Passion first
JOHN REID MAINTAINS HIS JOY AND SPIRITEDNESS AS THE FTC APPROACHES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY UNDER PANDEMIC CONDITIONS
While working in the humanitarian field, decades before he became one of Fairfield County’s leading live music presenters, John Reid always had a strong passion for the arts. He worked for the international relief agencies CARE as chief technology officer from 1986 to 1996, and then as chief operating officer for World Vision. He also led nonprofits supporting children’s heath and welfare such as FamiliesFirst, Child Help and the Hole in the Wall Foundation. In all his roles, his guitar was never far from his side.
Reid’s love for the arts, particularly music, remains very much alive to this very day. Besides being an accomplished singer-songwriter and guitarist, Reid is the executive director and producing artistic director for the Fairfield Theatre Company, a position he’s held since 2012.
“I always wanted to be in and around music in some way,” says Reid, during a recent conversation. “The idea of being a concert promoter and running venues, I hadn’t really thought specifically about. I really started on the talent side. All the years that I worked in the humanitarian field, I often gigged at night. When I lived in New York working for CARE, I also worked for the Roundabout Theatre. So, I was always working in the arts, and I would say that music was my overriding passion.”
In the pre-pandemic days, Reid presented more than 200 concerts a year at FTC. With all the complexities that job entailed, Reid says his own music kept him grounded.
“I am probably one of the most over-rehearsed musicians who doesn’t get out to play that much,” he says. “I still keep my chops up.”
Born in Washington, D.C., Reid was raised in Mississippi and moved to Virginia in his late teens. “When I first began to play music, it was just about the love of music. One thing about the Deep South, there’s such a rich heritage, and I really listened almost exclusively, when I started playing.”
He writes his own material and released an EP called “Hillbilly Swing” two years ago. He also has appeared at FTC as an opening act for the likes of Dan Hicks, Jerry Douglas, and Alejandro Escoveda. “I’ve opened for probably a show or two every year,” he says, “but one thing that was clear to me from the beginning was that FTC was not a platform to promote myself.”
He knew his role was to lead, develop and expand the nonprofit organization. Since his time at the helm, FTC has presented between 1,500 and 1,700 shows. He also was in charge when, in 2015, FTC opened The Warehouse, a 640-seat configurable space, three times as large as the intimate Stage One theater. At the beginning of this year, Reid was overseeing renovations and planning FTC’s 20th anniversary celebration. Then came the virus outbreak.
“The time I’ve been here at FTC has been all about growing the organization, expanding the diversity and richness of the programming, and all those things,” he said. “We began refurbishing the rest of the campus, the green rooms, the dressing rooms, creating rehearsal rooms, and office space. That project was 98% done, when COVID hit. In fact, for June, we were scheduling a grand opening of the campus with all the improvements we made. It was also our 20th anniversary. All of a sudden, we came to a screeching halt.”
In mid-March, FTC stopped presenting concerts, and staff started working from home. “We had a list of about forty to fifty shows and events that had to be rescheduled,” says Reid. “Our first thought was to reschedule through the end of May. As the weeks wore on, we realized that we had to start looking beyond that. And with each new reopening and guideline that was released by the governor, we began to reschedule further out into the future. All told, we’ve probably rescheduled, postponed, and rescheduled close to one hundred shows and events. It has been just a huge logistical nightmare.”
To keep its audience connected, FTC live-streamed concerts with local artists and focused on selling merchandise on its website.
“Along with that, we were doing some online auctions of some collectibles,” he says, “like signed posters or signed guitars we’ve kept over the years, which we often auction at our fundraisers.”
All August shows at FTC have been cancelled or postponed, although some upcoming dates in the fall and winter remain on the calendar.
“Right now, we’re just holding on with some hope and waiting to see how we can continue to serve this area with fantastic music. The facilities have never been better in terms of the preparations we need when we’re ready to reopen to the general public. The first opportunity we have to do so, we’re certainly ready,” he says. “But, what’s more important than anything else right now is public health and safety. I think everyone understands that.”