Intimate elevated concert experiences begin appearing in lieu of large concert gatherings
In the heart of wine country, at a winery ranked number two most beautifully designed in the world by Architectural Digest, with wine from SLO County’s Winemaker Of The Year, Jordan Fiorentini, a small group gathered to enjoy the sounds of GRAMMY®Award-nominated JP Saxe at an intimate, outdoor concert.
The perfect weather, combined with the intimate experience, including a meet and greet with the artist, created an atmosphere of comfort and familiarity.
Guests were able to request songs and share stories of how Saxe’s music had impacted their lives, including me, as I walked down the aisle for my wedding to his song “The Few Things” last month. Saxe himself stated that he planned on trying to keep things classy for wine country but that through the requests of songs, it was clear that guests didn’t mind some cheeky vibes.
This event was brought together by 88 Vines Entertainment, created by Danny Cooper, who has over 30 years of experience in both music and wine and was looking for ways to bring the two together. 88 Vines Entertainment promoted and marketed the artist and the winery throughout the LA and OC metro, as well as SLO county areas.
“Our goal is to make more people aware of Epoch Estate Wines and Paso Robles wine country in general, as well as to help promote the artist’s new album and upcoming Fall tour,” states Cooper.
The caterer for the event was Field to Table Catering, a central coast company created by Tracy Labastida in August 2013. Labastida started in the produce fields before his passion shifted from growing the produce to cooking it. The company maintains strong relationships with local farmers to complete Labastida’s vision of using fresh, local ingredients to craft amazing, mouth-watering menus to complement local events.
The wines served at the dinner were all Epoch Estate wines from winemaker Jordan Fiorentini, who was recently named San Luis Obispo County’s Winemaker of the Year. Fiorentini oversees all the wine and vines decisions as well as day-to-day operations in the winery. Dedicated and not afraid to push the envelope, Fiorentini brings an enthusiastic and experienced spirit to Epoch wines and creates tasting notes to help guests pair them perfectly with their food. The night started with a welcome pour of Rosé, and the tasting room was open for guests to sample other wines from Epoch throughout the night along with the dinner.
After the meet and greet and dinner was served, JP Saxe took the stage to begin the informal performance, which is suited to his style of lyrics that always present heartfelt authenticity.
“My favorite music has always been the songs that make me feel closer to myself, and I want to make that kind of music. In order to do that, I have to be as close to myself as possible when I write these songs. So, it feels like you get to hear what I’m thinking,” the artist says.
Saxe’s life has always revolved around music from a young age, and after quitting piano as a young kid, he picked it up again to accompany his own vocals. His songwriting career began for other artists but shifted when he first started creating “The Few Things” while sitting at a piano. The shift to telling his own stories in his songs was when he learned to start listening to his instincts and trusting his own taste above all. He found that playing music for someone else was always a moving target, but playing music for himself ended up touching so many people who could relate to the lyrics. Saxe gained momentum with his song “If The World Was Ending,” featuring Julia Michaels, and continues to keep the world entranced with his songs that allow intimate looks into his emotions.
You can follow JP Saxe through his website, jpsaxe.com/, and watch 88 Vines for more artists they plan to bring to the Paso Robles area: 88vines.com/.
