Fest 411: Brew Ha Ha Productions Crafts Punk Slam Dunks With Lifestyle Events, Artist-Branded Festivals

Punk rock is about more than music, so maybe it’s fitting that a DIY approach to lifestyle music festivals has led to a flourishing punk-based concert business.

“In the ’80s and ’90s when people identified as a punk rocker, it wasn’t so much about the kind of music you listen
to but the kind of person you are: anti-establishment and not part of the big picture, doing your own thing,” says Cameron Collins, founder and president of Southern California (and Texas)-based Brew Ha Ha Productions. “You don’t age out of punk rock. You’re a punk rocker and that’s just who you are.”

An example may be NOFX’s “Punk In Drublic” farewell touring festival, which sold more than 200,000 tickets over 25 dates last summer. Produced by Brew Ha Ha, the craft-beer-infused, multi-artist lifestyle event shows that while some of the genre’s elder statesmen may be hanging up their leather jackets and ripped jeans, the ethos will surely live on.

“Honestly, this is the craziest year we’ve ever had,” said Collins, whose company acts as producer and promoter for its events. “One, because we did so many festivals, but two, typically we’re slowing down a little bit around getting into Christmas, and this year has just been nuts, working more hours than I think we do in the middle of festival season.”

A lot of that time is spent scoping out new potential festival sites for events including Punk In The Park, which is expanding to new markets after successful outings in San Francisco, Orlando and San Diego, and developing new properties with artists like ’90s punk band MxPx.

While lifestyle elements and artist lineups can vary across the company’s 25-plus annual events, Collins points to a few core elements that make a Brew Ha Ha production, notably with a sort of egalitarian – yet punk rock – flair.

“One of our signature pieces is offering that beer festival element,” said Collins, whose events tend to be in the 8,000- to 13,000-capacity range. “When people come they get the first three hours where they can sample as much beer as they want to and have a good time. It just kind of gets the party started; it gets the fans there early and … they’re there to spend and have a memorable weekend.

“Also I think people notice pretty quickly that we don’t price gouge, and our events are almost always going to be four-walled, where we’re building it out and designing our events the way that we feel they should be,” added Collins, who is also a partner at Rad Beer Company in Anaheim, California, which has collaborated with and released beers for bands including Flogging Molly.

“We design it, we build it, we do the CAD, we do the layout, and we kind of check all of our boxes.”

For the growth of the business, Collins gives much credit to his team, which includes his wife and business partner Tiffany, general manager Josh Stolo, and production manager Cathy Mason.

“Having people in the right roles, in the right positions has made this all possible, really,” said Collins, who says he has found his dream job after starting in the electrical industry as a sales manager to now finding himself close personal friends and business partners with musicians in a new, difficult-to-enter business. Those he credits for helping him find his way in the live
events industry include Paladin Artists agent Andy Somers, 5B Artists + Media’s Cory Brennan and Warped Tour developer Kevin Lyman.

Announced Jan. 10 was an Arizona date for Punk In The Park, featuring Bad Religion, Pennywise, Face To Face and others at the Wild Horse Pass Festival Grounds on April 12.

Collins says to expect more new things but in a calculated manner.

“I’m looking to expand genres, for sure,” Collins said, mentioning country and a more hard rock/metal property to be announced soon called Unhinged. “I want there to be a groundswell, something that organically grows and develops based on where we find our success with our fanbase. I think Unhinged is going to be a gigantic part of our business for the foreseeable future, and I think the hard rock market is much larger than punk rock. So I’m excited to get involved with that and we’re definitely putting in the work.”

And that may be the most punk-rock part of it all.