UPDATE at 3:13 p.m., Thursday, April 30: The Garcetti campaign aims to raise $2 million at tonight's fundraiser.

Mayor Eric Garcetti is kicking off his re-election campaign tonight with a concert fundraiser at the Avalon. The campaign previously announced that Michelle Branch and Miguel would be performing. Now they're unveiling the headliner: Stevie Wonder. Tickets are still available for $1,400, the legal limit for a citywide campaign.

So who won't be there? The press.

Garcetti is following the lead of Kamala Harris, who kicked off her Senate campaign earlier this month with a fundraiser in San Francisco. The press was not invited or welcome to that event, either.

Of course, it's typical for the press to be barred from fundraisers. But at the early stages, fundraisers compose the entirety of the campaign. There is literally zero campaigning going on in public. If you want to see the campaign, you have to pay $1,400. And if you're a member of the media, A) you don't have $1,400, and B) you couldn't give it to Garcetti even if you wanted to.

For those not so constrained, word is that Stevie Wonder is in fine voice. Also, feel free to Dropbox us the audio of Garcetti's remarks at gmaddaus@laweekly.com.

UPDATE at 3:13 p.m., Thursday, April 30: Bill Carrick, Garcetti's consultant, says the goal is to raise $2 million. “We're probably going to get there,” he says.

UPDATE at 12:28 p.m., Wednesday, May 13: Carrick says the campaign raised $1.4 million, and is still “collecting” another $600,000.

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