California Roots Music & Arts Festival artists
The 13th Annual California Roots Music & Arts Festival has announced artists slated to appear.
If Thanksgiving is on your plate for today, here's a wish for you to have a great time however you celebrate. And you know what the day after Thanksgiving means, well, other than the Black Friday sales, which now stretch out before and after the actual day. It means the winter holidays are already here and Christmas itself will arrive in a jiffy. Time goes so fast these days! I'll save you the onset of holiday events until next week. This week I've put aside the space to look ahead to music events that have tickets on sale now, but will be coming at ya down the road. Perhaps a chance to stuff a stocking early?
For fans of reggae, hip-hop and many different fusions of these popular music forms in the general category of rock, you'll be happy to hear that the 13th Annual California Roots Music & Arts Festival has made its first round announcement of entertainers slated to appear Memorial Day Weekend, May 2426, back again at the Monterey County Fair & Events Center. The news has been out for a couple weeks that the festival team decided to revert back to its original three-day format after the last two years of four days.
The excitement of the first inperson festival back after the pandemic shutdown warranted four days and the fans came back and packed the house for all of them. This year, not so much. Still great crowds, but four days were more than people were willing or able to get through for many reasons. I personally decided to opt out of the final day. Not only was it tiring for me, the folks who put on the event had the set-up and breakdown to do besides the festival days themselves, so it really put a lot of pressure on the team.
But when it came right down to it, the Cali Roots folks knew that rising costs presented a challenge to a lot of festival goers.
“Every year we sit down as a team and brainstorm how we can continue to connect with the fans and create an original experience,” said festival producer Dan Sheehan.
“When looking ahead to 2024's festival we have been talking a lot about fan economics, specifically what it costs to spend Memorial Day weekend with us: from ticket prices, to rising hotel costs, to days off work and beyond,” the Good Vibez team said in a statement earlier this year. “With that in mind, we've decided to revert back to a three-day format for Cali Roots 2024.”
I'm super excited to hear Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley will be headlining the 2024 lineup. I caught him on the live stream at home the last day of the 2022 festival and I was so moved by his music. He put on the most amazing set and I want to hear him live this next year! I won't make that same mistake again. Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco also tops the bill. The legendary Burning Spear returns. Plus many more festival favorites like Pepper, J Boog, Tribal Seeds, Collie Buddz, The Expendables, The Green, The Elevators, Xavier Rudd, plus Souls of Mischief, Little Stranger, L.A.B. and Kabaka Piramyd. There will be subsequent announcements of more acts as they are confirmed.
So if you know you're down for getting yourself out to the fairgrounds for another round of great Cali Roots music next Memorial Day Weekend tickets are available to purchase now at www.californiarootsfestival.com. Be aware that all ticket sales are final and any change in performers currently published won't be grounds for a refund. The VIP Redwood Pass for three days usually sells out first and they go for $750, all fees included. Details about this tier are on the website. Three-day general admission tickets are $310, all fees included.
This weekend only, people can save $25 on three-day general admission tickets using the promo code “CRFAMILY.” The event is for all ages. Children 10 and under are free with each paid adult, two children limit per paid adult. Single day tickets come online closer to festival time. Cali Roots, see you in May!
To continue with the theme of getting the news out about upcoming events, if you're not already checking out the Sunset Cultural Center's schedule of events you might like to know that a voice we haven't heard around here for some time will be appearing Jan. 30: the great singer/ songwriter Rickie Lee Jones.
While the 69-year-old two-time Grammy award winner recorded much music since her 1979-released eponymously titled debut recording, for my money I still hear her voice singing her compositions about street life characters like “Chuck E's in Love” or “Danny's AllStar Joint” from that first record. She has a total of 18 albums to her name, her most recent release is her 15th studio recording, “Pieces of Treasure” (2023). It has 10 jazz classics from the American Songbook, done in a way only Rickie Lee Jones can. Her hipster cool, jazz-inflected vocals defines that vein of music where Bohemian women make astute observations about the world around them, making them sound so fresh and urgent.
While this new album doesn't have her original songs, she makes a great jazz chanteuse, supported by a jazz quartet that includes guitarist Russell Malone. She has another Grammy nomination for the album for 2024 judging. I've always been a fan of Jones and I'm looking forward to seeing her perform. She also has penned a personal memoir titled “Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour.” I bet that's interesting.
This concert is brought to you by Crescent Bay Entertainment and tickets went on sale Nov. 3. There are lots of tickets available at this writing, so getting a great seat is not a problem. Level 1 tickets go for $85 and Level 2 for $45, online at www.sunsetcenter.org or at the box office during its business hours of Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. You can call 831-6202048 or drop by to make the purchase at the Carmel Performing Arts Center on San Carlos Street at 9th Avenue
While the Rolling Stones aren't about to make a visit to us on the Central Coast anytime soon, or ever, they will be out on tour next year in support of their first new studio album of original tunes in quite awhile titled “Hackney Diamonds.” Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Dec. 1. A Ticketmaster presale opens Nov. 30, with the access code “BACKSTAGE.” Fans can also register for an artist presale via the Rolling Stones's website, www.rollingstones.com.
The tour will feature the surviving members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and the 16city trek starts April 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The band will tour the U.S. and parts of Canada, making its last stop at our closest venue Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on July 17. Fans can expect to experience the group's most popular hits ranging from “Start Me Up” to “Gimme Shelter,” as well as fan favorite deep cuts and music from the new album. No word of ticket prices yet. I'm a little afraid to see them. Ha!
One Christmas craft fair announcement for this week. The Big Sur Harvest & Crafts Fair takes place Friday-Sunday at the Big Sur Grange Hall featuring Handmade Crafts, Fine Art, Jewelry, Gifts and Food. It's a benefit for the Big Sur Grange. Friday it takes place 2-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Grange Hall is tucked away down by the Big
Sur River about one mile south of the River Inn. I bet they'll have a sign on Highway 1 to help.