Other Promoters Weren’t Excluded by Sports Arena

Initial published reports about an agreement between the San Diego Sports Arena and Avalon Attractions to grant the Los Angeles-based concert promoters primary booking rights at the venue omitted an important fact, according to sources involved in the negotiations.

The proposed agreement--which still requires approval by the city of San Diego, the arena’s owner--would deliver to Avalon primary rights to promote concerts at the arena and to approve shows brought in by other promoters. Without background information, the announcement of the agreement--and locally based promoter Bill Silva’s seemingly surprised, on-record reaction to his archrival’s apparent coup--created the erroneous impression that Avalon and the arena had excluded other promoters from the process.

However, all local parties contacted this week said Avalon is only one of three major promoters approached by the arena’s management. The other two are Silva and heavyweight, Denver-based promoter Barry Fey, according to C. Samuel Marasco. Marasco and developer Ron Hahn are general partners in Arena Group 2000, which is expected to take over running the arena from La Jolla millionaire Harry Cooper sometime in the next several weeks, Marasco said.

“We were trying to figure out a way that the Sports Arena could increase the number and quality of concerts to be produced there over the next couple of years,” Marasco said Monday. “We went into the marketplace and talked to the best and brightest of the promoters to see what kind of a transaction could be structured that would give them an incentive to treat our arena as a first priority in Southern California. Silva, Avalon and Barry Fey’s group were all given the opportunity to think creatively and come up with an idea on how to do this.”

Marasco said there was a lot of back-and-forth communication among the various parties and that his group had proffered an open, thought-out invitation to negotiate.

“Everyone was called at roughly the same time, and I don’t remember who was the first to return the calls, or who was in the first meeting, but within a period of about 30 days all parties were talked to,” he said. “Basically, we felt the deal Avalon put forth would better enable us to our meet our long-term goals for the arena.”

Silva still doesn’t understand why the arena would enter into such an agreement with Avalon when his own company has produced a far greater number of shows there in recent years. However, he hasn’t totally given up.

“I’ve had several talks with Ron Hahn, and he assures me that I’ll be able to bring in my own shows,” Silva said.

Brian Murphy, president of Avalon Attractions, says it shouldn’t be a problem for other promoters.

“I think one of the reasons Avalon’s proposal was accepted was because it doesn’t exclude concert activity by any other promoter. In fact, our agreement encourages the production of as many concerts at the Sports Arena as can be done, by any promoters willing to do shows there,” Murphy said Monday from Los Angeles, alluding to a clause that gives Avalon incentives to work with other promoters.

“I want to emphasize that this is not an exclusive contract. Avalon will just control the calendar, and it will be in our best interest to get as many shows as possible into the arena.”

Musicians interested in the latest developments in “desktop” multitrack digital recording are invited to attend a free seminar Tuesday night at Professional Sound and Music, 4593 Mission Gorge Place (just north of Interstate 8). Musician-proprietor Mike Krewitsky and Russ Beltary of the Digidesign company will conduct the lecture and demonstration on the state-of-the-art technology, which some feel might trigger a major trend in home recording studios. Space at the seminar is limited. To register, call 583- 7851.

GRACE NOTES: Recently, on “The Tonight Show,” formerly hip comedian Jay (Now I Just Wanna Be the ‘90s Answer to Bob Hope) Leno announced that Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes would be playing at “The Belly Up Club in San Diego” on Feb. 13.

Wrong . Southside’s people jumped the gun on announcing tour dates before they were confirmed. Since then, the Jukes have been rerouted away from San Diego, at least for now. Taking their slot Thursday night at the Belly Up is Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, sans former San Diegan Mike Keneally, who played guitar on Hawkins’ latest album but is not in the current touring band. Opening act is the Rebel Alliance Songwriters Consortium, which features Country Dick Montana, Mojo Nixon, Joey Harris and Paul Kamansky.

BOOKINGS: (Tickets for the following concerts will be sold at all TicketMaster outlets unless otherwise specified). San Diego State University’s Backdoor opens its spring season Friday with a double bill featuring Teenage Fanclub and L7 (on sale now). . . . Uraco, a Chilean musical group, will perform pre-Columbian, contemporary and baroque music on Andean instruments Sunday afternoon at the Copley Auditorium, San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park. For more information and reservations, call 452-7356. . . . Former Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin’s current tour in support of his latest release, “Blue Blvd.,” will bring him to the Spirit on Feb. 29, with the Skeletons (call 276-3993 for more information). . . . Hard-rockers Skid Row and Pantera team for a March 15 bill at Golden Hall (on sale Saturday at all TicketMaster locations and at Golden Hall beginning Monday). . . . The Violent Femmes will play Iguanas on March 26 (on sale Friday). . . . The vocal quartet Ex-Girlfriend has been added to the March 14 season opener at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre, featuring Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: ANOTHER NIGHT OF FUN FROM ARLO GUTHRIE

Arlo Guthrie’s local performance last March was one of the best shows of the year. Guthrie regaled with witty good humor and treated a sold-out house to a survey of his work that proved that the song and album “Alice’s Restaurant” was just the beginning, not the crowning achievement of his career.

In addition to accompanying himself more than capably on guitar, keyboard and harmonica, Guthrie will be backed by the band Xavier (featuring his son, Abraham, on keyboards) when he returns to Theatre East (in the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon) at 8 p.m. Thursday. For more information, call 440-2277.