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Adrian Jerome DeMar has built a pretty sweet life for himself. In recent years, he got married and became a homeowner in Portland, Oregon. He is a former professional baseball pitcher who is currently playing in the major leagues. And now he and his wife Kendall are preparing to welcome their first child.
So why is he enduring hours in his car on Tuesday afternoons down the famously drab Interstate 5 corridor in California’s Central Valley?
This trip has nothing to do with baseball or DeMar’s life in Portland. In addition to her glamorous life in the Pacific Northwest, DeMar is also living a wonderful second life. In his lifetime, he was the bassist and co-founder of the Santa Cruz reggae band Soulwise.and Soulwise Head to Cali Roots.
The California Roots Music & Arts Festival – popularly known as the Cali Roots – is a world-renowned festival. 4 days music festival For over 10 years, it has been energizing Monterey’s Monterey County Fairgrounds. This year’s Kali Roots kicks off on Thursday and features more than 60 acts across four stages, including headliners such as Wu-Tang Clan, Revolution and Michael Franti & Spearhead. And for the first time, he joins one of those artists as Soulwise, a popular Santa Cruz combo known for his sound of cozy, danceable, groove-oriented West Coast reggae.
“We went to the Cali Roots the year we started the band,” said DeMar, who was in the south between Reading and Sacramento. I want to play here with Soulwise. ”
In that sense, this weekend marks the climax of the band’s life dating back to 2015. They hit the festival’s OG stage just before noon on Friday.
DeMar describes Soulwise’s music as bright and energetic. We are a chill reggae band. We are calm but definitely want to work hard. ”
Baseball is central to Soulwise’s story. DeMar was the star pitcher at San Lorenzo Valley High School, and his sidekick Kevin Eichhorn was the star pitcher at rival Aptos High School. Both continued to play professionally, with DeMar also playing in Japan and Eichhorn spending seven seasons in the minor league systems of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers. Eichhorn’s father, Mark EichhornHe had an 11-year major league career and was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays that won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. And Mark Eichhorn was DeMar’s high school pitching coach.
DeMar, Kevin Eichhorn, and Kevin’s cousin Sean Eichhorn began playing music together while playing baseball. This trio forms the core of the band, which now consists of up to nine people, including the occasional sit-in player (including DeMar’s father George on horns and his wife Kendall on vocals). The band has a consistently loyal following thanks to appearances at Moe’s Alley, Zelda on the Beach at Capitola Village, and Crow’s Nest’s Summer Party at Twin Lakes State Beach. are collecting. Soulwise has recorded three of her albums and numerous singles, including a new title that has just been released. “Higher Feelings”
The band’s music is often extravagant, sometimes dreamy, and underpinned by hypnosis. Chonka Chonka Reggae beats, often evoking some kind of peak experience euphoria. A blissful beat, perfect for listening with sand between your toes.
“That’s how we built our fan base,” Del Mar said. [Capitola] Villages and people will overflow onto the beach. ”
During the pandemic, DeMar moved to Portland, where he met his future wife and bought a home. Based in Seattle, he works for MLB as a compliance officer, preparing baseballs for games and making sure teams are adhering to the rules. Since moving to Portland, he has made the long drive to Santa Cruz no less than six times and plans to do so in the future.
“I got from Portland to Santa Cruz nine hours ago,” he said from the road near Willows. “know [I-5] like the back of your hand. ”
Cali Roots is held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds from 11am to 11pm Thursday through Sunday (except Thursdays when music starts at 1pm). tickets is still available.
