Making Memories Festival 2024
Local Music. Local Food. Local Cause.
Saturday, November 9, 2024 at LA State Historic Park
The Making Memories Festival returns for its 4th year during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month this November! Enjoy local music, popular food truck vendors, games and activities, and check out the exhibitor area with both retail and informational booths focusing on brain health and other healthy lifestyle opportunities.
This year we are partnering with NextFest to bring you a curated slate of talented local artists to showcase a diverse range of live music that will have you dancing and celebrating from start to finish.
$25 through 10/15/2024
Gates open 12:30–7:00 pm, rain or shine!
LA Historic State Park
1501 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY
White Denim
About White Denim
White Denim is a freewheeling American rock and roll band formed in Austin, Texas in 2006. Over nearly 20 years and 13 albums the band has continued to energetically explore new territory, consistently delivering a musically sophisticated and inventive product both on record and on stage. James Petralli and his exceptional group put the music first. You will not see a better live band if you live to be a million.
Jackie Mendez & The Steady 45's
About Jackie Mendez & The Steady 45's
Jackie Mendez
Jackie Mendez is a vocalist & musician based in Los Angeles, California. She grew up listening to a wide range of music, but it wasn’t until her introduction to Ska and Punk, mainly the British 2Tone ska revival music of the late 1970’s where Jackie took the next step and started playing in bands. She developed a keen interest in 1960's era Jamaican Ska and Reggae influenced by singers from the likes of Alton Ellis and Ken Boothe.
The Steady 45's
The Steady 45's were formed in 2013 from the melting pot of the Los Angeles ska scene, and over the next four years have established themselves as the premier traditional ska/rocksteady act in Southern California. Since the beginning their sole intention has been to perfect and perpetuate the style and grace of traditional 1960s Jamaican ska and rocksteady music. With a consistently busy schedule of local shows and several tour dates across the country built on DIY ethics, the Steady 45's deliver a powerful and energetic live show that combines the energy and intensity of punk with the sophistication of jazz and the sweet soulful melodies of lowrider oldies, whipping audiences into a dancing frenzy every time they hit the stage. Drawing from the eclectic musical backgrounds of each of its members, The Steady 45's live show delivers blazing horns, the tastiest Lynn Taitt lead guitar picking, and raw, powerful vocal harmonies over a relentless bass and drum pair the likes which have not been seen since Lloyd Knibb and Lloyd Brevett perfected the beat! Not to mention the pain & heartache that bleeds from the distinctive tenor of lead singer and songwriter Joseph Quinones, poured like honey over the heaviest, nastiest rhythms to top off a sound equal parts gentleman and hooligan.
Their first EP, Greenleaf Special, was released through Chris Murray’s Unstrictly Roots to high praises at home and abroad, receiving rave reviews from sources around the U.S. as well as France and England and an ever-growing fan base in Mexico. The album showcases the group’s ability to deliver hard-hitting ska with such tracks as “No No No” and a version of The Shirelle’s “Mama Said,” as well as sweet, sweet rocksteady instrumentals such as “Paranoia” and “Sleepwalk” inspired by those that Tommy McCook & the Supersonics produced at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle.
Ska and rocksteady, being music from the ghetto, has transcended global audiences ranging from jazz enthusiasts to backyard punks, breaking all boundaries of genre to get people out of their seats and dancing in the streets. On their musical journey the Steady 45s have found themselves sharing the stage with its originators; a number of Jamaican legends such as the Clarendonians, Derrick Morgan, the Melodians, the Cables, the Skatalites with Doreen Schafer, the Tennors, Carlton & his Shoes, Pat Kelly, Ken Boothe, and more to come.
Now after four years of hard-earned experience with multiple releases under their belt (including singles out on 45 rpm vinyl and a new full-length in the works), and spending most of their time on the road with self-managed tours, the Steady 45's strive to consistently release new material, break into festival circuits, and to feed their passion to share their sound with new audiences in Europe, Japan, Latin America, and all over the world.
Boogaloo Assassins
About Boogaloo Assassins
Boogaloo Assassins are a 13-piece Latin Soul and Salsa group from Los Angeles, California. A Los Angeles live music favorite since 2008, their independently released 2013 debut album 'Old Love Dies Hard' was inspired by the soulful Latin records of the 1960s, and their 7-inch lead single “No No No” took radio and dancehalls around the world by storm. Boogaloo Assassins receive airplay on Los Angeles radio stations like KCRW, KKJZ, KPFK, KPCC, KXLU, and were featured on Giles Peterson’s BBC Radio 6 and received accolades from NPR, Vice, LA Weekly, OC Weekly. In addition, they have won the "Best Latin Band" award at the OC Weekly Music Awards on three occasions.
In 2014, Boogaloo Assassins joined the legendary New York City 1960s-70s Latin label FANIA, and backed two of FANIA’s icons - Joe Bataan and percussionist Roberto Roena - for FANIA’s 50th Anniversary show in Stern Grove Park, San Francisco. 2016 saw the release of the rare 7-inch Boogaloo scorcher “One and Only,” produced by Innovative Leisure recording artist Nick Waterhouse, as well as tour dates in support of Nick Waterhouse.
By 2018, the Boogaloo Assassins single “No No No” struck yet again, creating a sensation in the clubs and on the radio of modern Salsa music’s South American home, Colombia. In 2019, Boogaloo Assassins were invited to perform in Cali and Bogota, Colombia, with 17k+ in attendance at Salsa al Parque, one of Bogota’s premier Salsa festivals and included live coverage on Colombia’s national public television show, Canal Capital. Still a live music favorite, Boogaloo Assassins are performing throughout California with a new LP to be released in 2023.
https://www.facebook.com/boogalooassassins/
Circle The Earth
About Circle The Earth
CIRCLE THE EARTH
Michael McBay – Bass
Aviva Scott – Lead Vocals
Kazuki Tokaji – Guitar
Sandro Feliciano – Drums
Sandy Chao Wang – Keyboard/Keytar
Nothing travels the world faster than music does.
It eclipses any and all borders, bringing together cultures in an unspoken harmony. Channeling this boundary-breaking energy, Circle The Earth quite literally represents three continents and four countries. Founded by bassist Michael McBay, the Los Angeles-based quintet notably features Japanese guitarist Kazuki Tokaji, Brazilian drummer Sandro Feliciano, Taiwanese keyboardist Sandy Chao Wang, and vocal dynamo and native Angeleno Aviva Scott.
Locking in sync, they stretch the boundaries of rock with funk swagger, jazz fluidity, and pop universality on a series of 2024 singles and much more to come.
“It’s simple for us,” says Michael, an Atlanta native. “We aim to create beautiful and powerful rock music with integrity and an underlying positive message. Our band consists of people from all different places. We’re trying to show the world what it can be like when various cultures cooperate in service of a positive goal. Musically and personally, we all look out for and take care of each other.”
“We’re a very outside-of-the-box, colorful, and atypical rock band,” Aviva agrees. “We aren’t what you expect when you think of rock ‘n’ roll.”
By subverting any and all expectations, Circle The Earth crash landed as a phenomenon in 2021. The group gained traction with the singles “Dead,” “Diamonds,” and “Sweetest Pain,” paving the way for their 2023 EP Hey Goodbye. Of the latter, The Honey Pop proclaimed, “It’s a release that’s packed with rocking tunes, pride, and growth.” Beyond piling up millions of streams, they garnered acclaim from Music Connection Magazine, mxdwn, BET, The Rockpit, and more. Shining on stage, the group emerged as the rare force of nature equally comfortable on a bill alongside Oingo Boingo, Drake Bell, or Smokey Robinson. 2024 saw Circle The Earth formally welcome Aviva on the mic at the suggestion of legendary songwriter Diane Warren.
“What a gift from God Aviva has been,” Michael smiles. “She’s a young, fresh, and incredibly strong performer. She has brought the band to the level that it should have been at this whole time. She’s just as active, engaged, talented, energetic, and expressive on stage as everyone else.”
“I felt right at home in Circle The Earth,” Aviva notes. “We’re a family already, and I’m so blessed and grateful. It makes the whole thing propel so quickly and I’m having a blast.”
They introduce this era and iteration of Circle The Earth with the single “Numb.” On the track, electric guitar rips, cymbals clash, and Aviva processes the rollercoaster of a toxic relationship aloud. This palpable momentum culminates on a disarmingly chantable chorus, “When I’m numb, I feel everything.”
“‘Numb’ is about someone battling with their emotions and trying to overcome obstacles in an unhealthy relationship,” Aviva explains. “Even though they want to act like they’re numb, they still feel everything and can’t actually cover it up. You can try to mask your emotions, but they’re still ultimately there.”
Elsewhere, “Stuck In The Middle” illuminates the group’s versatility. Over a slick beat spiked with a loose riff, Aviva holds nothing back, “Between me and you and I, I’m stuck in the middle.”
“That one is about a girl who has a lot of options,” Aviva reveals. “Maybe she’s with someone she’s loyal to but isn’t quite cutting it, or maybe she’s struggling with a toxic relationship and wants to get out.”
What these five musicians do best is perform live. Their dynamic performances are highlighted by Sandro’s vigorous drumming, Kazuki’s guitar virtuosity, Michael’s onstage bass energy, and Sandy’s melodic and powerful keys, which lay the foundation for Aviva’s emotional vocal delivery and captivating stage presence.
With more music and touring on the horizon, Circle The Earth’s music unites like no other.
“When you hear us, I hope you take away a sense of positivity,” Michael leaves off. “Our diversity and our creative quality truly set us apart. I hope the music reinforces core beliefs about love, integrity, sincerity, cooperation, and inclusion that we all share.”
Monalisa
About Monalisa
Monalisa Murray has been associated with quality music and events in Los Angeles and across the country for three decades. She supported various DJs, artists and musicians as both a music promoter and a fan before taking her love of music to the turntables 16 years ago. Her music format is described as “anything with a groove,” ranging from soul, funk, & hip hop to rock, pop, jazz-funk & world music but also includes less familiar and undiscovered gems & jams of all genres. Monalisa has a monthly two-hour show on Dublab called Paths Of Rhythm, where she mixes and selects various styles of music. She is a member of Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem, KPL All-Stars, Ladies of Sound and Prism DJs, and she is a resident DJ at LA’s Motown On Mondays.
$25 through 10/15/2024
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 SPONSORS
Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Volunteer Opportunities
Sponsor the Making Memories Festival or engage with our community with a booth at our event.
VOLUNTEER
Alzheimer’s Los Angeles is now recruiting volunteers to help support the Making Memories Festival. Sign up to volunteer.
Questions? Contact events@alzla.org (se habla español)