Meet Sequoia Slentz and some of his creative marketing thoughts? Slentz had become a booking agent for the Killers of Comedy in 2006, when he learned through his graphic designer, Jason Bland, who also designed T-shirts for the Howard Stern Show, that the comedic cast (including Bob Levy, Yucko the Clown and Beetlejuice) needed an Orange County rep. Cleanbox began designing the Killers of Comedy’s merchandise and managing all of their websites, and later bought the trademark to become the official booking agent for the show. They’ve now put on more 60 shows nationwide, including a few with Stern sidekick and “Too Fat to Fish” author, Artie Lang.
Sequoia Slentz profile in 944 Magazine : Although the world CleanBox inhabits is a far cry from the glossy photo spreads of beautiful people getting their rocks off that fill the mag’s pages, the recognition is still appreciated. Even though we despise the types of people who are into the magazine: the Armani and cologne wearing set, the bitchy, fake-titted chicks who won’t give us the time of day, we are ready and willing to accept all publicity. Plus, Sequoia and I got some free tequila at the photo shoot. Nothing beats a semi-solid excuse to drink hard liquor at noon.
About Sequoia Slentz: Owned and operated CleanBox Entertainment since 2001. Over the past 4 years we have produced major live events nationwide. My company created a television show which was licensed to Howard TV in 2009. We are interested in all ideas. Specialties: Designing, Manufacturing, Merchandise, Producing Live Shows, Creative Marketing on a budget, Event Planning.
Sequoia Slentz creative marketing guides: As the Boy Scouts’ motto says, “Be prepared.” Not only for emergencies, but, “for any old thing.” Live events are just that… they’re live. Anything can happen. The presenter’s wireless microphone could go out. You could lose power which could effect audio, lighting and the live feed. Make sure you have back up microphones and a reliable power source. If you have a lot of lighting, make sure you have a head electrician who can manage the power needs for all the lights so you don’t trip a breaker or blow a circuit. For graphics, it’s common to have a primary and back up computer to run your slides, and always wire the stage. You never know when a presenter will come with their own laptop and have videos they want to run, so having the cabling already set will save time.
Sequoia Slentz on Covid-19 times and the entertainment industry : “In what ways have you seen COVID-19 affect the music industry? The pandemic has been pretty devastating for live entertainment and in general, and especially the music industry. It’s been especially challenging for up and coming artists that want to get out there and play live. Now, clearly, all they can do right now is a live stream, but if they don’t already have a large following, that can present its own challenges. The pandemic has hurt all artists, even larger acts had to cancel tours. Ultimately what we’re talking about is that there has been loads of money lost for the artist, for the promoters, also for the sound engineers, light engineers, stage crew, food vendors, security, stage techs, drivers, venues, and merchandise sales in live music. Furthermore, the pandemic has created a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty for artists. Some artists are now thinking about shifting to a different career or creating side hustles. Multiple income streams are the way to go even during normal times.
Killers of Comedy & Sequoia Slentz : We travel around the country with the Killers, meeting super fans everywhere we go. When you hang out with Beetlejuice before a Killers show, you feel like you’re hanging with freak show royalty. Everyone recognizes him and everyone loves him. But the best part of all… we got it all on tape.