July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

“Service Your Soul” Funds More Than 2,500 Meals:

Tuesdays at Harvelle’s Santa Monica are unlike any Tuesday at any given blues club. The residency belongs to Hunter & The Dirty Jacks, a high energy, multi-dimensional bluesy, rootsy rock and roll band, who has transformed the way music gives back to the community.

Since January, the live music venue and the band have been hosting a weekly food drive, which in turn has fed thousands of people in need.

The concept for the weekly “Service Your Soul” night is simple: the $5 cover charge is donated to local non-profits Feed Your Soul and Magic Music Foundation. In lieu of the cover charge, two cans of food can are accepted.

The residency profits have paid for more than 2,500 meals that include barbeque chicken, mashed potatoes, baked goods, and salads, a caliber of food atypical of most shelters.

Band members themselves serve the meals, before a live acoustic set.

Band co-founder and drummer Jon Siembieda said Harvelle’s owner Cevin Clark approached the band about starting a residency after they had a successful show at the venue in November 2012.

“(Cevin) said ‘I really like you guys, I think you have something special.’ And after he offered the residency, we kept thinking, what are we going to do,” Siembieda said. “People only get motivated about feeding those is need during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Other than that, well it’s like, but what about March? What about every other month of the year? Hunger is a problem everyday.”

Santa Monica is known for having one of the highest homeless rates in the country.

According to the City of Santa Monica’s 2013 Homeless Count held Jan. 30, the count showed an increase in the total sheltered and unsheltered homeless population of one percent from 2012.

Siembieda said countywide, one of out five people in Los Angeles County lived in poverty.

He said the Los Angeles City Council is currently contemplating legislation that will make it illegal to give food to the homeless in public.

“You can’t count on the government to take care of the people that need help,” Siembieda said. “We have to do it ourselves.”

Through The Magic Music Foundation, music students of all ages and skill levels have received dozens of donated instruments as well as musical instruction from professional artists.

Using their music as a way to help the downtrodden aligns Hunter & The Dirty Jacks with the history of the blues.

“The idea is that we all feel blues, the soul of American music,” Siembieda said. “It once had meaning. These songs used to be about community and bringing people together. We want to play it for the people who need it. It’s doing good for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do.”

Clark said he and the band have enlisted the help of a major law firm to help them turn the club into a non-profit.

“We have prestigious law firm that took us on pro-bono,” Clark said. “They are going to do the formation of the non-profit. We are not sure if we can do it, but we have the best team doing the research and looking into it. If we can do it non-profit directly, we are looking into different avenues. We are not going to give up on creating a revolutionary idea that other companies can model.”

The Tuesday night two-fold serving has attracted praise from national and international recording artists alike who share their fan base to create awareness.

“A lot of good has come out of it, but a lot more could be done,” Siembieda said.

To help Harvelle’s and Hunter & The Dirty Jacks nourish those in need, visit “Service Your Soul” on Tuesdays at Harvelle’s at 1432 Fourth Street, Santa Monica.

For more information, visit harvelles.com and hunterandthedirtyjacks.com.

in News
<>Related Posts

Proposed Rebuilding Authority for Wildfire Recovery Sparks Local Control Debate

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Plan Aims to Streamline Rebuilding but Raises Questions Over Community Input A proposed “Resilient Rebuilding Authority” to oversee recovery from...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150 National Guard...

(Video) ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Champion Pulls Big Blue Bus for 30 feet

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

World-class strongman Martins Licis pulled a 34,680‑pound, 35-feet long, battery electric bus through the Pier to set off Pier 360...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

More Commercial Uses Could Be Coming to RAND Building

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Amendment Unlocks New Opportunities, Secures $5.5 Million in Community Benefits The Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to...

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...