Rebels and Renegades Festival
Rebels and Renegades was the brainchild of the folks behind the long-running Cali Roots festival. It was a substantial pivot musically and in the fanbase: straw hats and Coors beer replaced dreadlocks and the cloud of weed smoke, but the music and the vibe was similarly world-class. Rebels featured some of the best established, and up-and-coming bands in alt-country, new country, rock ’n’ soul. The musicians delivered, but many ticket buyers didn’t. To those 3,500 people who saw Wilco play the best rock show in Monterey County in the last year to a half-empty Monterey Fairgrounds arena, the news of the cancellation of future festivals made sense, kinda like a hard luck cowpuncher being told his services are no longer wanted.
