Pali ❤️ Beats

Andrew Hires and Nima Mashkouri Plan Series of Fundraising Community Events

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Searching for a way to contribute to rebuilding the community, two Palisadians discovered a win-win-win situation.

Andrew Hires described looking for a way to rebuild the community experience that people are missing, as well as support businesses that are trying to restart operations while fundraising to support Palisades workers.

Combining these avenues, Pali ❤️ Beats was founded by Hires and Nima Mashkouri—both residents of the Highlands—to host fundraising events at still-standing venues in the community, providing music and a place for people to gather.

“We are all too familiar with the experience of our friends and family losing or being displaced from their homes and community,” the organizers wrote. “As we have been traversing this experience, one thing we wanted to make sure of is that the supporting members of our community, the workers whose livelihood depends on the Palisades, also feel our reciprocal support.”

The collective was formed to “hold a series of dance music events that serve complementary goals,” which are to “bring displaced community members and friends back to reconnect with the people and the area,” “support businesses that have reopened to serve the small but growing community,” “provide direct support to severely impacted Palisades workers,” and “have fun.”

“We invite anyone with a love of dance music or the Palisades to join,” Hires said.

The two behind the campaign provide music under the names DJ Nimazzo (Mashkouri) and DJ Godwin (Hires), as well as DJ Ace (Mashkouri’s 13-year-old son, Aria). When not working on Pali ❤️ Beats’ events, Mashkouri is a full-time dentist, while Hires is a professor of neuroscience at USC.

The first fundraiser took place at Spruzzo Restaurant & Bar in the Highlands on Friday, August 15, billed as “a night of house and deep grooves for a cause.”

“The support we got was really touching,” Mashkouri said, adding that prompted them to think: “OK, maybe we’re onto something … the intention is so pure and genuine. How can we bring that to our community that’s going through major trauma?”

Hires described connecting with the manager at Spruzzo ahead of the event, who he said was “super excited” to host it there.

Proceeds from the sold-out inaugural evening went to support Palisades workers who were impacted by the fires, with one recipient in particular.

“We were thrilled to partner with Spruzzo for our first event,” the organizers said. “There were over 100 attendees, whose contributions allowed us to directly give over $2,500 to our first recipient, Coach Tara [Shriner].”

Over the course of 30 years, Coach Tara has taught “thousands of Palisades children” in the Palisades Hills Recreation Center pool, hosting up to 37 open group lessons per week at the time of the fire, they said.

“Unfortunately, the Palisades [Hills] rec center burned in the fire and the pool is expected to be non-functional until at least mid 2026, severely impacting her livelihood,” the organizers said.

DJ Ace has been “making a name for himself on the local Palisades birthday party and school dance circuit,” the organizers said. Recent events, in addition to Spruzzo, include a Marquez Charter Elementary School dance.

“At Spruzzo, he was able to deploy a deeper dance groove than a typical kids party, to the delight of the crowd,” organizers said.

Local organizations and businesses also provided support for the event, with security “generously donated” by ACS and lighting by Angels Music Productions. Visual support and recording was done by Pali ❤️ Beats partner Michael Boidy of Boidy Films, who is “developing a documentary, ‘Heart Beat,’ which examines the profound connection between sound and healing through stories of doctors, patients and musicians currently leading the charge in this revolutionary field.”

Hires said he felt “it truly showcases evidence of a nascent return to Palisades movement.”

“We love the Palisades and are committed to rebuilding and restoring the community,” he said.

Hires has lived in the Palisades since 2014, first in Marquez Knolls before moving to the Highlands. His wife grew up in the Palisades, attending Marquez Charter Elementary, Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High schools.

“We have three children, all of whom attended Marquez, including two on January 7,” he said. “All three learned to swim from Coach Tara.”

Mashkouri, who practices dentistry in Santa Monica, has lived with his wife and two children in the Highlands for 12 years.

“Both our children attended Marquez and are now attending Paul Revere,” he said. “Both were Tara Shriner’s swim students.”

After the Spruzzo event, Hires said they asked themselves, “What can we do next?” They said they also took into consideration that families would want to attend with kids, prompting an event that wouldn’t have attendees staying “out too late.”

Pali ❤️ Beats is currently “building energy” for its next event, which will be a “free sunset dance party” on the deck at Gladstones the evening of Friday, September 19, from 6 to 10 p.m. They are expecting a “substantially bigger crowd” between 200 and 400 attendees.

In addition to supporting businesses and fundraising for workers, the events also give the community a chance to gather with Palisadian friends: “Having that conversation with people is going to allow—and gives people a vision that they can—return,” Hires said.

He said the events are also designed to be something to look forward to.

“Pali ❤️ Beats believes in the power of music to connect, heal and transform,” Hires said. “Optional on-site donations will directly support a new set of impacted Palisades workers. All people and all ages are invited to share in the experience in one of the most beautiful locations in all of Los Angeles.”

For more information, including about the Gladstones event, visit instagram.com/dj.nimazzo.