TBD Fest was a multi-day music, art and food festival held in West Sacramento's Bridge District, launched in 2014 as a rebranding and expansion of the earlier Sacramento-area Launch Festival.[1] Founded and produced by local hospitality figures Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting, it grew into a marquee event of the Sacramento region's music scene, billed by Submerge as "Sacramento's own" festival.[1][2][3]
At a glance
- Evolved from the "Launch" festival; renamed "TBD Fest" in 2014 to reflect a venue change to The Bridge District in West Sacramento.[1]
- Founders/organizers: Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting, also co-owners of LowBrau and Block Butcher Bar.[1][3]
- 2014 edition: Oct. 3–5, expanded to three days; nearly 80 artists.[1][4]
- 2015 edition: Sept. 18–20, in the Bridge District.[5][6]
- More than just music: food, beer/wine, art installations, yoga, and amusement rides.[4][6]
- Spun off related events: a New Year's Eve Block Party and Halloween-night shows.[3][7][8][9]
What it was
TBD Fest was the renamed and relocated successor to the Launch Festival.[1] For its 2014 edition the name changed to reflect a move to The Bridge District in West Sacramento, with event grounds situated just over the Tower Bridge along the river behind Raley Field, offering views of downtown Sacramento's skyline.[1] The 2014 festival expanded from a two-day to a three-day format and shifted to a later weekend, Oct. 3–5, than Launch had previously occupied.[1]
The immediate predecessor, the 2013 Launch festival, drew nearly 15,000 attendees over two days at Cesar Chavez Park; organizers set a target of 10,000 festival-goers per day for TBD Fest's 2014 debut, according to Sactown Magazine.[10] The 2014 venue anchored at The Barn — an undulating 182-foot wooden structure southwest of the Tower Bridge, a $5.6 million project green-lit by the West Sacramento City Council — gave the festival a distinctive architectural landmark.[10]
The festival explicitly positioned itself as a Sacramento-region event. Submerge repeatedly described it as "Sacramento's own" festival and a "local festival," and one performer characterized playing it as a "mini-Sacramento homecoming."[2][11][12] The event paired its music lineup with local food, beer and wine vendors, handmade-goods vendors, amusement park rides and art installations.[6]
Organizers and origins
TBD Fest was produced by founders Michael Hargis and Clay Nutting, who are described as partners and "fellow OG[s]" and co-owners of the Sacramento establishments LowBrau and Block Butcher Bar.[1][3] Hargis previewed the festival's ambitions to Submerge in a sit-down before the 2014 lineup was announced.[1] Lineup-release events were tied to the organizers' own bar, LowBrau; the 2015 "Phase 1" lineup was unveiled at a release party there on May 14, 2015, with DJ Greg J spinning.[12] Submerge served as the festival's media partner, including as "exclusive media sponsor" for the related New Year's Eve event.[3]
Editions and lineups
2014 (Oct. 3–5, The Bridge District)
The inaugural TBD-branded edition ran Oct. 3–5, 2014, with roughly 80 artists in total.[1][4] Announced headliners included French electronic duo Justice and new wave/punk group Blondie, alongside top-billed acts Empire of the Sun (Australia), Dillon Francis (Los Angeles) and Explosions in the Sky (Austin, TX).[1] The wider lineup included MS MR, The War on Drugs, Gramatik, Kurt Vile and the Violators, RAC (DJ Set), Yacht, Deltron 3030, Blackalicious, Com Truise, Beach Fossils and local act Sister Crayon, with Moby (DJ Set) and rapper Danny Brown added later.[1] According to Sactown Magazine, early-bird three-day passes were priced at $99 (first tier) and $129 (second tier) before reaching the $159 third-tier price once headliners were announced; VIP packages at $250 included preferred seating, private bathrooms, and private bars.[10] Single-day tickets were $69.[4] Empire of the Sun headlined day two (Saturday, Oct. 4).[7] Toronto trio Keys N Krates played Sunday, Oct. 5.[4] Other covered performers from the 2014 edition included Cherub and French Horn Rebellion.[13][14]
2015 (Sept. 18–20, The Bridge District)
The 2015 edition ran Sept. 18–20 in the Bridge District.[5][12][6] Announced headliners included Cut Copy, Pretty Lights, Tears for Fears, Tyler The Creator, Death Grips, Madeon, RATATAT, Purity Ring, Twin Shadow, Tycho, Dr. Dog, Mobb Deep and A-Trak.[12] Undercard acts included K Flay, Holy Ghost!, Black Lips, Coathangers, Ty Dolla $ign and A Place to Bury Strangers.[12] A notable feature was a strong slate of "locally tied" acts: Chuuwee, Dusty Brown, Two Sheds, Jonah Matranga, Doombird, Sleeprockers, Tel Cairo and Dibiase.[12] Toro y Moi and The Growlers also performed in 2015.[15][9] Early-bird three-day general admission passes were $159.[12]
More than music: art, food and wellness
TBD Fest emphasized programming beyond its music lineup. Local poster artists — including Jason Malmberg, Hans Bennewitz, Jonathan Buck, Laura Matranga and Benjamin Della Rosa — created one-of-a-kind gig posters for individual acts, with prints sold at the festival.[2] The 2014 edition featured "The Pit," a wood-fired cooking demonstration zone with chefs from 14 acclaimed area eateries, including Oliver Ridgeway of Grange, Michael Fagnoni of Hawks, Kurt Spataro of Paragary Restaurant Group, Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera of Mother, and Michael Tuohy of LowBrau/Block Butcher Bar.[2] Morning yoga was offered on the main stage with regional instructors from East Wind Yoga (Roseville/Auburn) and Zuda Yoga (Midtown/Folsom/Roseville), benefiting Yoga Across America.[2]
Art was a recurring pillar, much of it made in Sacramento. Local muralist Shaun Burner curated and built a live-mural-painting structure for about 12 artists at the 2015 festival.[6] Seumas Raibéart Coutts served as TBD art manager.[6] Matt Brown — whose iconic laser cube ("Holy Cube," built with Matt Byrd) was a signature of the 2014 edition — was named Artist-in-Residence for 2015, planning a remote-controlled talking robot and an "Ice Bear" installation.[6] Arielle Robbins and Laura Marie Anthony presented a "ViewMaster" interactive installation, and dance artist Amanda Prince-Lubawy performed "rolling on the riverfront."[6]
Spin-off events
The organizers extended the TBD brand to other events. For New Year's Eve 2014/2015, Nutting and Hargis produced a "massive New Year's Eve Block Party" in Midtown Sacramento (variously cited as 20th and J streets and 20th and K streets) headlined by DJ A-Trak, with Oliver, Gigamesh, Fool's Gold's Nick Catchdubs and local favorites Sister Crayon; the 21-and-over event used the Tbdnye.com ticketing site.[3][11] TBD also presented Halloween-night shows: a 2015 event billed as "Bleepy Hollow" brought masked producer Slow Magic and synthwave act Com Truise to The Hanger Studios (1425 C Street), with local DJs Adam J and Shaun Slaughter.[8] Official 2015 after-parties were hosted by Requiem Events at Midtown BarFly across all three festival nights.[14]
Local connections and scene role
Beyond touring headliners, TBD Fest functioned as a showcase for Sacramento-region talent. Local and locally tied performers across its editions included Sister Crayon, Chuuwee, Dusty Brown, Two Sheds, Jonah Matranga, Doombird, Sleeprockers, Tel Cairo and Dibiase.[1][12] Tiaras guitarist Kyle Hoover — formerly of Sacramento's Ganglians — described their 2014 set as a Sacramento homecoming that "kind of felt like a Sacramento Burning Man."[11] The festival's art and food programming drew heavily on the local creative and culinary community, reinforcing its identity as a regional cultural institution rather than merely a touring stop.[2][6]
Financials and collapse
TBD Fest cost approximately $3 million to produce each of its two years and sold 13,000 tickets in 2014 and 20,500 tickets in 2015, yet lost money both years, according to Comstock's Magazine.[16] During day two of the 2015 festival a financial crisis erupted when a $300,000 wire transfer from an investor failed to arrive; Hargis later described the moment: "All hell is breaking loose. All the artists were going to walk out. My controller is in the fetal position crying."[16] TBD Fest did not return after 2015: complaints from unpaid vendors and artists grew into lawsuits, Sacramento Bee coverage of the litigation caused investors to pull out, and Hargis was hospitalized three times for stress-related illness following the festival.[16]