In with the new, out with the old as a new music festival replaces Roots Fest

By Logan Broyles | SDUN Reporter

After a successful eighteen-year run, the Adams Avenue Roots Festival has been put on hold due to financial concerns. Yet music lovers in Normal Heights and surrounding neighborhoods will be happy to know that a new music festival has risen up to fill the void.

On April 21 – 22, local bars and restaurants along a two-mile stretch of Adams Avenue will be converted into concert venues featuring a varied lineup of bands for the first Adams Avenue Unplugged. Attendees will be sure to get their fill of live music at this two-day event that will feature more than 170 performances across twenty-four separate stages.

The event is being hosted by the Adams Avenue Business Association (AABA) and will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Unlike the Roots Festival of years past, which had more of a street fair vibe to it, Adams Avenue Unplugged will feature smaller venues with more acoustic sets, which will allow musicians and audiences to connect in a more intimate setting.

“We are excited about doing it this way because it gives people an opportunity to hear more musicians, experience the Adams Avenue Business District and provides a totally different atmosphere from the usual street fair format,” said AABA Executive Director of Judy Elliot.

The music will mainly be acoustic and cover a wide range of genres from jazz to blues, to Mexican folk and Country. The lineup includes San Diego regulars such as Gregory Page, Tomcat Courtney and Sara Petite, along with Roots Fest alums EZ Mark and the Budapest Brothers, and a special performance by Oscar nominated actor John C. Reilly of “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” fame.

“The majority of the bands are local, that was one of the things we wanted to do going into this whole new venture,” Elliot said. “It’s like a taste of Adams Avenue in music, we wanted to create an event that would showcase local musicians. For us it is like using locally grown food in restaurants, we are just substituting locally grown talent.”

This free event is open to music lovers of all ages. In addition to a healthy does of live music, Adams Avenue Unplugged will feature vendors with an emphasis on arts and crafts, food trucks and vendors, face painting and a beer garden that features local beers from Stone Brewing and Karl Strauss.

The beer garden will double as a hospitality stop for the festival’s musicians, some of whom will participate in songs swaps throughout the day.

The festivals new format will save the AABA money since it will no longer have to pay to power multiple outdoor stages, and will make things easier on the local neighborhood since it will no longer need to close streets and reroute buses. Festival-goers are encouraged to carpool, take the bus, ride their bike or walk.

“We hope that folks will see all that Adams Avenue has to offer and will come back to shop and dine and just plain enjoy themselves,” Elliot said. “We think Adams Avenue offers that neighborhood experience where you can know the folks you do business with. For urban neighborhoods this just might be a great way to connect people to businesses.”