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Bad vibes at Weeki Wachee

The concert promoter of Splash N' Bash, ended early by the park because of noise complaints, hasn't cooled off yet.

By LOGAN NEILL
Published June 7, 2006

WEEKI WACHEE - It sounded like a grand idea.

A Tampa music promoter seeking to hold a two-day outdoor music festival approaches a struggling tourist attraction in need of a summertime attendance boost. A date is set, and a contract is drawn up detailing such items as event insurance, merchandising and concession allowances, and security requirements.

However, this past weekend's Summer Splash N' Bash at Weeki Wachee Springs and Buccaneer Bay ended on a sour note hours early when the park's management pulled the plug in the wake of noise complaints and inappropriate language from some of the performers. The action has resulted in a nasty rift between the park and the festival promoter.

"They s--- on us,'' concert promoter Rob Vasquez said Tuesday. "There were a couple of problems, but it was never as bad as they said it was. They never gave me a chance to make things right. They just said that it was over."

Vasquez, a producer with Rhythm Logic Records, which organized the event, said that he was informed by park general manager Robyn Anderson about 3 p.m. Saturday that evening concerts had been canceled because of complaints about noise from nearby property owners and repeated use of foul language by some performers. The concert was scheduled to end at 11 p.m.

Anderson was unavailable for comment Tuesday. However, Weeki Wachee Springs marketing director John Athanason said he and Anderson had attempted several times to relay the park's concerns to Vasquez, including the promoter's alleged failure to provide two Hernando County sheriff's deputies for nighttime security, as spelled out in the contract.

"We kept trying to work with him on a number of issues, but when we found out that he had canceled the deputies that afternoon, that told us he wasn't interested in keeping to the contract," Athanason said.

He said that when told the show had been canceled, Vasquez became verbally abusive and had to be escorted off the property by deputies.

Athanason said the two-day festival, which featured more than 40 music acts ranging from country to hip-hop, faced a number of challenges. Friday night's show attracted only about 150 fans, some of whom complained of the offensive language used by some performers. The attraction also received several noise complaints from nearby residents.

"One guy called and said he could feel the bass 3 miles away," Athanason said. Although the attraction was not cited for violation of the county's noise ordinance, Athanason requested that promoters lower sound levels.

According to the contract, the park reserved the right to cease any performance it felt was not suitable for park guests. Athanason said he met with Vasquez and some of the artists Saturday morning in hopes of toning down the language. Vasquez said he was aware of only one act that had violated the agreement Friday, and that the artist was told to leave the park.

According to the contract, Vasquez was to receive $10 from every $15 ticket sold to the evening performances and $1 from every paid admission for daytime shows.

Vasquez charges that the cancellation of the concert denied him the opportunity to recoup the more than $9,000 he invested in the event. He said he is considering taking legal action against the attraction.

"I took a huge gamble in that show and spent 6 ½ months putting it together," Vasquez said. "What they did to me wasn't right."

Athanason disagreed. He said he and his staff tried to accommodate Vasquez and the venture seemed doomed from the start. "It wasn't very well organized." .

[Last modified June 7, 2006, 07:29:53]