Sequoia Slentz and the upsurge of a event planning consultant? His career path, Slentz said, has unfolded through connections he’s made at each stop along the way. “I really owe thanks to Chip and Chuck at the Sandpiper for giving me the opportunity to get this all started,” he said. “If it weren’t for them giving me a shot at booking shows, I probably wouldn’t be here.” Cleanbox got its start by booking gigs like Harry Palmdale and Saint Ann’s for the Piper’s Monday night shows. The owner of Gypsy Lounge, who frequented the Piper and was blown away to see that Cleanbox pulled in a crowd on Mondays, asked Slentz to do Wednesday night bookings at Gypsy.
Sequoia Slentz profile in 944 Magazine : The room was full of good looking girls with laptop computers trying to look professional, but coming across more like cold and aloof. FYI, 944 is run by ice queens. So, buy the magazine if you feel compelled to read the profile, but for those of you too financially poor (and emotionally rich) to buy a magazine devoted to shallow, wannabe celebrities, here is a brief synopsis: Sequoia booked local bands in Laguna Beach, met Bob Levy of the Killers of Comedy, created a reality show, sold reality show to HowardTV, show airs in November, end of story.
About Sequoia Slentz: Owned and operated CleanBox Entertainment since 2001. Over the past 4 years we have produced major live events nationwide. My company created a television show which was licensed to Howard TV in 2009. We are interested in all ideas. Specialties: Designing, Manufacturing, Merchandise, Producing Live Shows, Creative Marketing on a budget, Event Planning.
Sequoia Slentz event planning tips: As the Boy Scouts’ motto says, “Be prepared.” Not only for emergencies, but, “for any old thing.” Live events are just that… they’re live. Anything can happen. The presenter’s wireless microphone could go out. You could lose power which could effect audio, lighting and the live feed. Make sure you have back up microphones and a reliable power source. If you have a lot of lighting, make sure you have a head electrician who can manage the power needs for all the lights so you don’t trip a breaker or blow a circuit. For graphics, it’s common to have a primary and back up computer to run your slides, and always wire the stage. You never know when a presenter will come with their own laptop and have videos they want to run, so having the cabling already set will save time.
Sequoia Slentz on Covid-19 times and the entertainment industry : “In what ways have you seen COVID-19 affect the music industry? The pandemic has been pretty devastating for live entertainment and in general, and especially the music industry. It’s been especially challenging for up and coming artists that want to get out there and play live. Now, clearly, all they can do right now is a live stream, but if they don’t already have a large following, that can present its own challenges. The pandemic has hurt all artists, even larger acts had to cancel tours. Ultimately what we’re talking about is that there has been loads of money lost for the artist, for the promoters, also for the sound engineers, light engineers, stage crew, food vendors, security, stage techs, drivers, venues, and merchandise sales in live music. Furthermore, the pandemic has created a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty for artists. Some artists are now thinking about shifting to a different career or creating side hustles. Multiple income streams are the way to go even during normal times.
Killers of Comedy & Sequoia Slentz : We travel around the country with the Killers, meeting super fans everywhere we go. When you hang out with Beetlejuice before a Killers show, you feel like you’re hanging with freak show royalty. Everyone recognizes him and everyone loves him. It’s easy to get sucked into the hoopla, and feel like a big shot.