RUMFORD – Whether a July Fourth celebration will take place in 2006 is up in the air right now after the concert scheduled to raise money to repay debts incurred for this year’s event was canceled.
Joseph Roberts, president of the Moontide Water Festival Committee, said Wednesday afternoon that the booking agent for the Gregg Rolie Band canceled the Aug. 21 appearance at the Mexico Recreation Park because the committee could not supply all of the needed equipment for the nationally known band. Some of the performers, including Rolie, had performed in Santana in the 1960s.
Concert organizers had hoped the performance, billed as a Day in the Park, would raise enough money to pay off a $7,000 loan from the town of Rumford and $15,000 to the fireworks supplier – in addition to the cost of the concert, which was estimated at $35,000 to $40,000.
The $22,000 debt was for the 2005 three-day celebration and fireworks display.
Besides that money, the committee also owes $6,500 to an unnamed investor, who had supplied the deposit for the band’s appearance this weekend. He said the committee’s contract with the booking agent stated that the deposit would be lost, regardless of who canceled the concert.
Roberts said a press release providing additional details will be available on Thursday. He said concert promoter Jim Viger was putting it together Wednesday afternoon.
He said the investor knew of the possibility that the deposit could be lost, but he said the investor will be repaid.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said.
He also guaranteed repayment of the $22,000 in festival debt.
“Joe Roberts is personally guaranteeing that the bills will be paid,” he said.
Moontide Water Festival Committee members were picking up tickets at various local outlets Wednesday and telling business owners the concert had been canceled. Roberts said arrangements were made for tickets being distributed in the Lewiston-Auburn area to be picked up as well. He did not know how many tickets had been sold. However, he and Viger reported last week that only several hundred tickets had been sold and many of those were bought in Portland and the Twin Cities.
Viger and Roberts had hoped to sell 4,000 to 5,000 concert tickets to raise enough money to pay off all the festival debt as well as the cost of the bands and concert.
Tickets sold for $22.50 each. A minimum sale of nearly 1,800 tickets was needed to break even.
Roberts and Viger also chided River Valley residents last week for not supporting the concert and hinted that the Fourth of July would be black in Rumford next year because of lack of community support.
The hopes of the Moontide committee to repay this year’s bills and pay for next year’s celebration hinged on the concert, which was hastily organized after a disappointing turnout for the July 4th weekend festival.
Roberts said the committee tried to reschedule the headliner with the booking agency for Sept. 24. That idea was rejected, he said.
He said all the equipment needed for the concert, such as lights, a sound system, stage and most of the instruments, were ready to be shipped to Mexico from Portland, except for the timbales, a Latin drum.
Much of Rolie’s and Santana’s music is Latin influenced.
The committee has struggled to raise money since the former president, Matt Plante, was charged with the theft of more than $5,000 earlier this year. That case has yet to go to trial.
Rumford Town Manager Steve Eldridge declined comment on the cancellation until he has a chance to talk with Roberts.
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