Grand Park + The Music Center's to Host 4th of July Block Party

For the fifth year, Grand Park and The Music Center will present downtown's largest July 4th party with Grand Park + The Music Center's 4th of July Block Party on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, from 2:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Angelenos will enjoy entertainment that highlights the sounds of America featuring Jazz, Funk, Blues and Classical artists with DJ sets inspired by these musical genres. The day's festivities include a kids' play area; live music performances; L.A.'s best food trucks; a mobile vendor and activity area; and a fireworks show, which will be shot from the roof of The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, set to Pop and Classic hits along with patriotic music, and visible throughout Downtown L.A. and the surrounding neighborhoods. L.A.'s favorite July 4th block party will cover more than five city blocks from Spring Street to Grand Avenue and from Temple Street to 2ndStreet.

The annual event will feature two high-profile stages. The Front Yard Stage on Grand Park's Performance Lawn between Grand Avenue and Hill Street will feature DJs spinning funky Soul and Motown hits for the ultimate American dance party. The Backyard Stage, on Grand Park's Event Lawn between Broadway and Spring Street, will treat guests to the patriotic sounds of traditional American favorites from local DJs, a brass band and youth orchestra. Families will delight in a dedicated play area on the Event Lawn, where children ages 5-12 can enjoy free games, such as themed tag, soccer and parachute play. New to the festivities this year is a mobile vendor and activity area with art making, face painting and video games for kids of all ages. Grand Park + The Music Center's 4th of July Block Party will offer a multitude of dining options with more than 45 gourmet food trucks, including tacos, burgers, ice cream, sweets and more. Vegetarian options will also be available.

Rachel Moore, The Music Center's president and CEO, said "Grand Park + The Music Center's 4th of July Block Party is now a Los Angeles tradition. For the fifth year, Angelenos from all over the county will join together in downtown to celebrate our nation's birthday, enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday and honor the diversity that makes Los Angeles a great place to live." Moore continued, "The July 4th holiday is a wonderful opportunity to check out what makes Grand Park so popular. From the fountain and splash pad, to the free performances and music, Grand Park is truly the park for everyone."

"There is nothing better than sharing the 4th of July with your friends, family and neighbors in Grand Park," said Julia Diamond, interim director, Grand Park. "It's Los Angeles' ultimate summer holiday celebration. This year, audiences will dance to the music that makes up the soundtrack of America, indulge in the classic foods of summer and be wowed by an amazing fireworks show from the roof of The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, one of L.A.'s most iconic buildings."

The entertainment line-up* at Grand Park + The Music Center's Fourth of July Block Party includes:

THE FRONT YARD STAGE (located in Grand Park between Grand Avenue and Hill Street)

Music Man Miles: Miles Tackett is best known as the creative mind behind Breakestra, a Funk, Soul-Jazz band known for the pre-sampling era of Bronx DJ performances in the 1970s. "Music Man Miles," as he is known in the underground DJ scene, helms the longest-running Funky Soul party in Los Angeles, FUNKY SOLE, spinning a globe spanning, all-vinyl set every Saturday night. Influenced by his immersion in the underground Hip Hop scene at L.A. club The Root Down, collaborations with Mixmaster Wolf of Breakestra, and renowned DJs like DJ Dusk, Cut Chemist and DJ Egon, Miles was inspired to build a collection of some of the finest deep Funk, Afro-Latin, Soul-Jazz vinyl around & start DJing as well. His musical reputation extends well beyond the underground clubs of Los Angeles. Miles has performed and collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Macy Gray, Blind Melon, B.B. King, Little Feat, and legendary soul singer Syl Johnson. Now, after years of focusing on a purist Funk style and sound with Breakestra, Tackett has finally taken some time to reflect, write new songs and return to his first love, the electric guitar.

Monalisa: Monalisa Murray is an independent grassroots promoter of quality music and events in Los Angeles and across the country. Her music format is described as "anything with a groove", ranging from Soul, Funk, & Hip Hop to Rock, Pop, Jazz-Funk & World music. Monalisa has a monthly show on Dublab called Paths Of Rhythm, where she explores these various genres. She is a member of Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem and KPL All-Stars, and is currently a resident DJ at LA's Motown On Mondays. Monalisa is also the opening DJ for Footlong Development's annual SoulSlam and Wonder-Full tribute events.

C-Minus: C-Minus (C-) kicked off his career on the turntables right after a preteen school dance. He went on to DJ at local rock parties and functions and soon joined fellow Bakersfield resident, Mr. Choc to form the DJ duo of C- and Mr. Choc. The two were asked to replace The Baka Boyz at Bakersfield's KKXX. Their move to on-air mixing eventually landed the duo a coveted spot on LA's own, powerhouse radio station, Power 106. With the addition of Fuzzy (Fantabulous) and DJ E-Man, and later J.Rocc (of the World Famous Beat Junkies) and Truly OdD (of the Heavyweights), the Fantastik 4our was born. C-Minus moved on to create his own radio show "Channel Zero" with hosts DJ Lethal of House of Pain and Limp Bizkit, and DJ Homicide from Sugar Ray, one of the first of its kind on urban radio. Always showing exceptional prowess with mixing nontraditional Rock and Metal selections with Hip Hop break beats and songs, C-Minus's Rock vs. Hip Hop style of mixing became a trademark as he was one of the first to contribute this style to the culture. Through his dedication to the movement, he has teamed up with and contributed to the works of a myriad of artists and icons representing the Hip Hop, Rock, and Jazz genres respectively.

DJ JEDI: JEDI is an Emmy Award-winning, Los Angeles-based DJ, admired for his eclectic style of mixing, song-selection and sublime turntablism. He has toured the globe as the resident maestro for Russell Simmons' Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam, and with Grammy Award-winning hip hop pioneers, DIGABLE PLANETS. JEDI is also the DJ for DaKAH Hip Hop Orchestra. He has been nominated for Ovation awards, NAACP, and L.A. Weekly Theatre awards for his work as musical director on the 2011 gay rap musical BASH'D. A co-founder and current resident at the L.A. installment of the critically acclaimed Motown On Mondays, JEDI is part of weekly residencies at Del Monte Speakeasy and The Virgil.

THE BACKYARD STAGE (located at the foot of City Hall between Broadway and Spring Street)

DJ Akiko Luv: AkikoLUV is deeply passionate about the art of DJing. She has dedicated her life to the skills-intensive subgenre of turntablism and is an active participant in the West coast and online DJ battle scene. Akiko's competition resume includes a second place ranking in the 2016 DMC Bay Area Regional battle, 3rd place in the 2016 DMC Southern California battle, and selection for the 2015 RedBull3Style competition in San Diego.

Akiko's technical, yet playful mixing style makes her a unique and fun crowd-rocking specialist.

DJ Gingee: Gingee is a DJ, producer and vocalist from Los Angeles. She is known for her unique take on electronic music, which blends elements of Global Bass, World Music, and Hip Hop. Gingee's work reflects the sounds and cultures she has been exposed to growing up in Los Angeles, as well as the musical world of her ancestors and beyond. From the percussive rhythms of instruments such as the Filipino Kulintang, kettle drum and cowbells, to synths, turntables and rapping, she seeks to speak the language of music and poetry and use it to communicate a message of empowerment and celebration. She has performed at Coachella, SXSW, Burning Man, Malasimbo Festival, Magic Garage (an art and music festival she founded) and is a member of the international Global Bass community. Gingee has been featured on KPFK, BBC Radio, LA Weekly, and KCET.

DJ Seano: Seano is a respected fixture of this city's mercurial nightlife and has a finger on the pounding pulse of the L.A.'s bar and club scene. With a wide array of genre competencies in World music, Disco, House, and Hip Hop, Seano's magnanimous presence is an essential part of such L.A. institutions such as KPFK, Dublab, CHURCH w/ Mark de Clive-Lowe and Giles Peterson's Worldwide FM radio network. He has opened for performers including Aloe Blacc, Anderson .Paak, A-Trak, Z-Trip, J.Rocc, The Gas Lamp Killer, Talib Kweli and George Clinton, and established his own club nights that include Doit, Float, and Nutropic.

Angel City All-Star Brass Band: The Angel City All-Star Brass Band (ACASB) is a 20-plus piece horn and percussion 'banda' comprised of the finest Los Angeles musicians performing Cumbia, Afrobeat, Jamaican, Soul music and more. The band started as strictly a studio project, recording at Woody Jackson's Vox Studios and has since performed at events such as the 2017 ACM Country Music Awards w/ Lady Antebellum, Subsuelo, Levitt Pavillion (MacArthur Park), KCRW's 2013 Halloween Masquerade Ball, the Red Bull Music Academy's This City Belongs To Me Series, and the World Stage/Leimert Park Kwanzaa Festival. The ACASBB debuted its first recording on a special compilation released by the German Jazz & Milk label in 2014.

Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles: Founded in 2009, the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA) is a nonprofit corporation that transforms the lives and minds of young people in Inner City Los Angeles through high quality music and literacy education. ICYOLA teaches inner city youth the great music of the world, and provides opportunities for them to perform that music in the most magnificent settings of the world. The organization prepares its members for advanced study and high caliber success in music, literacy and academics. It is open to talented young people aged 10-35 who play or wish to play an orchestral instrument. The ICYOLA Orchestra, the organization's largest and most celebrated orchestra presents a regular concert season each year that features both the standard orchestral repertoire and contemporary music that resounds within the community that ICYOLA serves, and that culminates each year with a season finale concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This orchestra boasts 131 members aged 18 and above.

*Schedule and artists subject to change.

About Grand Park
A vibrant outdoor gathering place, Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Grand Park celebrates the county's cultural vitality and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations, and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The 12-acre Grand Park stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east and is easily accessible by Metro via the Red/Purple line to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park was named one of American Planning Association's 10 "Great Public Spaces" in the U.S. for 2013. Working closely with the county, The Music Center is responsible for all operations and programming for the park. For more information, visit grandparkla.org. Follow Grand Park on Facebook (GrandParkLosAngeles), as well as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@GrandPark_LA).

About The Music Center
As L.A.'s performing arts destination, The Music Center is L.A.'s home to the world's greatest artistic programs and events. With four iconic theaters and four renowned resident companies - Center Theatre Group, the LA Master Chorale, the LA Opera and the LA Philharmonic - and recognized for its illustrious dance programming, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, The Music Center is a destination where audiences find inspiration in the very best of live performance, as well as nationally recognized arts education and participatory arts experiences. With The Music Center On Location, the non-profit performing arts organization brings events and activities to locations outside of its Downtown Los Angeles campus. The Music Center also programs and manages Grand Park, a 12-acre adjacent greenspace, with year-round free programming. For more information, visit musiccenter.orgFollow The Music Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@MusicCenterLA).

Important Event Facts & Policies
Grand Park Pre-Event Closure
The park will close on Monday, July 3, 2017, at 10:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

Street Closures
The following streets will be closed for the event:

-

Entrances to the Event
There will be five entrances into the park for the event:

• Hill Street and Temple Street
• 2nd Street and Broadway
• 2nd Street and Hill Street
• 1st Street and Grand Avenue
• 1st Street and Main Street

Metro Access
Visitors to Grand Park can travel via the Metro Red/Purple Lines to Civic center/Park station (use the 1st Street exit; the Temple Street exit is open only for ADA/elevator access), or via the Gold Line to Union Station or Little Tokyo/Arts District Station (a 7-12-minute walk toward City Hall). Metro users are encouraged to load their TAP card with round trip fare in advance, either online or on their way in to the station, in order to bypass the TAP vending machine lines later in the evening.

Bike Parking
L.A. County's Bicycle Coalition's bike valet will be available on the intersection of 2nd and Hill Streets.

Beverage Policy
Alcohol will not be sold onsite, and there will be a no tolerance policy for any alcohol brought to the event. All bags will be checked upon entry.

Getting Through Bag Check

All bags will be checked upon entry to event space.

The Following is Prohibited
Public intoxication, rollerblading, skateboarding, smoking, vaping, unauthorized vending, unleashed animals, smart boarding, outside solicitation, staking objects to ground, drone operation, amplified noise and bicycles (bicycles may be parked outside of event at 2nd and Hill streets).

Prohibited Items: Bags and backpacks measuring larger than standard backpack size (16.75 inches x 13 inches x 8.5 inches), coolers, chairs, outside alcoholic beverages, sealed or open beverage bottles with liquid including water (fountains and water for purchase will be available), selfie sticks, glass, smartboards, projection devices, narcotics, tents, firecrackers, explosives, sparklers, firearms/weapons, identity-covering costumes, confetti cannons, generators, drones, printed signage measuring larger than 8.5 inches b x 11 inches, props, flag poles, handheld umbrellas and sticks.

Item(s) Allowed: Snacks, food, sealed juice boxes, small bags, strollers, empty reusable non-glass water containers.