(CelebrityAccess News Service) – Terrapin Presents, which planned on promoting four festivals this summer, has canceled the remaining two, Bridgeport Blues Festival (August 30-31) and Summit on the Sound (September 13-14), due to soft advance ticket sales after the first two, Summit on the Hudson and Gathering of the Vibes, also logged disappointing ticket sales.
A statement from Terrapin, states, in part, "Summer 2003 has proved to be a tough season for many music festivals. The sheer number of events taking place this year, coupled with the tough economic times that make spending entertainment dollars difficult, has meant lower attendance numbers at shows across the country. Independent promoters have borne an exceptionally large share of the fallout surrounding the current environment, as most do not have the luxury of significant corporate financial backing."
"From the outset, the Terrapin Presents 2003 Summer Concert Series has included plans for four unique multi-day music festivals: Summit on the Hudson, Gathering of the Vibes, Bridgeport Blues Festival and Summit on the Sound. The first event, Summit on the Hudson, brought a diverse lineup to Croton Point Park in Westchester County, NY, including Chuck Berry, Arlo Guthrie, Branford Marsalis, Martin Sexton and Little Feat. Despite the strong lineup, the event fell prey to difficult weather, to the extent that the cancellation of the second day’s performances was necessary due to high winds and the threat of electrical storms."
"The eighth annual Gathering of the Vibes took place just a few short weeks ago outside of Albany, NY, having returned to Indian Lookout Country Club. This year, the event again featured an eclectic mix of music, including James Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, The Derek Trucks Band, Rusted Root, Susan Tedeschi, Spearhead and Dickey Betts, among others. The atmosphere at the festival was amazing, a number of great performances were turned in, and Terrapin has received tremendous amounts of positive feedback from attendees, performers, staff and local authorities. However, 2003 Vibes attendance figures were lower than in recent years."
"Summit on the Hudson and Gathering of the Vibes created a precarious environment regarding the rest of Summer 2003, leaving Terrapin to face many tough decisions with regards to its ability to continue producing exceptionable, unparalleled events, both this summer and in future years. In order to recover from the financial blow of these events, both Bridgeport Blues and Summit on the Sound needed to be over-the-top successes. While the buzz surrounding the events has been tremendous, Bridgeport Blues ticket sales simply do not mirror people’s excitement about the show. So after substantial number crunching and considerable deliberation, it is with tremendous disappointment that Terrapin is forced to announce the cancellation of this summer’s remaining events, the Bridgeport Blues Festival and Summit on the Sound."
"The decision to not move forward with these two festivals has been excessively difficult. Terrapin is firmly committed to the City of Bridgeport and to doing everything possible to lend assistance in continuing to bring the Arts back to the Park City. After two successful years in Bridgeport with Gathering of the Vibes in 1999 &2000, the prospect of returning home to Fairfield County for Bridgeport Blues and Summit on the Sound was highly anticipated. Despite the cancellations, Terrapin is still solidly devoted to working with the City of Bridgeport on future events."
"Despite the necessary cancellation of the Bridgeport Blues Festival and Summit on the Sound, Terrapin remains dedicated to shedding light through unique, diverse musical events. This year’s Gathering of the Vibes was a treat for all involved because of the outstanding quality of the attendees, staff, performers and event hosts at Indian Lookout Country Club. While some may rise and some may fall, the hope and goal of Terrapin is to reorganize and restructure with the end objective of making Gathering of the Vibes 2004 an extraordinary, not-to-be-missed summer destination." –by Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
