Page 36 - February-March_2020_Local_Happenings

For this year, Yountville Live will stretch from March 19 through March 22. The
2020 lineup hadn’t been finalized at the time of publication, but in the past the
festival has pulled in some of the best-known musical artists in the country.
This includes David Hodges, the Goo Goo Dolls, Colbie Caillat, O.A.R., X
Ambassadors, Foy Vance, Blue October, and the Plain White T’s, to name a few.

“We try and find the next artist who’s about to break and also the artists
who are very talented and have big personalities who can perform acoustic
guitar with no amplification at a wine dinner,” said FF Entertainment
President Bobbii Hach Jacobs. “They’re just very much in that creative tip.”

One of the secrets to pulling this talent, Bobbii said, is simply to extend
the Napa Valley’s hospitality to the performers as well as the audience.
“I think what’s really awesome is when artists are on the road or on tour—
it’s their job—but what we try to do is we not only have them perform
and entertain, but enjoy themselves while they’re here and take it all in,”
Bobbii said. “We encourage them to bring their spouse or significant
other. They don’t just have a great experience; they say, ‘Wow I’m all
in.’ Everyone here is so welcoming and engaging—it’s amazing.”

NOW APPEARING Bobbii said the Live In The Vineyard concept stems from the
desire to bring “current pop music” into the area, but in a way
that’s designed to make the audience members feel connected
with the performer, as opposed to being one in a sea of people or
Live in Yountville watching a singer two football field-lengths from the stage.

Nate Gartrell

hat happens when you take world-renowned musicians and put them in the
backdrop of the beautiful Napa Valley, along with the fine wine and cuisine this
area is known for? You get what’s become known as a luxury event, a unique
Wgetaway designed for intimate, up-close views of artists and chefs who typically
showcase their work on television, or in multi-thousand seat arenas. It all started in 2008 with a Jason
Mraz performance in the Napa Valley, around the time he released the multi-platinum, Grammy-
nominated hit “I’m Yours.” Nowadays, Napa Valley has three such events each year, all put on by
FF Entertainment, and starting this year with Yountville Live. The four-day event is a celebration of
food, wine, and music, and surrounds the popular annual Taste of Yountville Festival.

“Yountville Live was, hands down, the most incredible festival experience of
my life,” popular singer/songwriter Marc Broussard said in a testimonial on
Yountville Live’s website. “The food, the wine, the hospitality, and the music were
of a caliber unmatched by any other event I’ve ever been associated with. If I’m
not invited back as an artist, you can bet I’ll be buying a ticket as a fan.”

34 Feb/Mar www.localhappeningsmagazine.com