 |
|
John Henley's 2019 photo of a grizzled promoter on Harrison
St., with his trusty staple gun in hand. |
The last live music show I produced/promoted was staged at the Bijou's space in Downtown Richmond (304 E. Broad St.) on Feb. 11, 2017. The Big Guys performed and they did a fine job. It was a show to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the opening night party at the Biograph Theatre. Naturally, a few short films were also presented.
That 2017 show also capped off my effort to help establish the Bijou Film Center. After nearly five years of my focusing on that endeavor, I came to see that I had done all I could for the Bijou. It was time for me to turn the page and leave the establishing of the Bijou to younger guys. Accordingly, upon thanking the party's attendees and the band, I announced my retirement. As I remember it, after expenses, that well-attended show brought in close to $1,000 net for the Bijou.
That anniversary party book-ended my association with promoting live music events in my hometown, which began in 1969/70, when I worked for about six months as a bartender at the Bearded Brothers at 2053 W. Broad St. Although I didn't book the bands (the owner, Fred Awad managed that), I did create handbills and newspaper ads, etc. to promote shows at that venue. And, I also designed a logo for Natural Wildlife, the house band. Souvenirs of the promotional art from those days are long gone.
Why was I drawn to getting involved with the promotion and presentation of rock 'n' roll music?
Well, in that time I was fascinated with show business and popular culture, in general. Then, too, maybe growing up in the home of my (maternal) grandparents left a mark on me. While they had steady day jobs, they were both also excellent musicians. She was a nurse/pianist; he was a blue collar architect/vocalist. As far as my own musicianship -- or lack of it -- is concerned, I don't remember ever considering playing in a band. Whatever time I might have spent on learning to play an instrument properly was devoted to playing sports.
However, I have tortured a few chromatic harmonicas over the years, playing along with canned music. Only rarely did I ever play a harmonica in collaboration with musicians.
 |
Yet, between 1969 and 2017, I spent many an hour promoting live music shows. Some of the most fun times I've had, associated with live music promotions, were connected to the events Chuck Wrenn and I put together and promoted, acting as Lit Fuse Productions. The first of those Lit Fuse shows was presented on my Floyd Avenue front porch in 1978. Chuck's band played (see handbill).
Note: When I was assembling a staff for the new Biograph Theatre, back in January of 1972, Chuck was the first person I hired. So our history of working together as a team, with a million laughs! began nearly 50 years ago.
*
Following a couple of impromptu parties at the Biograph in the '70s, with bands playing in the lobby, it was in late-December of 1979 that Chuck Wrenn, Mike Garrett and I cooked up a scheme for a new year's party at the theater, after-hours, to bring in the '80s. Mike's band, Single Bullet Theory played. Chuck built the temporary stage in front of the cinema's larger screen. We promoted the event by word-of-mouth only. I think we charged one dollar admission (which was probably spent on beer). Only familiar faces were admitted. This was one of those Biograph parties when we covered the windows facing Grace Street entirely with newsprint.
Lit Fuse staged new year's parties the next two years, as well. Bringing in 1981 was done at the Clubhouse in Shockoe Bottom. For 1982 it returned to the Biograph. Posters for both events are seen below.
The other old flyers posted below represent a few of my other live-music-related souvenirs that managed to survive the decades of changes of my address over the years.
No comments:
Post a Comment