Licorice Pizza Records joins Sunflower Farm Music Fest lineup at Pacific Biodiesel founders’ farm
Pacific Biodiesel founders Bob and Kelly King along with Mana‘o Radio KMNO 91.7 FM announced March 28 that award-winning, multiplatinum music producer, artist manager and event producer Kerry Brown will headline the Sunflower Farm Music Fest with his “Licorice Pizza Jam Session” featuring guest bandmates to be announced.
The all-day benefit event, which will raise funds to support Hawaii’s food hubs, will take place in a blooming field of sunflowers at the Kings’ family farm in Maui’s Central Valley Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
With more than three decades in the music business, Brown is involved in the marketing and production of over 50 million records sold.
He has produced, executive produced and consulted on numerous high-level entertainment projects.
Brown’s knowledge of emerging digital trends is also extensive and was used in his production of the live multimedia show for Pepsi’s 2014 Superbowl’s celebration #PEPCITY as well as in the #808 and #909 days for Roland.
Brown also produced Santa Barbara’s legendary Starry Nites Festival, and One Love Malibu that featured Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Rita Ora, Joe Walsh, Robin Thicke, Rick Springfield, Alanis Morissette, Macy Gray and more, which raised more than $1 million for the recovery of the Malibu fire areas.
Brown has also partnered with The Art of Elysium to bring their gala “Heaven is Rock and Roll” to life at the Hollywood Palladium, reuniting the surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) with St. Vincent, Beck and Violet Grohl as well as L7 and Cheap Trick.
Licorice Pizza Records is Brown’s independent label in Studio City, California.
Licorice Pizza was the go-to record-store chain for West Coast music fans throughout the 1970s and ’80s and was memorably featured in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
The brand was revived in 2021 when Brown opened his Licorice Pizza record store and vinyl pressing plant in Studio City.
A musician, Brown began his career as a drummer and performed with The Smashing Pumpkins.
Throughout his career, he has worked with hundreds of music partners and collaborated with iconic superstars such as Miley Cyrus, Ziggy Marley, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, Courtney Love, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode and Jason Mraz among many others.
Additionally, Brown’s Rolling Live Studios, founded in 2020, has produced more than 150 live virtual events.
In the past year alone, Brown has been at the forefront of producing live virtual events in partnership with The Recording Academy, MusiCares, National Independent Venue Association, Chrysalis, The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation, The Motion Picture Television Fund, Los Angeles City College Foundation and Save the Children, to name a few.
Brown’s most illustrious partnership has been with WME’s Partner Richard Weitz and Demi Weitz in helping produce RWQuarantunes, which has help raised over $30 million for various charities.
Brown, a longtime Maui resident who owns a home in Haiku, was eager to take part in this unique Earth Day event to help support food security in Hawaii.
“My philosophy with Licorice Pizza and all of my companies is creating community—ways for families, friends and strangers to connect through the world of music,” Brown said. “I believe in giving back to the community that helped shape me. This is what music culture is all about. Here in Hawaii, it is our kuleana to help each other, and that starts with our food system. We must do better to support our local farmers and food producers. I’m honored to take part in this event.”
Other Maui musicians scheduled to perform at this event include George Kahumoku Jr., Drew Martin, Sting Kong, Soul Kitchen, Brown Chicken Brown Cow String Band, The Lonely Hearts-Beatles and Beyond, and Marty Dread with Gretchen Rhodes and The House Shakers. Benny Uyetake, who was previously scheduled for a solo performance at the event, will now perform in Brown’s highly anticipated jam session headliner set.
Tickets, now on sale, are $100 each. Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased online in advance at www.Biodiesel.com or www.ManaoRadio.com.
Tickets are expected to sell quickly—last year’s “Concert for Ukraine” benefit event at the King farm sold out in two weeks.
Funds raised by the Sunflower Farm Music Fest will support the nonprofit Hawaii Good Food Alliance for its Hawaii Food Hub Hui, a collaboration of 14 food hubs across five Hawaiian islands that provides vital support to small- and medium-sized local farms by working to aggregate, store, process and distribute locally grown, culturally preferred foods to Hawaii’s residents.
The event will also raise funds for nonprofit Mana‘o Radio, Maui’s only independent, commercial-free, all-volunteer radio station.
Focused on helping local farmers produce and earn more, Hawaii Food Hub Hui has a goal to triple the output of Hawaii’s food hubs by 2025.
This daylong festival will directly support the Hawaii Food Hub Hui’s 2023 target to raise $3 million to fund high-priority needs for Hawaii’s food hubs, including supply-chain logistics such as refrigerated delivery trucks, construction of walk-in freezers and other storage at food-hub warehouses, and processing equipment for value-added food products that help farmers expand their revenue and minimize food waste.
During this zero-waste event, attendees will be able to view the sunflowers, take part in farm tours and visit the on-site Farm Stand and experience unique food experiences that showcase the food-hub model.
Global music brand Roland is now supporting the event as a sponsor and will provide all the musical instruments and gear for Brown’s headliner set.
Brown has a long-standing relationship with Roland, where he has sourced his musical equipment since his earliest studio days.
Other sponsors Michael and Deborah Rybak, Hawaiian Electric, Maui Tropical Plantation, Fairmont Kea Lani, King Power, Pacific Current, Gay & Robinson and Maui Screen Printing are also covering event expenses, allowing 100 percent of ticket sales and other event proceeds to benefit the participating nonprofits.
Only ticket holders will be admitted to the event.
Parking is a $5 per car cash donation at the gate and will benefit the American Red Cross, whose Maui chapter volunteers will help staff the event and medic tent.
A complimentary cut sunflower bloom will be given with each parking donation.
For more information, go to www.Biodiesel.com or www.ManaoRadio.com or call 808-866-5101.
