Launch (stylized LAUNCH) was a Sacramento-founded music, art, fashion and design festival whose stated ethos was celebrating the overlaps of art, architecture, fashion and music while keeping local creators in Sacramento.[1] The festival traces its roots to 2008, when founder Michael Hargis staged a one-day gathering called "Movement of Design" as a precursor event; it expanded the following year into the Launch Festival proper.[2] Over five years it grew from a single-day event for a few hundred attendees into a multi-day, multi-venue festival drawing several thousand,[1] before being rebranded as TBD Fest in 2014.[3] TBD Fest ran for two years (2014–2015) before ending, with each year costing approximately $3 million to produce.[4]
At a glance
- Founded in Sacramento in 2009 by architect Michael Hargis, inspired by Coachella and a "Why not here?" mentality.[1]
- Blended a music festival with fashion shows, pop-up shops, design exhibitions and digital design battles.[5][1]
- Final-night music festivals moved to Cesar Chavez Park/Plaza in 2012–2013 after early years at the Greens Hotel and other local venues.[5][1]
- 2012 finale drew nearly 6,000 people; the event was nominated for a 2012 V.I.B.E. award by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.[1]
- 2013 edition drew nearly 15,000 attendees over two days at Cesar Chavez Park.[2][6]
- Renamed TBD Fest in 2014 and relocated to West Sacramento's Bridge District.[3]
- TBD Fest drew 13,000 tickets in 2014 and 20,500 in its final year, 2015.[4]
What it was
Launch was conceived by founder Michael Hargis as a celebration of "the overlaps of art, architecture, fashion, music—music really being the backdrop of it all—and celebrating the creative culture," with an explicit goal of keeping local creators in Sacramento.[1] Hargis, an architect, drew inspiration from Coachella and a "Why not here?" attitude toward bringing a festival to Sacramento.[1] The event combined a music festival with fashion shows, pop-up shops, furniture and industrial design exhibitions, gallery space and digital design battles.[5][1]
By 2013, the festival operated with a budget in the high six figures.[1] The event's growth came at significant personal cost to Hargis: in 2011, he sold his couch to pay a band that played at Launch, and reportedly drew from his own 401(k) to fund the early editions.[1][4]
History and editions
2008 — "Movement of Design" (precursor)
Before Launch Festival existed by name, Hargis staged a one-day event in 2008 called "Movement of Design."[2] That single gathering served as the direct predecessor to Launch and established the creative-culture template the festival would carry forward.[2]
2009 — inaugural year (Greens Hotel)
The first Launch was held at the Greens Hotel, transformed into a three-stage, mid-century-modern space with a main stage, poolside DJ station and electro lounge, plus hotel rooms used as vendor and artist vignettes.[1] The inaugural lineup featured local acts Sister Crayon, Tycho, family trio Dusty Brown, DJ Mike Diamond and Must.Not.Die, alongside out-of-town bands L.A. Riots, Wallpaper and Dances With White Girls.[1] Adam Saake helped plan the event.[1]
2010 — The Artisan Building, Del Paso Heights
Following the first year's success, Hargis moved the event to The Artisan Building in Del Paso Heights.[1] The fashion component included local lines such as Adrienne Cheng's Reject Clothing, Van Der Neer, Velvet Leaf and Artifacts.[1] Visiting musical acts included Depressed Buttons (an alter ego of Omaha's The Faint), Toronto's Woodhands, Oakland's HOTtub and Los Angeles' RESA; Sacramento acts included The Generals, New Humans, Shaun Slaughter's project D.A.M.B., Sea of Bees, DoomBird and Exquisite Corps.[1] DJ sets featured Jon Droll, Mike Diamond, Sex and Weight, DJ Whores and John Michael Michaels.[1]
2011 — "Back to the Hotel" (Greens Hotel)
The festival returned to the Greens Hotel for an edition billed as "Back to the Hotel."[1] After Neon Indian withdrew from the lineup, Hargis invited Ganglians to join the bill.[1] At this point local promoter Clay Nutting stepped in to help Hargis and contributed to the festival thereafter.[1] Music included Juli Lydell of the Dreaded Diamond, Chain Gang of 1974 (fresh from Lollapalooza), Sister Crayon, Who Cares, Little Foxes, Exquisite Corps, Favors, Evrika, Sam I Jam, Adam J and Taylor Cho.[1] The fashion and design programming featured boutiques Krazy Mary's, Van Der Neer, Fringe and YSJ Vintage, and artists including Tycho (Scott Hansen of ISO50) and Sacramento artist Alexa Wolfe.[1]
2012 — expansion across the grid
In its fourth year, Launch staged at least nine events over six days (July 23–28, 2012) at multiple venues, with a different creative discipline showcased at each location, culminating in an all-day music festival.[5][1] The festival kicked off at Hot Italian with a Model Citizens NYC pop-up shop, followed by a Bows and Arrows screening of three silent films with live original scores.[1] Highlights included a King Tuff performance at Harlow's (with Jaill and the Coathangers) and an Exquisite Corps free album-release block party at the MARRS building, where local architectural group SacDigiFab built recycled-cardboard installations and Ruhstaller served beer.[1][7] The finale at Cesar Chavez Park drew nearly 6,000 people for performances by Chromeo, Grouplove, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), DJ Shadow and others.[5][8][1] The announced 2012 lineup also included Future Islands, Gardens & Villas, St. Lucia, White Arrows, Sea of Bees, a Low Flying Owls reunion show, Appetite and Resa.[5] The festival was nominated for a 2012 V.I.B.E. (Visionary Innovators in Building Excellence) award by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.[1]
2013 — two-day music festival
For 2013, Launch ran a week of events (kickoff "Launch x MARRS" block party Sept. 4, "Launch x Party" Sept. 5 at Ace of Spades, "Launch x Fashion" Sept. 6) culminating in a two-day music festival "Launch x Music" at Cesar Chavez Plaza on Sept. 7–8.[9][1] The two-day finale drew nearly 15,000 attendees.[2][6] Headliners were Girl Talk and Imagine Dragons.[9][1] The national/international bill also included Rocket from the Crypt, Minus the Bear, Blonde Redhead, Van She (flown in from Australia), Grieves, Cults, Surfer Blood, Doomtree, Geographer, Family of the Year, P.O.S., Gold Fields, Dessa and Turquoise Jeep.[9] The full lineup also featured Washed Out, Tera Melos, Lemuria, Dredg, Frank Jordan and NO.[6] Locals on the bill were Exquisite Corps, Doom Bird, Life in 24 Frames, Paper Pistols, DLRN and The Bell Boys.[9]
2014 — rebranded as TBD Fest
For 2014 the festival was renamed TBD Fest, reflecting a move to West Sacramento's Bridge District, just over the Tower Bridge along the river behind Raley Field.[3] It expanded to three days (Oct. 3–5) and shifted later in the year than prior Launch editions.[3] A defining physical centerpiece was a 182-foot wavelike wooden structure located directly southwest of Tower Bridge, built as part of a $5.6 million architectural project and intended for year-round community use beyond the festival weekend.[10][2] Organizers projected more than 30,000 attendees and offered a culinary zone called "The Pit," featuring a competition named "Friendly Fire" in which 14+ chefs from acclaimed regional Sacramento restaurants prepared dishes that festival-goers voted on.[10] The event sold approximately 13,000 tickets.[4] Headliners included Justice and Blondie, with Empire of the Sun, Dillon Francis, Explosions in the Sky, MS MR, The War on Drugs, Gramatik, Kurt Vile and the Violators, RAC, Yacht, Deltron 3030, Blackalicious, Com Truise, Beach Fossils, Sister Crayon and others; Moby and Danny Brown were later confirmed.[3]
2015 — TBD Fest final year
TBD Fest returned for a second and final year in 2015, selling approximately 20,500 tickets — up from 13,000 in 2014.[4] Despite the attendance growth, the festival lost money both years, with each edition costing roughly $3 million to produce.[4] According to Comstock's Magazine, Hargis realized during the 2015 run that TBD Fest would not return and subsequently paid off debts from his personal banking account.[4]
Organizers
- Michael Hargis — founder; a Sacramento architect who started Launch out of a passion for creative culture and reportedly drew from his own 401(k) to fund the early festival.[1] He personally sold a couch in 2011 to cover a band's payment, illustrating his hands-on financial commitment during the growth years.[4] He later co-owned LowBrau and Block Butcher Bar with partner Clay Nutting.[3]
- Clay Nutting — local promoter who joined to help Hargis beginning with the 2011 edition and contributed thereafter; described as a fellow founder/"OG" and Hargis's business partner by 2014.[1][3]
- Greg Patterson — a Launch partner and co-founder of ticketing/concert-logistics company Ground(ctrl), the local multimedia company that handled ticket sales, website design and staging.[1]
- Eric Rushing — owner of Ace of Spades, who took on booking the bands for the 2013 edition.[1]
- Transmission Events — managed fencing and other logistics in 2013.[1]
Local status
Launch was a Sacramento-origin festival, founded and produced by Sacramento-based organizers and explicitly built to showcase and retain local creative talent.[1] Submerge repeatedly framed it as "Sacramento's LAUNCH Festival."[1]