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Roanoke, VA— Earlier this month, southwest Virginia festival promotion and talent agency FestyWesty officially signed on their new owner William Hobbs. Ever since the agency went on sale during the beginning of the pandemic, music connoisseur Hobbs set out to take FestyWesty under his wing.
Hobbs, 21, is a modern Renaissance man, interested in anything from environmental issues to local music scenes. Although not a musician himself, Hobbs is extremely passionate about listening to and exploring new music.
Founded in 2014 by Aaron and Jessica Shackelford, FestyWesty has combined music, art, atmosphere, and, most importantly, their signature 1971 Volkswagen FestyWesty bus to create a life-changing experience for musicians and fans alike. The agency offers the new and struggling indie artists of Roanoke opportunities to perform at thousands of gigs for no-upfront costs.
Because the business already had substantial following, Hobbs has had no issue transitioning into his new ownership role. With not even a month under his belt, he’s already been able to recruit new and exciting talent! He will carry on FestyWesty’s legacy of increasing reach and satisfaction among festival-goers and fans.
“I don’t have a bone of musical talent in my body, but I’ve always been passionate about music,” Hobbs said. “When I found out about FestyWesty being up for sale, I thought this would be a great way to channel all of my interests into one. And I get a bus out of it!”
Along with continuing the usual online/social media promotion, photography and videography, new idea and concept development, and simply brainstorming, Hobbs new addition to the business merges with his position as strategy leader for international climate activism movement Solve Climate by 2030.
This spring, FestyWesty is pairing up with the Solve Climate by 2030 campaign to host weekly livestream concerts with local artists and bands from across the nation. The campaign’s initiative is to spread climate change awareness through education and #MakeClimateAClass in classrooms throughout the world.
Livestreams will feature music from eco-conscious musicians along with informational interludes about climate change given by the Solve Climate team. Not only will the livestreams bring the world closer to solving climate by 2030, but they’ll allow for artists to widen their fanbase and receive future gig opportunities through FestyWesty!
“We’re really looking to experiment with each new week of this Solve Climate concert series. I’m expecting to hit some technical bumps, but the most exciting stuff is the new talent and great guests from all around the world,” Hobbs said.
For more information about FestyWesty, go to their website www.festywesty.com and follow their journey on Instagram @FestyWesty, Facebook @FestyWesty71, and Twitter @FestyWestyVWBus.
For information on the Solve Climate by 2030 concert series hosted by FestyWesty, look out for livestream links posted by @SolveClimateBy2030 on Instagram every Thursday.
At FestyWesty we are passionate about music, festivals and sharing great experiences! We love a good festival and we believe that they really can be a life-changing experience. When you surround yourself with a great atmosphere, music and arts, and friendly face smiling back at you, you will walk away with a new outlook on life.
We have been involved with festivals for more than 10 years in every part of the festival production process. We have been organizers, vendors, volunteers, promoters, and patrons. We understand that a festival is a complex organism that changes and adapts to cultural trends and patrons desires and we want to help your festival do just that.
We can work with you on your online/social media promotion, photography and videography, new idea and concept development or just brainstorming about ways to make your festival stand out from the crowd. Our end goal is your satisfaction and increasing the reach of your festival so that more people have their lives touched by a festival experience.
We would love to hear from you about your festival and collaborate on ways to help you succeed. Contact us today!
Hannah Norwood- Hailing from Charlotte, NC I grew up attending music festivals all across the South East region with my dad. Raised on some combination of Bluegrass and The Grateful Dead as the soundtrack to childhood, I was totally that little girl running around the camp grounds chasing bubbles in a tie-dye dress. We’d hit the road every chance we could, ready to pitch a tent, build a campfire, and catch a good line up. He’d write a note telling my school that I’d be absent for educational purposes. Now that I’m all grown up I’ve continued these traditions on my own. Applying my degree in Art History and Anthropology from Wake Forest University to interviewing and photographing the very same musicians I’ve been watching perform on stage for years. And I still find all of these experiences to be exceptionally educational. Living out my own version of every kid’s “Almost Famous” dreams— I’ve found that writing about music is truly my passion. I’m excited to see where the road takes me next with FestyWesty.
Brad Davis has been part of the FestyWesty team for awhile now. He does video work for our podcast-The Music Plays The Band. He also produces Green Room Jams on his youtube channel at youtube.com