A month after Bottle Rock Napa Valley finished its first-ever music and food festival with major acts like the Black Keys and Kings of Leon, organizers still owe workers who produced the event more than $630,000.
The Press-Democrat reports that 142 stagehands haven't been paid for much of the work they put in at Bottle Rock -- a delay that "never happens" in the theater and live music industry, according a union rep. The amount is small relative to the overall budget of the festival, but large for the individuals owed. One video technician says he's due more than $4,000.
Festival co-founder Bob Vogt said the workers will be paid, but haven't yet because the festival is still missing its cut of food and beverage sales. Vogt and co-founder Gabe Meyers are in a dispute with the catering company that oversaw food and drink at Bottle Rock, which Vogt says hasn't provided a true accounting of sales and is in "breach of contract."
But a spokesman for the catering company defends its accounting, and says the amount in dispute isn't enough to cover what the stage hands are owed anyway.
Bottle Rock organizers also have only until July 1 to donate to charity what they hoped would be up to $1 million from the event, which ran May 9-12 in at the Napa Vally Expo.
Read the Press-Democrat's full story, and check out our review of Bottle Rock Napa Valley.
-- @iPORT
