Stockton coming back

Ian Hill / 209Vibe editorPosted April 4 at 12:31 AM

During the past week, while you were shakin’ it, laughing hysterically or bobbing your head to the beat at local events, the Stockton entertainment scene was passing a significant test.

It hosted several events that were each successful in drawing sizable crowds even though they were held on the same night. That’s a noteworthy accomplishment for a city trying to prove to promoters and residents that it’s big enough to support a metropolitan entertainment scene.

On March 27 — a Thursday — a 209Vibe indie-rock concert drew about 70 people to the 100-capacity Valley Brew banquet hall, while a second indie-rock show sold out the 49-capacity Blackwater Cafe, promoters said. The next day, rapper Talib Kweli attracted a sellout crowd of 900 to University of the Pacific’s Faye Spanos Concert Hall, while about 1,000 people attended a Latin music and comedy show at the Stockton Civic Auditorium.

Promoter Peter Koulouris added that his Latin comedy show that night at the Stockton Empire Theatre “went OK,” but he wouldn’t give attendance figures, noting that he didn’t believe comparing attendance helped the scene. The Stockton Thunder, meanwhile, had 6,889 fans attend its game that night at Stockton Arena.

Those are big numbers for a scene that has been overlooked by promoters, who haven’t believed they could draw enough fans to make money, as well as residents, who reacted to the lack of events here by driving to Sacramento and San Francisco for entertainment.

Now, however, more residents seem to be staying in Stockton to have fun, in part because promoters are organizing local events featuring performers they recognize. On March 7, the Empire hosted a sold-out concert featuring A Skylit Drive, which has fans nationwide, while Kweli has been name dropped by Jay-Z and is one of the rap’s top lyricists.

“I got nothing but high reviews,” said Jess Sanchez, who organized the Stockton Civic Auditorium Latin show featuring La Ventana, one of the Bay Area’s hottest Latin bands. “(Fans) came up to me and said, ‘it’s about time someone did something like this.’ ”

Sanchez is the promoter behind Midnite Owl Productions, a Stockton-based firm that also is organizing a comedy roast for comedian/rapper Christopher Reid, better known as Kid from Kid ’n’ Play, at 7 p.m. April 4 in the Stockton Sheraton banquet room, 110 W. Fremont St. Tickets are $18, and the show is open to those 21 and older only.

For more information, call (209) 815-5986.

Koulouris added that “things are going as great as expected” for him this year. He’s the president of Jam Factory, which promotes concerts at the Empire.

“I’m very, very pleased,” said Koulouris, who on May 3 brings R&B hitmaker Sean Kingston to the Miracle Mile venue.

A day later, Bakersfield-based promoter Tim Gardea will host screamo stars The Used at University of the Pacific. In 2007, Gardea brought the Deftones and Social Distortion to the Stockton Civic Auditorium for well-received shows.

That year, Latin music legend Vicente Fernandez drew about 10,000 fans to Stockton Arena. He’ll be back there May 11.

Meanwhile, rap icon Too Short is expected to make an appearance at Da Candy Shop during a concert April 4, and Stockton promoter Middagh Goodwin is part of a group bringing more than 70 bands to the area for the Central Valley Indie Fest, a series of shows that begins Thursday.

There have been other signs in recent weeks that Stockton’s music and entertainment scene is attracting more attention. Indie-rock band Portugal the Man drew 150 fans to Pacific even though its show was on Easter Sunday, while the Empire’s March 7 screamo concert lured teens from as far away as Fairfield, San Jose and San Francisco.

“We’re being cautious, with the economy the way it is,” Sanchez said. “But we’re still trying to bring Stockton together. I think we have a good schedule for that to happen.”