Five ways TBD 2014 aims to redefine the festival experience

By Molly Kish //

TBD Fest //
The Bridge District (Riverfront Street) – West Sacramento, CA
October 3rd-5th, 2014 //

Formerly known as the Launch Festival and founded by Michael Hargis, this annual music and arts showcase has succeeded in promoting both local and nationally emerging talent in and around the Sacramento region since 2007. Celebrated as both a one-day event and a week-long celebration during certain years, Launch Events has consistently curated an epic, multidimensional lineup rivaling that of large-scale music festivals nationwide.

Currently in its seventh year running, TBD Fest takes on both a new name and its most ambitious production yet. Three full days of innovative music, food, art and fashion will be hitting the West Sacramento Riverfront this weekend, throwing caution to the wind by placing creative ethos in the hands of its anticipated 30,000-plus attendees. What does the upcoming weekend hold for easily one of the most anticipated West Coast festival bills of the 2014 season? Well, quite simply, it’s To Be Determined.

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THE SITE
Touching upon the festival’s inspired focus on independent culture and design, Hargis and co-organizer Clay Nutting scouted out a fresh location that would allow them to build a cultural destination for the inaugural unveiling of TBD Fest. Positioned directly southwest of the Tower Bridge in West Sacramento’s Bridge District, the two cultivated a site that offered sweeping views of the city’s skyline, as well as enough space to house their $5.6 million architectural project with local developer Mark Friedman, entitled “The Barn”. Designed for year-round use, this 182-foot visually stunning wavelike formation of a wooden structure will serve as the festival’s centerpiece, hosting the full weekend lineup of musical talent against the capital’s cityscape. Highlighting the “indoor-outdoor living” of the typical Sacramento climate beyond this weekend’s festivities, the construction of “The Barn” aims to be the platform for Friedman’s larger vision of residential projects within the vicinity and continues to be utilized as an artistic venue for future community happenings promoting the region’s agricultural and philosophical identity.

“THE PIT”
Branching out beyond simply music and art, Launch Events dove headfirst into one of the most underrepresented facets of a festival by revealing a brand-new, wood-fired cooking demonstration zone called “The Pit”. Choosing to highlight festival fare in a manner that is not only engaging to the audience but equally as integral to the festival lineup, TBD organizers aim to create an atmosphere that recognizes their handpicked culinary masters, as fellow artists on the events bill. Beyond a fleet of nearly 20 food trucks present on the fairgrounds and an Artisan Pavilion that will host restaurant prepared meals to be paired with craft beer and cocktails all weekend, TBD Fest will feature 14-plus chefs from critically acclaimed local restaurants (Grange, Hawks, Hook & Ladder, Lucca, Mother and Paragary’s), in an elaborate pop-up challenge called “Friendly Fire.” In which teams will compete, using locally grown ingredients to prepare a timed dish for festival attendees, who then will be in charge of voting for a winner. Participating chefs include:

• Matt Brown (58 Degrees)
• Michael Fagnoni (Hawks)
• Jason Kupper (Urban Heritage)
• Ian MacBride (Lucca)
• Jess Milbourn (Capital Dime)
• Brian Mizner (Hook & Ladder)
• Oliver Ridgeway (Grange)
• Kurt Spataro (Paragary Group)
• Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera (Mother)
• Jay Veregge and Dennis Sydnor (Ten22)
• Noah Zonca (Zoncas LLC)

THE LINEUP
Transcending generational margins, mainstream appeal, artistic medium and festival track records, TBD Fest has easily one of the most eclectically impressive lineups of the entire 2014 festival season. Boasting legends alongside unsigned ingenues, hard rock powerhouses commingling with experimental minimalists, grimy electronic acts, hip-hop archetypes, shoe gazers, pop tarts and everything in between, this year’s bill has surpassed most other Bay Area events, not to mention many national competitors on the booking front. Jam packing three days full of all-encompassing talent is one of the hardest parts of throwing a successful large-scale festival, but the organizers at Launch Events make this upcoming weekend seem as though they barely broke a sweat. Teasing hints of headliners as early as this past June, the TBD Fest lineup has been locked in on message boards and festival speculation sites for nearly five months now. Gaining this much traction with as many artists as it has across the musical gamete is something that only a team of seasoned professionals can typically pull off. A feat that will be incredibly exciting to witness and take part in, considering the future prospect of a festival of such magnitude.

Click here to view the full schedule.

MORNING YOGA
An emphasis on health and wellness also have a place within the TBD Fest agenda. Offering a full hour and a half of morning yoga sessions sponsored by Yoga Across America, Saturday and Sunday festivalgoers have the opportunity to balance themselves physically and mentally going into the longest days of the festival. Led by professional experts that are teamed with DJs and fellow musicians, all festivalgoers are welcome to participate in the weekend’s morning exercises and are encouraged to RSVP here. Donations are accepted (but not mandatory) and will be directly contributed to Yoga Across America’s efforts in “co-creating happier, healthier communities through the transforming benefits of Yoga.” Other opportunities to center oneself beyond the morning sessions at the main stage can be found in The Riverside Yoga Play Area where attendees can attempt Slacklining, Hooping and Acro Yoga along with ample opportunities for down time at The B-Side Lounge, sponsored by lululemon Athletica. Check out the full schedule here.

AFFORDABILITY
Beyond elevating the festival experience on several crowd engagement and talent booking levels, Launch Events took this year’s TBD Fest unveiling to the next level in cost effectiveness as well. Offering various tiers of ticket prices and options for nearly every type of festival attendee, TBD Fest’s prices are the most consumer-friendly passes this side of comped. By giving the festivalgoer multiple ways to afford attending this weekend’s festivities, TBD Fest circumvents the financial hindrances most of the general public’s excuses tend to stem from. Single-day tickets, early bird three-day passes, standard three-day passes, late three-day passes, late late three-day passes and VIP wristbands all within a price range starting at $69 to a mere $250 for complete access allow for everyone to be able to curate their own experience in whichever way they choose. Check out the price ranges and choose your level of involvement here. Also, if you’re interested in attending the festival on Showbams’ list, enter for your chance to win a pair of passes below!

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