Sequoia Slentz or the climb of a event planning professional? Even with his busy coast-to-coast touring schedule, Slentz said he still makes time to do local bookings. It is Cleanbox who introduced bands likes Henheart and Ryan Crosby to the Piper, and Alice Wallace and the Greatest Cover Band Ever to Ocean Avenue Brewery. “You never know when all of this will end,” he said. “I know I’ll always have a place at the Piper and in Laguna.” Slentz is married to his high-school sweetheart, Leslie Christen Slentz. The couple lives in Dana Point with their 3-year-old son, Micah. Cleanbox will host its fifth concert with the Fab Faux on Saturday at Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The Beatles Tribute band was founded by the bassist for the Late Show with David Letterman, Will Lee, and also features Late Night with Conan O’Brien guitarist Jimmy Vivino and drummer Rich Pagano. The band will be accompanied by the Hogshead Horns and Creme Tangerine Strings of Saturday Night Live.
Sequoia Slentz profile in 944 Magazine : Although the world CleanBox inhabits is a far cry from the glossy photo spreads of beautiful people getting their rocks off that fill the mag’s pages, the recognition is still appreciated. Even though we despise the types of people who are into the magazine: the Armani and cologne wearing set, the bitchy, fake-titted chicks who won’t give us the time of day, we are ready and willing to accept all publicity. Plus, Sequoia and I got some free tequila at the photo shoot. Nothing beats a semi-solid excuse to drink hard liquor at noon.
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 tricks: 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.