There might have been some booms and pows in Friday's high school football game at the L.A. Coliseum between
Roosevelt (Los Angeles) and
Garfield (Los Angeles) in the 87th East L.A. Classic. But "I Gotta Feeling" that the highlight for the 30,000 in attendance certainly was the halftime performance of the Black Eyed Peas.
Led by will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, Taboo and J. Rey Soul, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in 2011 so it might have seemed odd that a band that's sold millions of albums worldwide would be playing at a high school football game.
The game was a tight one as the teams were tied at 8-all in the third quarter before
Damian Cabrera's second rushing TD of the night — with two minutes to play — put Garfield up for good 16-8, but it was the intermission spectacle that kind of stole the spotlight.
The Black Eyed Peas performed Friday at halftime of the East L.A. Classic high school football game between Roosevelt and Garfield. Group leader will.i.am grew up in nearby Boyle Heights and wanted to give back to his community with the show. (Photo: Rene Morales)
The Black Eyed Peas started with "Let's Get It Started" and "Boom Boom Pow," playing up near the arches at the top of the Coliseum as the two school's marching bands played on the field. Fans watched and waved glow sticks as a drone show also accompanied the band. They finished the performance on the field with the band in a rousing finale, reprising "I Gotta Feeling."
Will.i.am, whose real name is William Adams, grew up in nearby Boyle Heights and knows how his presence can inspire players and fans alike at the game to strive for greatness.
"This is the most important show that I've been a part of," will.i.am told
TFC News earlier in the week. "Just personally because growing up in East LA, Boyle Heights, the East L.A. Classic is the thing I would beg my mom to go to."
Los Angeles Unified School District also partnered with will.i.am's foundation — i.am.angel — to bring 84 robotics labs to district schools.
Garfield and Roosevelt have played annually since 1925 with the exception of 1939-48 and 2020.
Roosevelt came in 8-0 and had the rivalry momentum after snapping Garfield's 10-year win streak in 2021, 22-19.
On Friday, the unbeaten Rough Riders got on the board first with a 50-yard
Isaiah Wright TD run near the end of the first quarter and an 8-0 Roosevelt lead.
Garfield got the equalizer on a 1-yard
Damian Cabrera run to knot the score at 8-all near the end of the third. As the night wore on, the Bulldogs drove nearly 80 years in five minutes and got the go-ahead score from Cabrera on a 3-yard plunge to go up 16-8 after the two-point conversion.
The Black Eye Peas performed a litany of hits, including "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" at Friday's East L.A. Classic halftime. (Photo: Rene Morales)
Roosevelt and Garfield played Friday in the 87th East L.A. Classic where the Black Eyed Peas performed at halftime. (Photo: Rene Morales)
