Story in collaboration with Mason Foster.
In an effort to create a safe haven for low-income communities, Anderson .Paak threw the 3rd annual .Paak House in the Park in the heart of LA on December 14th. Families from different classes, racial backgrounds, and cities came together to celebrate as the Brandon Anderson foundation and its collaborators created a dream team band in the middle of MacArthur park.
With .Paak unifying the show as the lead drummer, artists like Emilly King, BlueFace, and Thundercat came to rally the crowd with their personal hits. What made this show such a standout was the fact that many of these performers chose to stay on stage and maintain the vibrant energy throughout the show. As a result, Anderson created an All-Star team with Thundercat on the bass, the FreeNationals on drums, keys, and guitar, Maurice Brown on the trumpet, and Kamasi Washington on the saxophone. As a result, a band of music’s heaviest hitters came together for the shared goal of raising funds for the community. It was clear they felt responsible for their crowd, not letting any moment be lost. Between the sets of pop artist Kali Uchi’s, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs, and Grammy nominee YBN Cordae, .Paak and Matthew Anderson ensured dancers uplifted the audience and giveaways took place. Regardless of who was on stage from the multi-talented Mereba to the powerful lyricist The Game, every artist prioritized the people as opposed to the other way around.
While all this love for music and community spilled into the crowd, kids celebrated the holidays with Black Santa and Mrs. Clause, minions, face painting, and cotton candy. No moment was spent worrying about the potential stressors of the holiday season. With food trucks lining the street, grass to roam, and raffle prizes given, .Paak House successfully and wholeheartedly ensured that every need was met. The greatest testament to this goal was not only the show, but the aftermath. .Paak did not waste any time with the community and his fans. When the show ended, he was the first to go down to the gate and greet people, give hugs, and say thank you. After this, he continued to love the people who came out just outside of the restricted backstage area. His dedication to these people made it impossible to walk away without a sense of comradery and security.
Take a look at photos from the event below.
Photo credits: Mason Foster
