The music scenes in Chico and Redding are colliding this spring for the new 599 Fest.
The music festival will feature 18 bands and take place on April 18 in Redding and on April 19 in Chico.
Organizers Zach Zeller of the Redding band Not Your Babe and Jordan Mallory of the Chico band Surrogate say the festival highlights a generation of talent in the local indie-rock music scene.
"We've had bands that have just kind of been holding it down for the last 20 to 30 years, and it’s just an opportunity to bring them together,” Zeller said.
The name is a combination of Interstate 5 and Highway 99. It reflects the longtime connection between the Chico and Redding music scenes, Mallory said.
“It's just really kind of the corridor that we travel along to play shows together,” Mallory said.
That corridor has helped create a culture of collaboration where artists trade performances and share stages.
Festival planning took place last December. The idea was sparked by a recent uptick in band reunions nationwide. Hoping to reunite some local talent, they searched and asked bands to join the cause.
Organizers originally considered holding the festival over a single day. But the project expanded into a two-day event with two stages at each location.
The festival also celebrates the DIY roots of both music scenes, where Mallory said bands often perform in venues with simple floor plans and sound systems.
“We wanted to celebrate those times where it's really all about just the experience,” Mallory said.
Viva Downtown’s IOOF Hall and Whistlestop Park will serve as hosts for the Redding portion, while the Fab Lab at the Maker Radio Station will host the Chico day.
“I don't think there's ever really been something of this size, where we get to showcase kind of each other's scenes in both towns,” Zeller said. “I think it was really important for us to make sure we took it on the road.”
The lineup includes Bloodsugar, Belda Beast, The Shimmies, and more.
