Steve Aoki in conjunction with Mayor Eric Garcetti, the City of Los Angeles and Dim Mak Records today announced “LAoki,” a free concert to be held in downtown L.A. on Saturday, May 16. To attend the show, concertgoers will be required to sign up for more information on The Mayor’s Volunteer Corps. The event will take place on Broadway between 4th and 6th Streets in an area that’s been greatly revitalized over the last decade. Organizers estimate the number of available tickets will be between five and ten thousand, though an official capacity has yet to be determined and the street closures may expand.
“I wanted to do something big, not just the shows I always do, but something that gives back to Los Angeles, the city that raised me and built my career,” Aoki, 37, tells Billboard. “The Mayor and I thought it was a good idea to do something with community service that’s on the streets of downtown L.A. So it’ s more than just a show. ”
Mayor Garcetti, 44, who name-checks both the Yellow Magic Orchestra and Charles Mingus while revealing penchants for electronic music and playing piano in his office, is particularly passionate about having Los Angeles host more outdoor music events. “We go to these wonderful places like Coachella or other festivals but we don’t have as many outdoor concerts as we should right here in the music capital of the world,” he says. “We have the best weather, huge streets, great parks and the revitalization of downtown, which is now one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in the world. It’s a place where people are flocking to, from the arts scene to tech entrepreneurs to musicians — it represents everything L.A. is about.”
While Scion is sponsoring LAoki, according to Aoki’s manager, Matt Colon, most of the expenses will come directly out of the DJ’s pocket. “This is a big deal, this is the hallmark show of my career,” Aoki says in explaining why he’s willing to shoulder the event’s costs. “Here in L.A., on the streets. It shouldn’t be a paid ticket, it should be about community spirit. That’s the whole vibe and that’s why it makes sense that it happens downtown in LA with the Mayor.”
As for any financial gain the city might see from LAoki, Garcetti says increased participation in the Volunteer Corps, which he launched this past October, will outweigh any costs the city might incur. “What we are going to get out of this is volunteerism,” he says, “and we know that we’ll be able to cover our costs because of the economic activity this event will generate. If people sign up for Volunteer Corps and we conservatively get ten percent of those who sign up helping us out in a given year, that’s worth millions of dollars of city resources we spend on things like neighborhood clean-ups and improving our community.”
Garcetti commends the Volunteer Corps for helping to gather thousands of care packages for homebound seniors lost in a massive fire before Christmas. He also mentions an upcoming initiative to create the “world’s largest mural” along the banks of the Los Angeles River. “L.A. is a beautiful, generous town,” Garcetti says, “but we never made it easy for people to get involved with our city. Now, with Steve, we are making it easier.” [The Hollywood Reporter]
