![]() Webster’s season-opening April 18 show at Humphreys sold out the first day tickets went on sale. “I’m not right all the time (in making booking decisions), but I think I’m right more often that not.” Veteran singer-songwriters, like Jewel and Sara McLachlan, have always done well for us, so we’re also bringing in a new generation of singer-songwriters, like Faye Webster, who is selling out across the country and whose audience is mainly 12-year-old girls. “The music of Maoli, who is from Hawaii and is doing two sold-out concerts for us this April, has a breezy, chill vibe that is perfect for this venue. We look at the style of music and do research to see if they are a good fit for Humphreys. But I’m not going to book acts just to get a younger audience. ![]() “It helps that Humphreys is an all-ages venue. “We have to do the newer acts if we want to continue to grow. Also, by design, the shows by many of these new acts are general admission, standing-room-only events - not the reserved-seating concerts that are still a norm for a majority of concerts at Humphreys. (Amy Harris / Amy Harris/invision/ap) Younger demographicīy design, these newer bands and solo artists appeal to a much younger demographic than the baby boomers, for whom attending concerts at Humphreys has been a quintessential San Diego experience for going on five decades. Wojas’ tenure has seen him usher in debut performances at Humphreys by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Diana Ross, Blondie and other legends. He began exclusively booking Humphreys in 2007, following the retirement of Kenny Weissberg, who had guided and grown the series from 1984 to 2006. Wojas is the senior vice president of talent for AEG/Goldenvoice, the company that produces the annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals in Indio. So, we rely a lot on John Wojas, who is more familiar than Richard and I are with some of these acts, because there are a lot of new artists out there all the time.” We certainly can’t limit it to the artists that we know. “It makes no difference who these acts are - we research them and if it looks like they’ll do well, we’re all for it. “We’re open to whatever makes sense at Humphreys,” Brieske said. Those sentiments are shared by Humphreys Concerts Vice President Bobbi Brieske, who has been with the series since 1986. ![]() I work with them every day and see what they do. And I trust our concert team implicitly they are the ones who have made Humphreys so successful. “That applies to our concert series and our hotel business. “There are many things I don’t know, so I rely on information I get from other sources. But if I made decisions based on what I personally know, I would miss the opportunity to make better decisions,” Bartell said. While he is an avocational drummer and lifelong music fan, he readily admits to a lack of familiarity with some of the new acts who have performed as part of recent seasons at Humphreys - and some who will be playing there this year. ![]() The Humphreys concert venue is nestled in between.Ī former public defender, Bartell acquired the venue in 1984 when he bought the hotel. One of them is Humphreys Half Moon Inn and its adjoining marina. His company owns and operates eight area hotels. He is the chairman of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District and the owner of Bartell Hotels. We’re always looking to reinvent ourselves and bring in a wider demographic,” Bartell said. “We have 58 shows booked so far this year and I think we’ll end up with over 70. (Mickey Bernal / Getty Images) Reinvention is imperative
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