BottleRock

QHow does the booking process work? Is there a certain mix that the team shoots for when selecting the overall field?

GRAHAM >> The lineup is booked based on who our customer is. Our customer is defined by both objective and subjective measures. Once you are clear on the former, then you need to take your band budget and find out about all the bands that meet the above criteria — and are touring.

We usually start with trying to book our headliners first and that process can start up to 16 months in advance of each year's festival. Keep in mind that the lineup must have a mix of different genres, not only in order to have a little something for everyone but also to make sure that you spread out the crowd within our venue. Counter programming at our festival is important on a lot of levels.

Q

GRAHAM >> It's such a diverse lineup and I think that we nailed the counter programming with our headliners this year. Post Malone vs. The Smashing Pumpkins, Lizzo vs. Duran Duran and Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Lil Nas X. One of the great things about BottleRock is that if you are torn between two headliners, you can start out with, say Lizzo, then it's only about a fiveminute walk to catch some of Duran Duran.

Q

Looking beyond the big names, can you give fans recommendations on a few lesser-known artists they should catch this year?

I'd definitely say Christone `Kingfish' Ingram, Sudan Archives, Half Alive and Alvaro Diaz.

GRAHAM >>

QWhat has you excited about this year's headliners?

Music, of course, is just one part of the draw. Talk to me how important it is to properly reflect the region in terms of delivering top-notch culinary and wine at the festival?

DRAGOO >> Fans expect world class wines when they come to Napa Valley

and our winery partners help us deliver. Believe it or not, we serve over 80 wines by the glass throughout the festival, ranging from $10 to $80, and in the Platinum Lounge we offer tastings of some rare cult wines that are extremely difficult to obtain.

SCOGGINS >> All three of us often say that the Napa Valley is our fourth partner, which has a big effect on how we create the BottleRock experience. I don't know of any other festival that features over 80 different wine labels, let alone Napa Valley wine labels. And as far as our culinary offerings go, we work with some of the best brands in the Bay Area. BottleRock Napa Valley is really a wine and food festival within an amazing music festival.

Q

One of the big hits at the festival is the Culinary State, which combines the worlds of sports, music, food and wine as celebs, athletes and rockers join chefs onstage to make tasty creations. That just seems to get bigger every year, right?

GRAHAM >> It has. Some of BottleRock's most memorable moments have come from the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage and we continue to lean into the programming more and more every year. My two favorite culinary stage moments were watching Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Chef Michael Voltaggio set the Guinness Book of World Record by making the largest gin and juice, and when we had the bassists for Metallica, Green Day and Dave Matthews Band play bass guitars made from pizza paddles while Chef Jose Andres did air guitar with a jamon iberico.

Q

What's the best part of putting on a festival?

DRAGOO >> To me, seeing the energy of the crowd and the smiles on so many faces is the best part of creating an event like this.

SCOGGINS >> It's really something extraordinary to see the comradery among our crew, all working together to build-out and transform our venue. The look on people's faces as they explore the festival or sing along at a stage is priceless and makes all the work well worth it.

And doing something on this scale, this meaningful, in the town I grew up in is super satisfying.

Q

What's the worst part of putting on a festival?

SCOGGINS >> It's hard to believe we work all year for only these three days over Memorial Day weekend, but it's still all worth it!

Q

It might just be my imagination, but it seems like a new festival pops up about every eight minutes. Why do you think the business has grown so popular over the years?

DRAGOO >> You can't replace live experiences — you were either there, or you weren't. The pandemic made people realize this more than ever which is why you see fans choosing to attend live events like festivals.

Q

Talk to me about how your organization has grown beyond just putting on BottleRock.

DRAGOO >> We now do several other small concert series and events, but we've been fairly picky when expanding our business. If we can't make it top-notch, we'd rather not do it at all.

Q

What are some of your best memories of BottleRock? Any acts that really standout from years past?

GRAHAM >> There have been so many, but for me, two really stand out… Pink flying over the crowd last year and listening to the crowd sing along to “Free Fallin” with Tom Petty in 2017.

SCOGGINS >> There's way too many to say. You'd run out of space!

Q What are your goals for the festival moving forward?

DRAGOO >> We aim for the best fan experience out there, and that's a complicated goal. Our festival should offer world class musicians, the very best in culinary, wine and spirits and the cleanest and prettiest environment — all at the same time. Our guests should continue to be surprised this is a temporary venue because it feels so detailed and finished.