Redwood City music fest is a father's love letter to son's memory
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The Fox Theatre in Redwood City plays host to the Zach Fest this weekend. But it's no ordinary music festival, it's a father's love letter to the memory of his son.
The language of music was how Garrick Davis and his son Zach Davis-Price communicated best.
So when it came time to pay tribute to Zach's memory, a concert only seemed fitting.
"I couldn't do it in a room. I had to do it in a theater. This was the perfect place," says Davis.
So he booked the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, then started arranging the bands. Suddenly The Zach Fest was born.
"What can I do but really create something that's as big as my love for my son has been," Davis says.
Zach passed away in December of 2020, after a struggle with opioid addiction.
He had been in recovery and thriving in nursing school when the pandemic hit.
His father thinks the isolation of COVID took its toll and he thinks it's important to talk about it.
"I'm acting like I'm ashamed of him. What I'm proud of is the fight that he put on." He adds, "One of the things I hope to do is help to bring that disease into the light."
And so The Zach Fest will include members of the recovery community. It will also raise money for a new foundation called Zach's Cares. Garrick hopes it will focus on music and wellness.
He says planning this has brought a lot of emotions to the forefront.
"It makes me miss him more. But I'm actually so happy that people are going to be able to see the things that they see," Davis says.
And what they'll see and hear, he says, is a lot of great music.
"He's living. His spirit is here with us, all night long it's going to be. So that's what I'm excited about," he says.
The first annual Zach Fest gets underway at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 2 at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City. Tickets are $25 a piece and there are plenty still available. You can buy them at this website or at the theater.