May
IRIE. With an event the size of California Roots, it’s not just exciting for the fans. Tell me what it’s like for the artists, who are huge reggae fans themselves! What goes on backstage?
Dan Sheehan: It’s an industry event backstage. Jacob from SOJA is hanging out with Marley from Rebelution and Micah from Iration and all the Tribal Seeds guys; we have bands that aren’t even playing the festival this year that will be coming for all three days. It’s an event where a lot of bands will do any shows on our weekend; if they’re playing on Sunday, they’re there on Friday. If they play on Friday, they don’t leave until Monday. It’s essentially become that kind of event for bands; it’s a reunion for a lot of these guys.
IRIE. So being backstage for them is like being with family?
Dan Sheehan: Exactly. But, for the type of festival we are, we are still a small festival. We have a very intimate stage, an intimate festival ground. It’s not like you’re a big box festival with ginormous stages. The artists are able to really see a lot of the performances and really embrace the other artists that are going onstage before and after them.
Sometimes it’s a little challenging with logistics and I’ll have to find a place to put somebody’s equipment box and they’re not even playing, but it’s also flattering that these artists want to come to our event, even when they’re not performing.
IRIE. Your VIP Package sounds pretty close to being backstage itself and the ideal way to experience California Roots. How popular is the package? What’s it like in the VIP seats?
Dan Sheehan: The VIP packages sell out immediately. We don’t release that many; it’s VIP so we aren’t trying to put 1,000 people in there. We want to make sure it’s a pleasurable experience for everybody and, yes you’re right; it’s almost like being backstage. They’re able to hang out in the same area as the artists.
IRIE. So VIP ticket holders actually get to meet some of the artists as well.
Dan Sheehan: Yes, the artists are in the same VIP lounge as they’re in; they’re watching Steel Pulse from the same viewing area. A lot of artists on our scene are really approachable and people are able to get pictures and autographs so it’s definitely cool. As a festival, you know, there are 10,000 plus people there but it’s still kind of an intimate vibe.
IRIE. For me, if I compare the price of the VIP package to the 3-day general admission ticket, it seems like a really good deal!
Dan Sheehan: Yes, the VIP experience is definitely something that has really taken off for the festival, it’s a good buy. We only have a few left for this year and then we’ll be completely sold out.
IRIE. With tickets selling so well, what would you say is the key to California Root’s success?
Dan Sheehan: Good question. The overall success of the brand, being in the right place at the right time. Being on the cutting edge of the American reggae movement and showcasing bands that wouldn’t necessarily headline any other festival; that’s really been a big part of it. We have full time employees and we work year round on this event and all of our events, but obviously this is the one we put the most time into. We really put a lot of effort into our production, into our marketing, into our branding. It’s not just slapped together. We take a lot of pride in what we’re doing.
IRIE. Your website is very well done.
Dan Sheehan: We think that’s extremely important; those are the sort of things you can’t cut corners on. We are fortunate to be in the position where the festival is going well, where we have the budget to do these things.
IRIE. This brings me to my next question. Social media has become a vital tool for many in the Reggae Universe, especially for the new independent artists trying to get their message out. Your organization is very active on social media; how much has social media improved the way you market your festival?
Dan Sheehan: It’s improved a lot. Social media in general, not just for us but for the entire festival world is very important. I think it has really elevated our awareness. We promote with our social media year round, not just October through June. I have a full time social media manager, Dana, who does a fantastic job. She runs all of our pages, Facebook, our Instagram, our Twitter. We put a lot of resources into social media advertising as well.
You can actually see the return on your investment from it; you can’t necessarily track sales directly from print media or radio ads. Social media you can track directly, that’s a huge feature to have.
Also, it gets you closer to your fans; you’re able to answer questions, you’re able to handle issues. If there is a problem we can actually contact that person and deal with it directly.
ADVERTISEMENT
