The News Journal writes that what developer Robert Rinke called a deposit on the Beach Boys on Monday was merely a $1000 check given to one of the band’s agents. There was no contract. And Pensacola comes off looking “Bush League” yet again.
Even if the check had worked to get the band, the possibility of bringing the ancient surfer quintet got no buzz beyond the Escambia County TDC. No one was excited about them coming. The Georgia Satellites would have had the same impact.
Gulf Shores had Jimmy Buffet – who is an icon tied to Gulf Coast. But at one time, the concert also included Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band (who debuted on the Gulf Coast at our Hawkshaw Festival in 2007). Those two acts generated as much excitement as Buffet.
Beach Boys, no excitement. And that is the problem with picking talent for any concert series. You can’t base it on your personal tastes. We got Zac Brown in 2007 after researching who was hot on the college circuit. We checked out where he had played and who went to his concerts. We got him for less than $8K. The band won a Grammy this year.
Rinke, TDC and SRIA need to think hard about who they bring to the beach and who is their target market. IF they want the Beach Boys, then they need to find out when the last bus from Azalea Trace is running to be sure they have a audience.
Other bands to avoid:
KC & the Sunshine Band
Herman’s Hermits
The Monkeys
Cher
Three Dog Night
The Guess Who (The Who might be okay, but not this Burton Cummings band)
Sha-Na-NA
Taveres
Wild Cherry
Bobby Goldsboro
and any group that is part of the Time/Life collection.