www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 4-10, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 From 2010 to 2019, the California Roots Music and Art Festival grew from a one-day, single-stage reggae fest at the Monterey County Fairgrounds into a three- and four-day event hosted on multiple stages drawing big-name acts like the Wu-Tang Clan, Burning Spear, Damian Marley and Ice Cube, among others. In 2012, the festival’s founder, Jeff Monser, brought Dan Sheehan on board as an equal partner to further expand the annual event, according to court documents. In 2018, the duo formed California Roots Holding Company, LLC, which encompassed the festival’s brand, operations and other assets, and established Sheehan as the manager. After canceling the festival in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cali Roots returned in full force in 2022 with a solid lineup and was well-attended, which resulted in a potential sale for up to $10 million of the Cali Roots entity to a live events company called USLive Op Co, Inc., or LiveCo. Sheehan presented the potential offer to Monser around June 2022 and Monser later agreed to sell his ownership of the festival to Sheehan for $1.9 million, according to court records. Monser was paid $1.64 million and $261,000 in loan forgiveness for money owed to the festival in 2023. However, in May 2023, the festival didn’t perform as anticipated and the sale to LiveCo fell through. Monser later learned that the opportunity to sell the festival was lost. He suspected that Sheehan never intended to sell Cali Roots but wanted to take full ownership of the festival, deceiving Monser into selling his share through a lawyer that Monser assumed represented LiveCo., according to court records. In 2024, Monser filed a lawsuit in Monterey Superior Court alleging that Sheehan never planned to close the sale. Monser is seeking at least $1 million in damages and renewed ownership of Cali Roots. In an August 2024 email from Bruce Hanson of LiveCo to Monser’s lawyer, “LiveCo ceased work on this potential deal in or about the first week of June 2023.” Hanson said the lawyer who facilitated Monser’s payout was “sellside counsel” and not LiveCo’s lawyer. A trial date was set for June 8, 2026, but was canceled due to Monser filing for bankruptcy in October 2025. A new trial date is on hold. After selling his share of Cali Roots, Monser says he has been working on numerous projects, including running a screen-printing and embroidery shop and helping to produce festivals and concerts in the Bay Area. Regarding Cali Roots, Monser says he is glad that fans continue to show up and enjoy the festival, which he has “nothing but positive feelings for.” “We are hopeful the festival will continue next year and many years into the future,” he says. A spokesperson for Cali Roots says in an email, “Looking ahead, we remain committed to continuing to grow and strengthen the festival experience while preserving the community spirit that has made Cali Roots so special over the years.” Shifting Roots A lawsuit filed by the founder and former co-owner of Cali Roots is stalled for now. By Aric Sleeper The 15th annual Cali Roots festival took place from May 22-24, drawing about 9,000 attendees each day, organizers report. Dates for 2027 have already been announced and tickets are for sale. NEWS In 2023, the festival didn’t perform as anticipated. DANIEL DREIFUSS
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