Bevs, Bites & Beats Draws Huge Crowd for Food, Drinks, and KCRW DJs

– By Matt Cohn                                                              – Photo by Candice Wong

No need to put a spin on this event, it had plenty of spin built in! Last Saturday’s “Bevs, Bites, & Beats,” a collaboration with radio station KCRW, was the final chapter in this year’s three-part Taste of Downtown culinary series. It put two superb KCRW DJs at center stage, and they proceeded to spin the huge crowd into bliss. 

With the Pike ferris wheel serving as the perfect backdrop, local favorites Manuel the Band started off the party with two sweltering sets as the steadily growing crowd munched on bite-sized food samples and sipped refreshing beverages from Downtown vendors. The band’s blend of diverse musical styles, horn section, pedal steel guitar, and the compelling compositions of lead singer/guitarist Manuel Grajeda laid the groundwork for the festivities to come. 

                                                                 – Photo by Matt Cohn

As soon as the band was done, it was DJ Nobody’s turn. The KCRW spin-master took command, and his eclectic blend of remixes coupled with the PA system’s big, buttery low end soon had heads nodding to the beat. People started dancing to pumped-up versions of retro hits from Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan, along with current dance club favorites.

By the time DJ Jeremy Sole manned the wheels of steel, hundreds of attendees were ready to set it free on the dance floor, and Sole obliged them. He put together a blazing set, seamlessly blending Cumbia and Afrobeat with club staples such as Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You.” The dance floor stayed packed for the rest of the evening with happy people of all ages. Smiles were on the menu as Sole turned the Downtown Waterfront into the most happening dance club on the coast.  

                                                                   – Photo by Matt Cohn

The event had that certain magic which results from a beautiful location, excellent food and drink, expertly-delivered music, and a spinning, flashing ferris wheel! Attendees will be talking about this party for years to come. Surely it has inspired KCRW and the DTLB Alliance to continue their collaboration, which is proving to be a tasty recipe for success.