David Clouse, local drummer and organizer of the Wild Eye Summer Soul and Blues Festival, and Wild Eye Pub owner Beth Moore recently sat down to discuss the new festival, its origins, and what audiences should expect of the summer event.
Q: How did the summer festival series come about?
Beth Moore: While we have events most nights year-round, late spring to early fall is the height of the music season, and it’s fun to take some shows outside in those temperate months.
Recently, David Clouse mentioned a festival idea and asked if we might have a date when we’d like to host. We loved the idea of celebrating our 8th anniversary on June 6 with this great lineup!
David Clouse: With Achilles Wheel on an extended hiatus, I landed in Manic Mojo; an unusually talented group, but we are new, so I thought it would be good at first to partner up with other bands. I talked to some friends, and then approached Beth. The Wild Eye often showcases the top acts in the region, but is also very supportive of new and upcoming artists. She has heard Manny (Servantes) play and liked the idea, and it took off from there.
Q: Who is playing, and how were they chosen?
Beth Moore: For this first event, the great lineup includes Dave Earl Duo, Manic Mojo, Grease, Grit and Grime, and Banner Mountain Blues Band, then a jam finale. As word got out, a number of other bands wanted to play, so another date — July 18 — was added, creating the series, with another date also being considered.
David Clouse: Manic Mojo is high energy with great songwriting, virtuosity, and group chemistry, and to make our debut with these other seasoned high quality acts is really an honor. Also, to have all these great players from different bands together on stage for the final set will be really fun.
Q: How did the Wild Eye Creekside Sunday shows come into being, and what have they been like?
Beth Moore: One silver lining of the challenges of trying to survive as a venue during Covid, was transforming our back parking lot into a seasonal creekside concert space. It started as a temporary solution to overcome restrictions on indoor events, but people loved the outdoor gathering vibe along beautiful Wolf Creek, so it has carried on. In 2024 we created a “Creekside Sundays” concert series, running weekly through the summer. It is a big undertaking coordinating large shows with great artists playing weekly throughout the summer, but worth it. Of course, we are known for also hosting music most nights of the week, and that has continued with great success.
Q: The eighth birthday celebration! From the challenges of being a new business, to surviving the covid era is quite a feat. What is the current state of affairs for the industry, and what can we expect going forward?
Beth Moore: We’ve probably all noticed the significant changes in post-Covid for music festivals, restaurants, and clubs. Being on lockdown changed our habits as a culture. Many music festivals ended, with concert-goers no longer funding them through advance ticketing, and risking cancellations as happened with Covid. Restaurants in particular have seen significant cost increases in labor, food, supplies, insurance, fuel, and more. Many have closed, including huge franchises and those with decades of successful history. Others have continued to pivot, trying to meet changing demands.
At Wild Eye, we’re certainly not immune to those challenges. While we continue to host great events, and remain committed to sourcing and serving fresh, local, organic foods that are humane and chemical free, we are also making some changes. As elders in training, we plan to retire in the next few years, and while we’ve listed our business for sale. We’ll continue to enjoy what we do until a special buyer comes along to carry on this business, or create their own dream. Meanwhile, we’re shifting a bit: we’ll continue to host concerts, shows, benefits, and special/private events, and we’ll sometimes close on the days with no events planned. Closing for the “quiet” days will reduce significant costs.
David Clouse: From the onset the Wild Eye has been one of the premier performing venues in our area, and from the start Beth and Dave always approached everything with the highest level of integrity in relation to our community. You hear a lot about the great vibe at the Wild Eye, and I think the way they conduct business has a lot to do with that. In addition to just plain fun, it seems like a strong sense of community is always in the background.
Q: Anything to add?
Beth Moore: We’re looking forward to this fun series of great soul and blues music, starting on June 6! And – YES: we LOVE reservations! It is very helpful for both us and our guests to know how many diners or concert-goers to prepare for. We expect a full house, and this helps avoid having too few staff for a large crowd, so we can do a better job taking care of everyone. It’s sometimes hard to make plans, but when you can let us know, we sure appreciate it!
For information and ticket reservations visit: wildeyepub.com.
Questions and information: [email protected] or 530-446-6668.
Know & go
WHAT: Wild Eye Summer Soul and Blues Festival
WHEN: June 6 at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Wild Eye Pub, 535 Mill St, Grass Valley
COST: $16
MORE INFO/TICKET RESERVATIONS: wildeyepub.com
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theunion.com ’
