BottleRock Napa Valley 2020: local musicians on what it's like to be on a line-up for a festival that's been postponed

The 8th annual BottleRock Napa Valley Festival was announced earlier this year on January 6th with headlining acts from Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Nicks and Red Hot Chili Peppers. That's around the time that most Summer music festivals are announced with Coachella being the first big music festival announcement of the year, every year, of course (Coachella 2020 was announced on January 3rd). 

Set to take place on Memorial Day week like it has every year since 2013, BottleRock Napa Valley is what music festival dreams are made of: there's amazing food options inside and outside of VIP areas, it's not a camping festival and there's a built in day to recover! I was excited to be heading back to BottleRock as an artist hospitality coordinator for a second year, rounding out a busy Spring schedule close to home with some fun in the sun with so many festival friends there working, friends there taking photos of the show and, for the first time for me, friends performing there!
My friend Michael, who's been a drummer for longer than I've known him (which is almost ten years or something crazy like that) has been playing drums with Sam Johnson and Sam Johnson is playing BottleRock! I couldn't be more excited about a music festival lineup and so happy for my friend! 

The next wave of festival announcements that came weren't anything that anyone was expecting or excited about. Since March all events, concerts and music festivals stopped. Now, it is to be expected that an upcoming music festival or tour will not go on as planned. At first they were being postponed, but now we're seeing a lot of shows cancelling their 2020 plans and looking forward to 2021. Of course. This is the logical and necessary step we all have to take to keep each other safe.
Not just ticket holders but workers and musicians, too. Following Coachella's announcement that it's April dates would be pushed to October, BottleRock also announced it's October postponement.
Once my head stopped whirling around my own new work schedule for a split second the first thing I thought of was Michael. Being a local musician trying to make it in whatever sense that means is not easy, or glamourous or "fun" and it doesn't pay the bills. These are all things I've learned through being friends with Michael. And as a festival worker I can relate on some level.
Being a rock star is hard work. Why do we do it? We do it because we love it.

How does it feel to be an up and coming band booked to play your first major music festival that got postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

I asked Sam Johnson and his drummer, Michael Pettett.

Q: How long have you known each other?

SAM: A couple of years, Michael started playing drums for me two years ago I think it was.

Q: After talking with Sam I learned that you met Sam two years ago?! Where did you guys meet?

MICHAEL: We met through the bass player, Tim. Tim and I were in a previous projects before called Be Calm Honcho and Kid Queen. Shortly after those kind of fizzled out Tim contacted me and said that he had an opportunity for me to play with another musician and it happened to be Sam. So Tim made the connection for us to meet and we've been playing together as a three piece ever since.

Q: But you guys only play together live is that correct?

MICHAEL: Correct. Tim is a producer at Different Fur Studios, where Sam does all of his recordings. Sam is signed to Text Me Records which is the label based out of Different Fur. So, Tim works for Sam a lot doing production on some of his songs, he's more involved with the studio process than I am. But we'll see what happens in the future because Sam really wants to incorporate real drums into the production process. 

Q: When were you confirmed to play BottleRock 2020?

SAM: Really early January, it might have been January 2nd.

MICHAEL: I found out, let's see...the cruise happened in February and I think I found out...I'd have to look at my Instagram posts to see specifically but I think we found out shortly after that? Or the decision was made shortly after that. We were sort of waiting to hear back from the organizers and yeah, I think it was shortly after the cruise.

Q: Did you find out what day you're performing?

SAM: Yeah, on Saturday. Actually, we're suppose to do Sunday as well. On Saturday we're playing one of the stages and then on Sunday we're doing a VIP stage, an acoustic thing. 

Q: Nice! Is it in the Jam Cellars tent or something? I know they do a lot of private little VIP shows in there.

SAM: I think you're right. I do a lot of stuff with Jam Cellars. I've played at their venues. I've done some of their virtual happy hours, they're really good people.

Q: Tell me a little bit about how playing in the Jam Cellars VIP tent on Sunday came around.

MICHAEL: In the months leading up to BottleRock we established a great friendship with the crew at Jam Cellars. We've played a few shows for them in their tasting room in Downtown Napa and are continuously asked to come back to play. In fact, they offered us a monthly residency to play acoustic shows for them. From that, in turn, they asked us to play their private area at BottleRock on Sunday which is the day after our regularly scheduled performance on Saturday...the same day that Stevie Nicks is headlining!

Q: That's so cool.

MICHAEL: Yeah. The Folks at Jam Cellars have been incredibly sweet to us and very hospitable with everything they're provided for us. They have made it very easy for us to want to keep coming back.

Q: Very cool. Is BottleRock the first festival you've played or have you played other festivals?

SAM: Actually Michael and I and my bass player, Tim just got off of a festival at sea with the band Train. They have their own festival on a cruise ship that goes to the Bahamas with a bunch of bands on it. That was the first festival we played. I've played a bunch of, you know...Alameda Art & Wine festival and Fog Fest in Pacifica that kind of stuff.
BottleRock will be the first major festival that we play.

MICHAEL: Well we played Sail Across the Sun which was the first festival we played but we've played smaller things like Fog Fest in Pacifica. When I was in Bonnie and The Bang Bang we played the local stage at LIVE105's BFD one year and smaller things like along the course at Bay to Breakers.

Q: When Michael told me you guys were playing on a cruise I didn't realize it was a festival.

 
SAM: Yeah, it's a festival at sea, it's called Sail Across the Sun. This year the headliners were Train, Matt Nathanson and Allan Stone.

Q: Fun! How was that? Have you been on a cruise before?

SAM: I had not been on a cruise before, it was super fun. It was totally professionally run by this company called Sixthman. Everything was run like clockwork, the sound is great, the people who run it are really, really professional, they do all kinds of festivals. It was a great time.

Q: When did you find out about the postponement of BottleRock?

SAM: I don't remember what day they announced it. I think it was last month when they announced it. But yeah, I got an email saying it's postponed until October. I'd rather it be in October than right now. 

Q: Definitely. I don't think there's any place that would be able to hold a festival right now.
So did you get an email from the promoter, or the booker? How did that work?

SAM: I don't even remember...they might have emailed my management at the time and then I found out through my management.

MICHAEL: I think it wasn't too long after we got back from the cruise. 

Q:  I take it you're free for the new October dates?

SAM: Oh yeah, those dates are definitely booked for BottleRock for sure

Q: That's definitely something to look forward to

SAM: Yeah, we're stoked!

MICHAEL: I'm absolutely going to be available for the October dates and any dates moving forward. I'm tired of constantly struggling with whether or not I can juggle my job with my music. My entire life has been spent asking for permission to go and play music, when for me, that is backwards. Moving forward post quarantine, I am going to do things differently to ensure that music is at the forefront of my life. More rehearsal time, more gigs, hopefully more touring and playing more festivals.

Q: Have you been to BottleRock before?

SAM: No, I haven't but I do love Napa.

MICHAEL: Yes, I have. I went the year that Florence and The Machine headlined. I attended the day that Death Cab For Cutie played, whatever day that was.

Q: That was 2016. I went to BottleRock that year too! It was so hot!

MICHAEL: You did?! It was hot! I made the mistake of wearing a button up shirt and a blazer...

Q: Napa is beautiful and BottleRock is a unique festival with a great setting, chill vibe and the weather is usually really nice. The new dates will be right around our Indian Summer so it should be nice. Are there any other acts you're looking forward to seeing at BottleRock?

SAM: I haven't seen Dave Mathews perform live, he's been a long time influence so I'm really excited about Dave Mathews and Blondie. Man, there are so many.

MICHAEL: I'm looking forward to everyone. Just being on the same bill and playing a festival with so many great bands, Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks!?!

Q: Saturdays are usually the busiest day at a three day music festival so that's really awesome you guys are playing on Saturday. Obviously it's even more awesome that you're playing on Saturday and Sunday.

SAM: Yeah. I got to go to the BottleRock offices and do a private performance for them and they're super cool, got to talk to Tom Hoppa the booker. They're up for some type of award, like best music festival in the country...I really like what they're doing and I'm really looking forward to playing.

Q: Have you been working on any new music during quarantine?

SAM: Yeah, I took quite a while to write so I have a bunch of new songs and I'll get to recording those ASAP. I've also been doing a lot of live streams. I just had a live stream for SF Travel as a special guest for they're meeting with all SF hotels. I had a residency at The Ritz Carlton San Francisco for the last 7 years so it was cool to play for SF Travel. Sounds like a lot of hotels in SF will be back up in June.

MICHAEL: I've been playing more guitar and learning to play new songs on the guitar by watching videos on YouTube. I go into my rehearsal space when I find the motivation to play drums. One of my faves to do during quarantine has been watching Jason McGerr's (of Death Cab For Cutie) segment "Refuge In Practice" on YouTube live stream. It's a show were he brings various drummers that he enjoys and pulls inspiration from, via Zoom. They discuss various exercises they do while at home to maintain their skills and exercise their drum joints but they also talk about the different exercises they bring on tour. It's an entirely different experience as one generally doesn't have a full kit to practice on, but rather just a practice pad. It has kept me engaged with my own drumming challenges. It helps me to see that others, while they're unbelievably talented, still struggle with certain things behind a (drum) kit.

Q: Do you, Sam and Tim rehearse together over zoom or live stream or anything like that?

MICHAEL: No. Because of the delays it's really hard to rehearse using zoom or whatever it makes it difficult to play different instruments at the same time.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Live Streaming shows "movement"?

MICHAEL: I am in favor of live streaming shows. While the world is still trying to get it's shit together, it's important that artistic mediums do not take a break. This is a great time to learn how to adapt to an ever changing environment and one way that musicians have adapted is through the use of full Live Stream shows! I myself find it a bit difficult to sit through an entire performance as there is lag time, technical difficulties and the lack of feeling the bass in your bones, however, I think it's a pretty awesome way of staying connected to fans while providing them with free content.

Q: Sounds like you've been able to stay busy and stay creative.

SAM: Yeah. I'm really excited about the possibilities of live streaming. I like to play, I like to play for people, I like to interact but I don't really want to go somewhere hours before a show to set up and then wait around. The fact that now I can do a virtual performance with super high quality audio and video, which is what I am doing on my Facebook page, Sam Johnson Live, all my social media is Sam Johnson Live. I've been doing a live show almost weekly and hosting happy hours. I've been playing virtual meetings and conferences. It's been great, I get damn near the same feeling as playing to a crowd, you get that interaction. I'm not making quite the living that I was but I can see how that will all workout just as well, if not better.

Q: And it's still so new, the live streaming industry if you will. Some people might just be catching on or getting use to streaming a live show in place of going to a live show.

SAM: Exactly. And, a lot of performers are having to learn how to present themselves with professional audio and video and making it a really good performance. In the future it's gonna be... you're at home watching The Rolling Stones perform live from your living room with absolutely amazing audio quality and able to interact perhaps. I think it might even be better than being one person in a huge crowd surrounded by thousands of people not able to see that well, watching on a jumbo tron. Now you can be in your living room, with surround sound, with your family and your close friends and you're not paying $150 each to go and see them.

Q: Hopefully it won't get to that point where people are paying $150 for a live streaming show (laughing)

SAM: (laughs) yeah. For me the future is in live streaming and I think we have barely scratched the surface.

Q: I can agree with you on that, live streaming shows is definitely a new thing that's really flourishing in quarantine and the way that you present it is exciting. As a concert lover and show goer I personally haven't made the transition to streaming live shows.

SAM: If you're free on Sunday May 24th I'm doing a live stream show with guests at 4:00pm.


Q: Well Sam Johnson, that might just be the first live streaming show I go to! Really looking forward to seeing you live, in person, at BottleRock. Thank you so much.

Q: Do you have anything you'd like to add?

MICHAEL: While everything seems like we're heading into the dark ages, just remember that we're not. This has been an unbelievably trying time for all of us but I hope that it has made people realize the importance in the arts and artists in their life. While we've been caged in our own homes, artists have been continuously trying to stay afloat. So with that, when this is "all over" PLEASE continue to support artists in a way which you never have before. Buy albums. Buy merch. Subscribe to fan pages. Go to concerts. Support local fundraisers for small venues in your area to ensure that artists still have stages and platforms to come back to. Go to that festival once it re-opens. Show up. We need you now more than ever before. We, as a collective, need to ensure that this renaissance flourishes. This is no longer a time for big business to rule the way we connect. It is our time to ensure the rebirth of art and culture is seamless and stronger than ever!