wbtv.com – Sound Check: Felipe Luciano

An inspirational story with a local beginning, Clifton Gordon is originally from North Carolina born in Shelby. As a young boy though, he moved to Los Angeles where he ended up homeless and ended up in a gang and ultimately in prison. Those five years may have been the best thing that may have happened to Gordon though. He reinvented himself and focused on his musical talents, vowed to turn his life around and promised to help others.

Full video here: https://www.wbtv.com/video/2020/08/21/sound-check-felipe-luciano/

themusicuniverse.com – Tower of Power, Los Lobos Co-Headlining Labor Day Concerts In Your Car

All summer, CBF Productions has worked to bring top notch entertainment to the scenic Ventura County Fairgrounds, where audiences can watch comfortably (and safely) from their parked cars. Since the inaugural show in June, the Concerts in Your Car calendar has ranged from live music to drive-in movies to the circus to comedy and back again, and Labor Day weekend will be no exception. This September, celebrate Labor Day with two classic forms of American entertainment: rock and roll and classic cars.

Full article here: https://themusicuniverse.com/tower-power-los-lobos-co-headlining-labor-day-concerts-your-car/

hollywoodsoapbox.com – In California, Enjoy Concerts from the Comfort of Your Car

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to disrupt the live-entertainment industry, individual promoters and producers have started to think outside the box. Leading the way in Southern California is CBF Productions, the company behind such beloved events as the Boots & Brews Country Music Festival and Tequila & Taco Music Festival.

Their new concept is called “Concerts in Your Cars,” which takes places in the Ventura County Fairgrounds parking lot in Ventura, California.

“It’s been quite the journey, but we’re really excited how it’s turning out,” said Vincenzo Giammanco, founder and CEO of CBF Productions. “My company has been around since 2009, and we normally produce 12 large-scale events a year that range anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 people. … And March hit, and basically I came to the realization that potentially the whole year could be squashed and done.”

Giammanco and his team needed to pivot in order to keep offering entertainment to their many fans. As the CEO put it: they needed to do something. There were no alternatives.

Full article here: https://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/interview-in-california-enjoy-concerts-from-the-comfort-of-your-car/

abc7.com – Hollywood non-profit helps homeless youth navigate distanced learning

HOLLYWOOD (KABC) — While many LAUSD students will attend classes virtually from home this upcoming school year, what about those students who don’t have a home?

An organization called My Friend’s Place in Hollywood is helping students experiencing homelessness navigate distanced learning.

“We are a drop-in resource center for homeless youth in Hollywood. We see age range 12 to 25,” said Transformative Education Manager Camilla Duarte-Brannstrom.

Full article here: https://abc7.com/homeless-homelessness-youth-my-friends-place/6364507/