Getting our Z

After visiting all corners of the nation for concert tours of duty with Cake, Jurassic 5 and Umphrey’s McGee, Chico native Azariah Reynolds—“Z” to his friends—is happiest right here in his hometown. That’s good news for Chico music lovers, especially those jam band, bohemian-music enthusiasts, as Reynolds has returned to Chico with his Z’s Live Music promotion company.

Carrying a pedigree that includes early exposure to progressive music—he saw The Grateful Dead with Santana at age 10—plus event management training at Chico State and years of hands-on experience, Reynolds is the right person for the job.

With local shows featuring Hot Buttered Rum and Greensky Bluegrass already under his belt in the past month, and Charlie Hunter Quartet on the horizon (May 22), Reynolds is now busy preparing a day/night event on May 9, dubbed Chico Live. The mini-festival will include a free daytime show in Chico City Plaza with Papa Mali, Izabella, MaMuse and a sideshow of art and other performances, followed that evening by a ticketed show at the El Rey Theatre featuring Honeytonk Homeslice.

“Being named one of the top art cities, that’s something Chico can hang its hat on,” the slim, fit, 32-year-old Reynolds said during a recent chat downtown. “Chico Live will bring together media, music, dance troupes and artists stationed all around the plaza, creating on the spot.”

Reynolds’ passion for live music set him on an extraordinary path. With two years as assistant coordinator for Chico State’s Associated Students and a degree in recreation administration to guide him, Reynolds got a gig working on alt-hip-hop band Jurassic 5’s touring crew in 2002.

Then came two years back in Chico running Z’s Live Music, which brought in acts such as Ozomatli, Keller Williams and Karl Denson; landing a job as stage manager for Cake; then returning to Chico where, with pal Larry Lemm, he formed Bobolink Music, which partnered with the Bean Scene coffee house for dozens of shows in 2003-04.

After the Bean Scene’s untimely demise, which Reynolds called “the ultimate art project that ran its course,” he longed for a change, and off to idyllic Boulder, Colo., he went. But music would soon come calling again, with a stint at Lake Tahoe-based Renegade Productions that soon turned into a three-year gig as production assistant and merchandise manager for instrumental jam band Sound Tribe Sector 9. But Chico was never far from his mind.

“It was the most amazing experience,” Reynolds said of his time with STS9. “From Times Square to every beautiful theater—I’d been everywhere in the country three or four times, and all I could think of is going back to Chico.”

And now he’s back, riding his bike everywhere and enjoying life with Amy, his partner of 11 years and wife for the past four, and their 2-1/2-year-old daughter, Melody.

Reynolds credits former AS Presents Coordinator Ajamu Lamumba for taking him under his wing and showing him the ropes. “Ajamu taught me how to talk to bands,” he said, “putting out offers, show implementation, every aspect of putting on a show with a thousand people in the crowd and all the pressure on the line.”

Reynolds’ résumé puts him right up there with the other music impresarios in town, with whom he shares a mutual respect.

“Steve Schuman [North Valley Productions] is an awesome promoter who brings a ton of integrity,” he said, “and Justin [Maximov] at JMax, the things he’s done at the Senator and the El Rey to keep things going over the past 10 years have been huge. Dan DeWayne [University Public Events], who started Strawberry [Music Festival], is really the one that elevated the level of talent of the music that comes through here.”

After giving out additional props to many local producers Reynolds went on to say how he thought the abundance of promoters was ultimately good for the city.

“Chico’s music scene won’t fully fill out without a spectrum of people,” he said. “Everyone has their own specialty [genre] and there’s room for everyone to create. Chico is a blank palette for whatever creative idea that wants to come to the table.”