SoCal venues back in business after fires

By Mitchell Peters

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - As firefighters work to contain the remaining wildfires in Southern California, concert promoters and venues are returning to business as usual. And a number of artists are already stepping up to assist in relief efforts.

"We've had two or three artist representatives call us about the possibility of some sort of benefit show," said Nick Masters, president of Southern California music for Live Nation. "But I prefer they wait until we have a clearer picture of what's going on down there, just so we're not in the way."

At press time, Gwen Stefani had announced she would donate more than $160,000 of net proceeds from her October 30 concert at San Diego's Cox Arena to local charity the San Diego Foundation. The Eagles said they would give $50,000 to a fund for firefighters, which Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment presenter AEG would match. And rock act Linkin Park said it would contribute $50,000 to fire victims, to be matched by flash memory card producer SanDisk. MusiCares has also pledged to aid victims. Other relief efforts are expected to follow.

Beginning October 21, more than a dozen wind-driven blazes broke out in the region, burning from the Mexican border to Ventura County, forcing a reported half-million people to evacuate their homes.

Los Angeles-based concert promoters AEG Live (and subsidiary Goldenvoice) and Nederlander Concerts didn't report any concert cancellations or postponements, but most Live Nation shows in San Diego were affected.

VENUES SHUTTERED

A Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony concert, originally scheduled for October 24 at Cox Arena, was moved to November 10, while an October 24 Jesus and Mary Chain show at San Diego's 4th & B was canceled. House of Blues San Diego gigs by the Pack (October 24) and Peter Frampton (October 26) were canceled and/or postponed. A Velvet Revolver concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, Calif., originally scheduled for October 26, was rescheduled for December 12 at Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheatre.

Other San Diego venues affected by the fires included the Casbah, Belly Up Tavern and SOMA. Though no venues reported any physical damage, promoters felt the financial blow from canceling or postponing a week's worth of concert dates. "It obviously hurt business," Masters said. "But only time will tell what the long-term impact will be."

Masters said things could take a month to return fully to normal, given traffic flow and cleanup needs.

But Beth Bennett, director of marketing at events at Solana Beach's 600-capacity Belly Up Tavern, said that despite lost revenue from several concert postponements, the club is now "back on track and moving forward."

While many San Diego venues were evacuating and canceling shows during the wildfires, Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, was welcoming people in. The approximately 70,000-capacity open-air stadium, owned and operated by the city of San Diego, served as a hub for evacuees, providing food and shelter.

"The fires were moving so fast that (city officials) felt they needed a site that could hold as many people as possible," Qualcomm Stadium general manager Eric Stover said. "At our peak, we had somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 people."

Similarly, in May, when a brush fire broke out in Griffith Park, near Los Angeles' Greek Theatre, the 5,800-seat venue served as a command center for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

"It shows you the value of having structures like these," said Alex Hodges, chief operating officer of Nederlander Concerts, operator and manager of the Greek Theatre. "There are many days when (larger facilities) don't have actual events, so they become quick and good choices for command center purposes."

Reuters/Billboard