The growth of a event planning expert : Sequoia Slentz

Sequoia Slentz and the growth 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 : 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 guides: The old show business phrase, “the show must go on” applies here. Regardless of what happens, there is an audience out there waiting to be educated, informed or entertained, so you have to deliver. The that the fact that a live event is “live” makes it both easier and more difficult at the same time. There are no second takes. When something goes out live that shouldn’t have, there are no take backs. So, when you’re live you have to roll with it. That means when presenters are late or go off script, or when there’s equipment failure, or a crew member calls in sick, or any unplanned situation you have to roll with it. When you’re video recording, you can always “fix it in post.” The key is to keep a cool head, don’t let them see you sweat and be a leader.

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. This past weekend, the Killers accepted an offer to perform some material, an impromptu birthday roast, for a well-to-do fan at a private party in a hotel in Long Beach, California. We had a show two blocks away later that night, so it didn’t seem like a big deal.