Cali Roots is an impressive and surprisingly diverse show, both on stage and off.

Dave Faries here, looking to add to my already too extensive wine collection. It seems that I rarely get around to pulling a cork at home, so my cellar has grown to a size at odds with the budget of a lowly writer.

But I am now intrigued by the Rebelution 2021 Reb Blend—not a typo, but a clever play on “red”—as well as The Elovaters 2021 Criminal Cabernet Sauvignon and others related to groups performing at Cali Roots, particularly The Expendables 2021 Bottle for Two Petite Sirah.

When I learned that a number of bands had private labels through Tommy Booth of The Wine Boss Paso Robles, I reached out to The Expendables’ guitar player, Raul Bianchi. “I really, really love wine,” he told me, although admitting that his palate was lacking. Once at a wine tasting when he speculated on the flavors he was picking up from a particular varietal, the host responded with a concerned “huh.”

That story is part of our coverage of Cali Roots in this week’s edition of the Weekly. The other pieces touch on aspects of the festival that are of greater importance. For instance, Sloan Campi explores how an event once rooted in reggae talent has become more inclusive of the tangle of musical genres that are always more related than we might realize. And Erik Chalhoub takes a look at how organizers go about drastically reducing the bane of all such gatherings—waste. 

Good Vibez, which puts on Cali Roots, has reduced single-use plastics to the tune of 600,000 bottles. They also collect recyclable material and donate compostable waste. It’s a remarkable and necessary effort.

Finally, we present a lineup of must-see performers who are not named Marley or Ice Cube. While I can take credit for writing the blurbs, it was Lani Headley—a member of the Weekly’s crack design team and budding music writing talent—who gave me direction.

Cali Roots has become a major event on the musical calendar. Even if you have not attended, I hope the glimpse we provide gives an idea of the scope of stories to tell.

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