Experience a Full Evening of Funk, Latin & Soul Artists Performing Live on the Seawalk
The Queen Mary is pleased to introduce the inaugural GrooveFest a full evening of Southern California’s best funk, Latin and soul bands performing live with gourmet food trucks, libations, vendors and more on Saturday, May 26 from 5 to 11 p.m.
GrooveFest welcomes an all-star line up of acclaimed SoCal artists including OO Soul, Breakestra, Boogaloo Assassins, and the Original Stone City Band with local DJs performing in between acts. OO Soul brings the solid sounds of an eight-piece groove ensemble to the event. Hailing from Long Beach, the local group gained influence from legendary artists such as James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder to create their pungent funky sound. Breakestra is known as one of Los Angeles’ first traditional raw funk bands to emerge since the 1960’s and has since become a local funk, psychedelic, soul and jazz phenomenon. Boogaloo Assassins is a 12-piece mix of Latin, soul and funk with a sound dedicated to re-igniting the boogaloo craze that swept Harlem, the Caribbean and South America in the 1960’s. The band received an award for “Best Latin” from the 2012 OC Music Awards and their sound has been noted as “strictly life-saving” by the Los Angeles Times. The Original Stone City Band formed in 1978 and comes to GrooveFest from Las Vegas, Nevada with the rock and soul influences of bands spanning Rick James to The Rolling Stones, blending to make their eclectic yet classic funk sounds soar. For nearly three decades the group provided the instrumentals heard on recordings from some the biggest Motown, soul and hip hop names in the recording industry. They received multiple gold and platinum albums for their work and have performed at the Grammy Awards, the American Music Awards, Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin Eve Show, Soul Train and at venues around the globe.
Specialty food vendors on-site will include A&M Catering, The Lime Truck winner of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race season 2, Global Soul Street Eats, COOLHAUS, and Planet Popcorn to name a few. Beverages and cocktails will be served and vendor booths will have specialty items on display.
All festivities will take place outdoors on the picturesque Queen Mary Seawalk. General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. VIP tickets are $85 in advance and $100 at the door and include private event entrance, a meet & greet opportunity with the artists, five drink tickets, an event poster, a return ticket to the Queen Mary good through 12/31/12, and complimentary event parking. Guests must be over the age of 21 to purchase the VIP ticket. General admission is open to all ages.
The Queen Mary welcomes GrooveFest as one festival within the annual music series that includes the 2nd annual Shoreline Jam on September 1. For more information on GrooveFest and to purchase tickets visit groovefestqm.com
