24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com The music—and a specific plant— may take center stage at Cali Roots, but what you wear to the experience may be just as important. T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, jeans and shorts may rule the weekend for comfort and functionality, but the style goes beyond these staples. Muscle tanks, flannels, bucket hats and plenty of “WTF” outfits steal the fashion game. The outfits may be unique, but many have a common thread: They are adorned with artwork by Shaun Logan. The Aptos artist is tasked with designing the festival’s poster annually, an important aspect of Cali Roots that not only sets the vibe for the year, but is also used on a variety of merchandise. From clothing to holiday ornaments, mugs, flags and more, Logan’s work is front and center for the festival’s popular merchandise. “It’s a challenge every year to try to outdo myself,” Logan says. The concept for next year’s festival artwork begins as the current year’s event is underway. Logan says he takes mental notes for designs as he’s enjoying the festival. A few months later, he’ll get a call from producer Dan Sheehan, and the team will start hammering out an idea for the poster. The process may take a wild turn some years. In 2017, Cali Roots wanted to pay homage to the 50th anniversary of the legendary and drug-fueled Monterey International Pop Festival. But rather than drop acid to inspire the hallucinogenic artwork, Logan says he tried an alternative to achieve the same desired result: sleep deprivation. “That was a fun year,” Logan says, before clarifying himself: “That was not fun not sleeping, but it was a fun process.” This year’s artwork was inspired by a much more wholesome activity by comparatively, yet still has the same surrealistic qualities that Logan is drawn to. Inspired by his daughter’s pop-up books, Logan designed a poster that feels like it could jump out of the two-dimensional plane, with papiermâché-like animals and scenery surrounding the names of the headliners for the 2025 Cali Roots. Speaking by phone as he painted a new mural at Hidden Beach County Park in Aptos, Logan says his grandfather was an artist in New York, and his father encouraged him to pursue a similar creative endeavor. At age 12, Logan says he first started attending concerts in Santa Cruz, which got him into the music scene. In high school, Logan played the guitar, forming a band with friends. One of those friends, Ryan DeMars, went on to play for an up-and-coming band known as The Expendables. DeMars asked Logan to design a T-shirt for the band, which would later become the design for their album. But when the shirt was printed, the period in Logan’s signature wasn’t included between the “S” (for Shaun) and “Logan,” printing as “Slogan.” The name stuck, and now it’s become the name for his design company. Logan later became the manager for The Expendables, where he met Sheehan while the band was on tour. The two clicked, leading to his gig as Cali Roots’ merchandise artist. Logan says he has seen his poster designs at random spots over the years, and the realization of knowing he created them never gets old. He notes he occasionally will attend concerts at Red Rocks in Colorado and will see concert-goers wearing their Cali Roots merch. “It trips me out,” he says. “It’s flattering, it’s surreal.” Logan is eager to be at Cali Roots again—for fun and business. “I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends,” he says. “It’s one big family.” Signature Slogan The unique style of Cali Roots’ poster designs comes from an artist with a penchant for surrealism. By Erik Chalhoub Cali Roots 2025 Aptos artist Shaun Logan’s poster art for the annual Cali Roots festival begins with sketches (above) that are then developed into concept pieces (top and left). Eventually a design is selected not only for the poster, but also for merchandise sold at the event. COURTESY OF SHAUN LOGAN COURTESY OF SHAUN LOGAN COURTESY OF SHAUN LOGAN
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