Synrgy not looking for a crowd in Sedona, AZ

This year’s Beer X fest August 12 at Waterfront Park had the same music/beer/food components as last year’s Beer X, but turnout was different. It drew a sell-out 8500, three times more attendees than last year.

Was it a superior venue? It was Liberty Station last year. Was the beer selection better? Stone sat out Beer X 2016. Or was it the music? Three of the last four bands that played at this year’s Beer X played reggae: J Boog, Magic, and headliner Iration.

“Slightly Stoopid has sold out [Denver venue] Red Rocks ten years in a row,” says reggae impresario Carlos Culture. “Rebelution sold out Sleep Train. And Soulja, Cali Buds, and Stick Figure all sold out their North Park Observatory shows. And I heard from a very good source that the Bob Marley Day concert series will return to the Sports Arena on President’s Day [February 18] for the first time in five years.”

“You don’t hear reggae much on mainstream radio, but attendance is there,” says Brian Zach, singer/keyboard player of Synrgy. “When I started the band in Flagstaff, we were the only reggae band in Arizona. Now there are hundreds of Arizona reggae bands.”

Zach moved Synrgy first to Northern California, then to Ashland, Oregon, and finally to San Diego, in hope of finding the best reggae roost.

“We’ve moved a lot of times chasing this thing,” says Zach. “All the bands that we heard that were successful seemed to be from San Diego or L.A. We wondered why we weren’t getting the same attention. We finally figured out that all the managers and promoters and agents were down here.... Reggae bands from Southern California have a huger advantage, so we decided to give it a try.”

Like Dubbest, which moved here from Massachusetts, Synrgy relocated to San Diego for greener reggae pastures. But then it hit them:

“We quickly learned we couldn’t afford to live here.... I had never been to Baja before. But we found this house in Rosarito we could afford. It’s only 25 miles away. It’s been awesome. We’re blessed that in Mexico the overhead is so low. We’re buying time by living down there, investing in the band. We have four albums recorded, two are ready to go. But you have to have the funds to properly release them.”

Zach says that since Synrgy declared San Diego as its home base, bookings have improved.

“Since we moved here, this band called Sensamotion from New Jersey approached us. We weren’t even on their radar before. Now we’re planning on a November tour together in the Pacific Northwest.”

Attempts to verify the return of a Presidents Day reggae show to the Sports Arena were not successful by press time.