BottleRock returns to Napa for a second year with new producers and a brand new plan.
When BottleRock came to the Napa Valley Expo in downtown Napa last year, it was the brainchild of four local businessmen who set out to bring some musical magic to the area. They set the stage, so to speak, for a phenomenal lineup that spanned four and one-half days and brought tens of thousands of fans to the area each day—without many problems regarding crime or noise. The fans were well behaved and, more important, completely entertained.
But then things got a little weird. OK, a lot weird. And, in the end, the folks who had such a great idea ended up in payment disputes and eventually claimed bankruptcy to the tune of, some say, just more than $9 million. It was a disappointing end to what was such a promising venture, and one that was so well received by those who attended.
Big promoters like Live Nation and Another Planet Entertainment (APE) came on to the scene shortly thereafter, but pulled out once they learned what would need to be done—and how much debt would need to be paid—before another BottleRock could commence.
That’s when one of last year’s attendees, David Graham, stepped up to the plate. A Napa Valley native, Graham knew deep down that the show must go on—and that he was willing to take on almost anything to make it happen. The successful entrepreneur gathered three friends, two of whom he’s known since grade school, and began taking steps toward making the second year of BottleRock a reality. Their production company, Latitude 38 Entertainment, was formed in 2013.
“I found out [about last year’s BottleRock] at the last minute and I couldn’t believe the lineup,” says Graham. “Socially, it was the coolest thing ever to happen to Napa.
“Then I heard what went wrong and that there were various large promoters looking to be the next promoters of the festival. They all passed because they didn’t want to take on the debt. But I saw the opportunity.”
Latitude 38 is made up of Graham, who serves as CEO; Jason Scoggins, chief revenue officer; Justin Dragoo, COO; and Joe Fischer, CFO. The group purchased the BottleRock name, customer database and reservation options and proceeded to pay debts to the expo, individual creditors and organizations (such as Local 16 Union) and, to-date, have eliminated almost $5 million of the previous promoter’s debt. The remainder of the disputed payments remain in bankruptcy proceedings.
Graham lists his goals: to keep the festival local and curated like it was; to create a strategy that could make a bad situation better by eliminating as much of the previous promoter’s debt as possible; and, eventually, to make some money in the process. But first, a lot of work needed to be done—and fast. “We looked at what the acute issues were that needed to be dealt with. But the timing was so tight, we couldn’t address each issue in a serial fashion. We had to simultaneously convince the Expo to go with us as well as create a structure for the acquisition of the assets. We also had to figure out a business plan to see if it made sense. Everything had to be done in parallel. Basically, we were figuring out the process of what we were going to do by doing it.
“Ultimately, we felt like there were avoidable mistakes that were made [by the original producers]. Had a few key mistakes not been made, BR Festivals would have been fine. So to start, we decided to put our own money into this. Once we decided to do that, other investors did the same,” says Graham.
A new beginning
“I’ve spent a year with David [Graham] and Jason [Scoggins], while they were taking part in Leadership Napa Valley,” says Napa Mayor Jill Techel. “They’re smart, they love our community and they have a passion for making the event successful. They’re doing it for the right reasons, and it’s nice they’re keeping things local. They’re genuinely talented, business-savvy and have the financial ability to make it work.
“Last year, there were so many unknowns,” she continues. “It was the largest event ever in Napa. We were learning as we went. At the end of the event, we realized that all the preparation we’d done helped us minimize issues. We interviewed people when it was over, and while many loved it, some thought it could have been done much better. This year, we were clear on what worked well and what didn’t. And the new team has been great to work with,” she says.
Some of the changes will include the music ending earlier each evening as well as improved sound abatement, security and traffic controls. Festival attendees will no longer be walking through neighborhoods looking for shuttle buses. The loudspeakers will be focused in different directions to lessen sound impacts and there will be sound walls.
Napa Valley police officer Steve Potter has been working closely with Latitude 38 and agrees that things are going much more smoothly this year: Traffic controls and bus routes will be adjusted to better serve the festival goers, area residents and businesses. “We understand the demographic Latitude 38 wants to attract to the event and will staff at levels that will help provide a safe and secure environment for festival goers and area residents,” he says. “Some officers really enjoy this kind of work and they really enjoyed interacting with the great crowd last year and with this year’s lineup we expect everyone to have a good time.”
Other changes will include improved viewing, seating and resting areas for VIP ticket holders (they’ll also have their own entrance) and more intuitive navigation of the festival.
“I think it’s a fairly intimate venue for a concert,” says Techel. “You can get close to the acts. And it’s maximized on the local wine and food. It’s like a food and wine venue that also has music. People who come will have an awesome experience.”
The lineup
When the 2014 lineup was announced, it received both cheers and jeers. Some were disappointed that a lot of today’s most popular bands weren’t going to play. Others were excited about it, and still others didn’t really care who would perform—they were in it for the experience.
“Last year, there was something for everyone—and it worked. You had families there, punk rockers, hipsters, campers, 40-somethings and more,” says Graham. “One of the benefits we have this year is a bit of hindsight. We can see what worked last time. We had a finite amount of time to book bands and it was extremely difficult. We wanted to keep up with the same themes and approach as last year. So, we have alternative rock, hip-hop, country, bluegrass, hippie jam bands, brass and DJs spinning. It’s not as big of a lineup, obviously, because we shortened the event to three days. It was a business model decision.”
Billy Brill was instrumental in booking this year’s lineup. “We were introduced to him by Delicate Productions, the sound stage and lighting company that did BottleRock last year and will do it again this year,” says Graham. Thea Witsil handled booking about 30 local bands and/or emerging artists to play as well (see “Crazy Famous” and “Pat Jordan Band,” below).
Business impact
“Since the music will stop earlier each evening than it did last year, there will be more opportunities for people to go to downtown venues and shops after the event,” says Techel, “which gives businesses an opportunity to become involved. They can stay open in the evenings. It’s good for the business community and downtown when you get that amount of people coming in. I think the experience City Winery had with the event last year was so positive, it was a big part of its decision to locate here,” she says.
Marion Emmanuelle, marketing director at The Thomas and Fagiani’s, is also happy to be returning to BottleRock. “We did food inside—we sold thousands of BLAT sandwiches there—and also saw a lot of additional traffic at the restaurant during the festival,” she says. “We hosted a bunch of after parties. On Saturday night, Perry Farrell [Jane’s Addiction] hosted a party on the rooftop. Any guest could go up there. We had a DJ from New York. It was really festive.
“We’re really excited it’s happening again. The general feeling in Napa is supportive of the new producers. They’re very organized, transparent and easy to work with,” says Emmanuelle, adding that The Thomas and Fagiani’s will have after parties again this year.
Let’s have a drink
Latitude 38’s Scoggins and Mecaela Miller put together the festival’s wine and beverage program this year. “The overall experience will look similar to last year,” says Scoggins, “but this year’s wine program will be bigger and better. There will be more wineries, and they’ll be well-known Napa brands.
“There will be wine tents along the festival perimeter. Each will have its own cabana/hospitality lounge. There will also be wine bars with several wines all together so it’ll be easier for people to find what they want,” he says. “The vast majority of wineries and restaurants will be from Napa. It’s important to us to keep things as local as possible. Miner Family Winery will be sponsoring a stage again as well.”
Beer lovers will be happy to hear there will be more craft brews this year. “There will be a garden,” says Scoggins. “Local breweries will be there as well as cider. It’ll be more interactive.” The major beer sponsor is Coors Light, while the craft beer partners are Lagunitas Brewing Company and Anchor Steam. A percentage of food and beverage sales will benefit the Napa Valley Youth Symphony.
John Egan, sales operations manager at Rombauer Vineyards, is also looking forward to the experience. “It’s fantastic exposure, notwithstanding Perry Ferrell drinking our Merlot in front of 35,000 people last year,” he says. “That wasn’t even planned. He tried it backstage, liked it and took it onstage with him.
“Lots of people who didn’t know about us saw it—and also those who did know us. We ended up selling 80 cases of wine that weekend.”
Employees at Rombauer received concert tickets as a perk [and will this year, too], which Egan feels increases morale. “We made t-shirts with the Rombauer logo on the front and BottleRock on the back, and employees would go into the crowd wearing them. One even sold hers for $100!”
And even though there were problems with concessions last year, especially regarding cash management, Egan says this year they’ll be handled by Ovations Concession, which will be a huge improvement. “They’ll have stricter controls. It will give more confidence for vendors to participate. And this is what they do. They do concerts. It’s not a catering company.
“This year, the new promoters have stepped up to help rectify the problems that happened last year,” says Egan. “If they succeed and can build from this, BottleRock can become a destination for people nationwide. It’s a new demographic. Think about it: The people who were there weren’t there to see Rombauer, they showed up to hear Kings of Leon. The fact they found us and other Napa businesses is just great brand exposure across the board.
“That’s why we want to do it again. It’s good for Napa Valley as a whole,” he says.
Graham is of the same mind: “We want to be the promoter for years to come,” he says. “We can do that by producing a good show and doing the right thing. We’re working hard to do that and to take into account what people’s needs are. We want to be in this thing for the long haul. We want to put Napa on the map in a very different and good way. Music pairs really well with wine and food.”
Pat Jordan Band
“I have a lot of boobie songs,” says Pat Jordan, of the “Pat Jordan Duo,” playing at this year’s BottleRock. “I never called us that,” says Pat. “They made it up!”
Based in Santa Rosa and now 10 years old, Pat Jordan Band has devoted followers who love his humor, lyrics and good-time rock ’n’ roll. The band plays all sorts of venues up and down the West Coast to happy, booty-shakin’ crowds. He also plays a lot of solo shows in New York and Jersey Shore. His songs talk a lot about love, life’s setbacks and promises, all with an insightful, melodic twist.
Now made up of five musicians (Jordan on rhythm acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Simon Melrose on lead guitar and background vocals, Rob Matteri on drums, Brendan Buss on saxophone and Luis Garcia on bass guitar), its popularity is about to increase—a lot. “At BottleRock, it’ll just be Simon and me,” says Jordan, whose band was one of close to 150 local acts that applied to play the show. “We sent the booking agent an electronic press kit, and she got back to us a few days later and gave us the go ahead.
“I’m stoked. It’s really cool to be a part of it. I like a lot of the acts there this year. It’s kinda time-machiney but I’m into that. It’s like a 1997 mix tape."
Who’s he excited to see? “Weezer’s always been a fave. Blues Traveler. Tea Leaf Green. Kingsborough. Barenaked Ladies because they’re funny and sincere, like where I put myself. They get crazy.” Speaking of “crazy,” he’s also happy Crazy Famous will be there, too.
“It’s an honor to be part of BottleRock for sure. It’s gonna be a good time. I feel like it’s an event that’s been around much longer than it already has. I think it’ll be around for a long time. It feels bigger than itself.”
You’ll find Pat and Simon at the show on Sunday, June 1. Check it out. Everyone likes boobies.
Crazy Famous
“I like to describe our sound as barnyard rock with late night soul grooves,” says Brandon Hassur of Healdsburg’s Crazy Famous. “It’s ambient groove rock that makes you want to dance.” Along with KC Mosso (bass guitar and backup vocals) and John Brandau (drums and backup vocals), Hassur (lead guitar and vocals) debuted as Crazy Famous in 2008.
A recipient of the North Bay Music Award for Best Original Rock Band, Crazy Famous is gaining popularity and often plays locally, throughout the Bay Area and beyond. BottleRock is the biggest festival it’s ever played. “We’re super excited. Our home town is rooting for us,” says Hassur. “It’s going to be a great lineup, too. It’s like a ’90s revival—my generationish. Last year it was all the most popular current bands. This time it’ll be more unique.” He says he’s especially excited to see Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Cure, Heart—and local musicians and friends, Pat Jordan, The Soft White Sixties and Kingsborough perform.
The band is currently working on its third album, yet to be titled, and doing all recording and producing itself this time around at their own private studio in Healdsburg. “The last two turned out great; we worked with really talented people. But we lost creative control. So we decided why not invest in our own recording gear and have control. Ever since we’ve been a band, no recording has 100 percent captured our true integrity and vision. Becoming a ‘band’ is a learning process and, after six years together,we’re excited to finally blow things out of the water,” says Hassur. He adds that the first releases off the album will be on the band’s website by the time BottleRock hits. See Crazy Famous when they hit the stage at BottleRock on Friday, May 30.
