bodies danced with abandon to hits from the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Mary Jane Girls. The mouthwatering smell of freshly cooked burgers wafting through California Plaza, thanks to Chef Jeffrey of the Omni Hotel. 

 The sense of unity was most felt by the hundreds of attendees who chose to generously participate in our sock and underwear drive. The drive was a first for both Grand Performances and our mutual aid partners Pauly’s Project. We honestly didn’t know what to expect. We were humbled by the outpouring from the community. In total, we collected 1100 pairs of socks and 250 pairs of underwear to help take care of our unhoused brothers and sisters living on the streets of DTLA. Los Angeles, we cannot thank you enough. This was real love.