After an hour-long meeting on Friday with City Manager John Nachbar, Summer Music Festival producer Gary Mandell emerged beaming with optimism that the imperiled concert series can be resumed in July.
Although scores of details remain to be untangled, Mr. Mandell sized up the schedule this way:
“We definitely have two concerts. There is a 90 percent chance of four concerts. Who knows about more? Until I start going out for sponsors, I won’t know.
“I also can sell seats, and we can take donations. No admission will be charged, but if you want a premium seat, we can sell some of those. Instead of someone being a $500 or thousand-dollar sponsor, you can be an entry-level sponsor, supporting the concert series at a very nominal fee.
“I have other ideas, too. That is the advantage of Boulevard Music doing the series because we are set up to sell tickets over the phone.”
Judgment Day
Nothing, however, will be official until the City Council meeting three weeks from tonight. On Feb. 25, approval will be sought for the creatively financed comeback series that lost its funding when state government killed the Redevelopment Agency last week.
Calling Mr. Nachbar “a smart guy with a lot of common sense,” Mr. Mandell, owner of Boulevard Music and entrepreneur of the series for 11 years, said that “John sees the big picture. Sometimes he has to make painful decisions, but they are good ones.”
With severely narrowed financing available – $7500, so far, left over from last year’s concerts – one of the knottiest problems has been satisfied, according to Mr. Mandell, the $800 allotted each Thursday for steamcleaning the Courtyard after the capacity crowds depart.
“We are working on the budget, and the Council will vote on it,” he said. “All of those questions I asked at a Council meeting last month, I think we have resolved many of them, especially about steamcleaning.”
The newly adjusted cost? “We have it all taken care of for nothing,” says Mr. Mandell. “They are going to donate their services for a couple shows. We will consider hosing it down if it needs it.”
Surveying the landscape of 21 days until the final call is made, “I think the outlook is pretty good. I answered all of their questions,” and after a long pause, he said he doesn’t believe any sticking points remain. This is going along very smoothly. I think the city is very receptive. Why shouldn’t they be? I am doing it for free.”
The longer Mr. Mandell rhetorically stroked his chin, the better he felt about Festival prospects. “I think we are working this out,” he said. “The biggest problem is that we won’t have the advertising budget. But we will have other ways to get the word out.”
