Music promoter trying to remain sane
Pandemic ... fires ... zombies?
Aha, thought music promoter Greg Keidan. He’ll tip-toe around this whole pandemic thing by producing a live band with the audience limited to vehicles at the Solano County Fairgrounds.
The Oakland-based entrepreneur behind Mr. Hat Presents did forget to account for a few things. Like lightning. Lots of it. And the ensuing fires. And smoke. Plenty of smoke.
OK, now that first show Aug. 29 with Jerry’s Middle Finger is now Sept. 26. So be it. There was always the California Honeydrops, set to impress 200 or so music fans ready to party this past Saturday.
Nope. Again, that fickle air quality. Or lack thereof. So, with roughly 24 hours to showtime, again Keidan postponed what would have launched his eagerlyawaited outdoor series.
Left scratching his head — after wiping off the ashes — Keidan, 47, again hopes for the best by the time the Sept. 26 “Cruise-In” arrives.
“I’m trying to keep it in perspective and remember to stop feeling sorry for myself,” Keidan said by phone Monday.
Yes, he said, “the skies have made it rough to get a show off,” lamenting the two postponed shows because of smoke, but also the 14 before them because of COVID-19.
“I’m waiting for the zombie invasion,” said Keidan. Presumably, he was joking.
“I don’t know … it’s incredible,” he said. “It’s been a one-two punch and a kick to the (area below his waistline) for my business and a lot of other businesses.”
Down, but far from out, Keidan remains confident the shows will go on and continue with an Oct. 10 show featuring Lyrics Born and a Halloween show by Mother Hips. He also hopes to elevate the quality level up a notch, negotiating for a November show with a big-name act.
Keidan had sold 220 admissions — at $99 a vehicle — to the Honeydrops show, though he can push it to 300 under county regulations.
“I’m trying to be careful and stay under that with the initial shows to make sure everybody is safe,” Keidan said, disappointed that the winds turned against him last weekend.
“Everyone thought the world was going to end” with the darkened haze and orange sun last week, Keidan said. “The air quality was bad, but it was predicted to get better so I started paying people to set the stage up and told hotel partners we were on. A couple of days later, predictions reversed and the band and I agreed it shouldn’t go ahead, that it wouldn’t be safe.”
Unfortunately, the wheels were turning for staging and food orders for the band.
“You have to give people a little bit of notice,” Keidan said.
Fortunately, after alerting ticket buyers via email, only a security guard showed up last Saturday for the postponed show.
“I was relieved that everyone got the message,” Keidan said.
What he surely doesn’t want to do is refund tickets. So he hopes for a rescheduled California Honeydrops show or, if all else fails, offer those with tickets admission to one of his other county fairgrounds productions.
“The official policy is ‘no refunds,’ but I have an obligation to the fans,” Keidan said. “I have to deliver a show I promised them and I’m trying my best to make that happen.”
Keidan has one empathetic ear in Mike Iokimedes, CEO and executive director of the fairgrounds.
“Who ever would have thought that we’d all be dealing with what’s going on now? Strange times, strange weather,” Iokimedes said. “I’m waiting for the waters to turn blood red.”
A bit more seriously, “I feel bad for everyone — Greg (Keidan), the band, vendors, concert goers. We are all trying hard to support the arts and the local economy, but we can’t catch a break,” Iokimedes said. “You can knock us down but you can’t count us out. Third time’s a charm. Next time we have music and good times — fingers crossed.”
The Fair Association is trying its best to absorb as much of the financial sting as possible, Iokimedes continued.
“The only costs we might pass on are hard outside costs,” he said.
The fair management “agreed that it (the postponement) was not my fault,” said a grateful Keidan. “It was beyond my control.”
Because the band “wanted to wait until the day before the show to make a decision” to play or not, “it was stressful,” Keidan said. “I was worried people (customers) wouldn’t hear about it (a postponement) in time. It’s not the kind of show you can ‘build’ in a day. I was out there for days, building a stage and lining the parking lot; organizing 38 volunteers and staff.”
“To then call it off was very difficult,” Keidan said. “They (the band) finally told me they didn’t want to do it.”
Though a few customers “were ‘salty’ about it,” most “were supportive and understanding,” Keidan said.
Keidan continues to give it his best shot.
“Most of my peers aren’t even trying,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay positive that the smoke is going to clear. I feel like this is an important mission that I’m on … to bring back music and bring back some fun.”
Keidan always has his mother to talk to and no doubt she’s come in handy lately. His mom’s a licensed therapist.
For more, visit mrhatpresents.com.