Dennis RomeroClosing downtown Los Angeles streets for the Jay Z–curated Made in America festival in August caused no end of City Hall criticism, especially from the area's councilman, Jose Huizar.
This time Huizar's on board: Steve Aoki, the SoCal-bred superstar DJ who co-headlined that event, is doing a free solo show, “LAoki,” Saturday, May 16, on Broadway.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, a fan who tapped Aoki to perform during his campaign for City Hall's top office, helped to mastermind the concert. Garcetti and Aoki had a meeting at the mayor's office March 3.
The event will close only two blocks of Broadway, between Fourth and Sixth streets, organizers say. Made in America, which lasted two days, shut down several streets around Grand Park.
Aoki is celebrating the release of his third studio album, Neon Future II, which features Linkin Park on the track “Darker Than Blood.”
The DJ's publicist, Alexandra Greenberg, says the event will afford fans “the opportunity to experience a once-in-a-lifetime concert by Aoki … set against the backdrop of the downtown Los Angeles skyline.”
Credit: Steve Aoki / Instagram
Aoki, known for throwing cake, stage diving and crowd surfing at his shows, says:
My whole career was built in Los Angeles, so it only made sense to do the biggest show of my life on the streets of downtown, just blocks from my label Dim Mak's home base. Making it a free show is my thank you to the city that's given me so much, but I also felt it was important to encourage others to give back as well.
The party is free, but there is a catch: If you want to go, you'll have to sign up to receive information about Mayor Eric Garcetti's Volunteer Corps. There are also VIP tickets for $100.
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