California Roots strikes the right chord
Music festival draws near-capacity crowds at the Monterey Fairgrounds
MONTEREY » Smiling happy people is the story at the Ninth Annual California Roots Music & Art Festival.
The weekend drew a near-capacity crowd for music and visual arts at the Monterey Fairgrounds over three days.
People from all walks of life gathered to enjoy the reggae, rock, hip-hop and every shade of groove music that the promoters brought to the table.
“I’m really proud of it,” said festival co-producer Dan Sheehan, taking a minute to evaluate this year’s event. “There’s such a sense of pride with this festival, where it’s come from and where we’re at.”
Consider the task of putting on a festival of this size. Capacity for each day is 12,000 and on Saturday when Sheehan talked about attendance levels, Friday’s numbers had come in at a little under 10,000. Saturday was nearing a sellout at around 11,000, although he forecast it could reach another 500 people by the end of the day. Sunday could very well have reached around 10,500 he thought. Very respectable numbers by any count, although Sheehan admitted as a promoter he would love to see a sellout.
Logistics and safety are among the top concerns outside of curating a lineup of popular bands that Cali Roots has become known for, and why many of the same people come back year after year. While there were thoughts of how California’s marijuana law might impact fans, the real concern of the Monterey Police Department and the organizers is to make sure everyone can have fun in a safe and secure environment, Sheehan said.
“Security is more then just the police department’s concern,” Sheehan said as the discussion centered on whether there were any changes this year. “Ninetyfive percent of our focus is on security when you consider what went on in Vegas or in Europe with the trucks. The festival world has changed. We have to be conscious and cautious about all that. It’s important. We have a big responsibility. We’re inviting all these people to come here for a weekend of good energy and good vibes. We want to make sure they are safe, you know?”
The success in that area showed in the carefree attitude of those enjoying the music in The Bowl (fairgrounds arena). Friday’s lineup included the island breeze style of Hirie, a San Diego-based band led by a woman who goes by the name Hirie as well. While she was born in the Philippines and spent some years in Italy, her father’s United Nations job brought the family to Hawaii, where she fell in love with reggae music.
“Hirie is a lifestyle choice,” she said. “It’s about healing the body, the mind, and the spirit. Our fans and our band are always saying, ‘Let’s get Hirie.’ It’s a way to detach from the painful complexities of the world and bask in joyous energy.”
And bask they did in the music and the sunshine that showed unexpectedly Friday. The entire arena was filled with smiling, grooving fans enjoying her music and presence. She appeared as a guest with several other bands over the weekend; in essence she served as an ambassador of love and acceptance.
Another highlight was the lovers rock style of Jamaican musician Chronixx, born Jamar Rolando McNaughton. He crooned good vibes to the crowd and fired them up with his more intense songs. Friday there seemed to be an abundance of hip-hop styled music, exemplified by E-40 and Atmosphere on the Cali Roots stage. Closing acts in The Bowl differed in style each night, but one thing fans could depend on was a light show, not only from the stage, but surrounding the perimeter of the bowl.
Saturday’s set in The Bowl with Fortunate Youth was a RAWkus affair. Rolling paper and smoking product company RAW supplied massive balloon joints that the band threw into the audience along with other surprise gifts that got people fired up, tossing around all sorts of balloon objects like bananas and beach balls. It was a moment filled with hijinks and high energy.
Later that day Trevor Hall appeared at the Cali Roots stage, bringing another breezy, reggae-influenced set of music. In his second appearance at the festival, Hall brought his spirit-filled songs to the crowd and gave them a little something different than the rock music that permeates this festival. He’s at the beginning of a tour in support of Nahko and Medicine For The People. Although Nahko was not booked at the festival, he appeared as one of three guests that appeared with Hall onstage. He has a new album, “Fruitful Darkness,” due out Friday. He performed one song from it titled “What I Know.”
“Right now we’re just all systems go on the album,” he said after his well-received set. “It’s our first independent release for us so we’re learning as we go. Just pushing, pushing, pushing since we’re our own label pretty much now. It’s been a really beautiful process and our family has responded well. So we’re excited. That’s the only thing in my sight right now.”
Sheehan has his sights on the 10th annual festival next year, which promises to be a big milestone celebration with more attention to the lineup.