FAQ: Stockton concerts

Posted July 14 at 11:49 AM

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Check back with the 209Vibe blog for more perspective on creating a brand for Stockton.)

Media coverage of a July 9 meeting to discuss creating a brand for Stockton drew the following question from a local music fan:

2007's Social Distortion concert at the Stockton Civic Auditorium "gave my friends and I cause for hope: perhaps decent concerts would increase in number in Stockton. We were dead wrong. We recently drove down to Modesto to the Wreckin' Ball, a five-band extravaganza for only $30 in downtown Modesto, outside no less. The crowd was decidedly older (late 20's, 30's, 40's), but showed up nonetheless. The Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers, and Nashville Pussy (perhaps this is why they won't/can't play in Stockton) gave fabulous performances. The question: Do you, or anyone you know, have an inkling why Stockton doesn't host these types of events more frequently? …Stockton could easily have hosted all three bands, as they are on tour together. $30 is also a great price for over 5 hours of entertainment. Help! We need more music, and have facilities to host them, but don't do it! What gives?"

That question – why doesn't Stockton attract more mid-size concerts? – has been asked repeatedly in the past. Here are some reasons why it's not happening:

1. Many promoters aren’t sure if they can make money in Stockton. For every Social D. concert last year there was a show in Stockton that drew below promoters’ expectations. Modesto has a longer history of hosting entertainment and concerts, so promoters know what they can do there, what works, and what makes money.

2. There’s little proof that the 21+ crowd will show up for concerts in Stockton. That’s in large part because the city doesn’t have much in the way of a bar or club scene. If the bar and clubs don’t exist, promoters have no idea whether or not those 21+ are willing to go out and pay for entertainment. In addition, some who are 21+ in Stockton won’t go out for entertainment in the city because of safety concerns.

3. Some promoters had bad experiences dealing with Stockton government officials in the past and still refuse to do business in the city. For years, the city’s permit process for concerts at publicly-owned venues like the civic auditorium and Weber Point was unwritten, dysfunctional and seemingly designed to make it as hard as possible for promoters to do business in Stockton. It’s given the city a bad reputation.

4. There are fewer and fewer promoters who can afford to organize mid-size shows. It’s a nationwide trend that stems from increases in the cost of entertainment promotion. A show that draws 500-1,000 people can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 to organize and promote. That’s a lot of money for a local promoter with no corporate backing. Corporations like Clear Channel and Live Nation, meanwhile, can view mid-size shows as a waste of money compared to arena concerts that generate more revenue. To my knowledge, there are less than 10 promoters who will organize an event designed to draw 500-1,000 people in Stockton or Modesto.

5. There really aren’t that many promoter-friendly venues in Stockton for concerts that draw less than 2,000. Organizing a show at the Stockton Civic Auditorium or Weber Point means working with the aforementioned city officials, while Stockton Ballroom and the city’s few bars and clubs are hesitant to host big concerts because of costs and safety concerns. Faye Spanos Concert Hall is typically reserved for University of the Pacific events. That leaves the Stockton Empire Theatre and San Joaquin Delta College’s Atherton Auditorium as the city’s only mid-size venues.

That all being said, there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. In the past three years I’ve seen several performers come to Stockton for mid-size shows that you wouldn’t have expected to find in the city, including Common, Morrissey, Fishbone, Deftones, Talib Kweli, Flogging Molly, the Violent Femmes, The Used, Louis XIV, Boys Like Girls and Metro Station. The success of bars and lounges like Envy and The Boiler Room also is beginning to prove that there is a 21+ market in Stockton. It’s adding up to create a more positive environment for promoters looking to bring mid-size shows to the city. - Ian Hill / 209Vibe editor