From Hard Times to Hip

The venerable Ventura Theatre--the most famous empty building in the undemolished downtown portion of the Poinsettia City--will live again. Real soon. There will be a Deadhead-friendly show Wednesday night and all sorts of other acts are booked as well.

New general manager Robert Antonini, who is in partnership with Ardas Khalsa, Rick Williams and Mark Kaplan, has a wealth of experience in the rock ‘n’ roll biz. Antonini has been promoting shows in Santa Barbara for well over a decade, and lately has been running Emerald City, whose last show was last Saturday night.

The Ventura Theatre, an Art Deco building that opened in 1928, was for a long time a movie theater, and was the main make-out pit through the ‘60s for generations of amorous teens.

Falling on hard times and dwindling audiences in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when even 50-cent flicks didn’t work, the place fell into disrepair. For a decade, promoter Gary Folgner ran things, making the theater a viable rock venue. Coincidentally, Folgner has traded places with Antonini, and will be running Emerald City.

Between Folgner and Antonini there was a brief period when another group ran the theater. Unfortunately, they lasted only a few months and left a legacy of negative adjectives and unpaid bills rather than shows. They have been history since June. The theater has been sitting quietly since, except for some practice sessions by Kenny Loggins. Antonini discussed the past and the future of the local scene, in general, and his new venue, in particular.

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So how did you get into the promotion business?

I was going to UCSB in 1981 and this guy named Gary Tovar asked me if I’d help him promote a punk show at La Casa de la Raza in Santa Barbara. I had a record store called Rockpile in Goleta and we used to sell tons of punk rock music, so I figured why not? I helped him with fliers and stuff, but I wasn’t into the music. As it turned out, the bands weren’t into it, either.

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What was your first show?

I did a show at La Casa with this guitar player, Uli Roth, who used to be in the Scorpions. [The group] Cirith Ungol from Ventura opened, and we got 300 people. The next show I did was at the Arlington Theatre; it was a bunch of metal bands like Armored Saint and Great White, and we did 1,600. Then I started to diversify, doing stuff like blues, jazz, Albert King, Albert Collins--all those guys.

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You were involved with the Graduate in Isla Vista for a long time?

Yeah, I was booking up there from 1985 to 1993. They pulled our liquor license after six months even though we never had a violation, but we survived for two more years with no liquor.

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What was the deal with Emerald City?

It’s located in a rundown industrial wasteland, and it was very difficult to get people there. The parking was terrible and it was always a dust bowl because of all the construction nearby. It suited us for what we were doing--alternative shows for the youth crowd--but it was in a terrible location.

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What have you learned about booking bands over the years?

I stay in the ticket booth and put the money in my pocket. It’s cool leading up to the show, but something like a GWAR [metal band] show makes you wonder about these explicitly violent shows.

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So there are some bands you can’t do in Ventura?

I can’t do Pennywise, Guttermouth or Suicidal Tendencies in Ventura. I could’ve had Pennywise for Halloween, but we’re not going to do it. If you’re going to have bands that cause problems, why even open up? Some of these teeny-bopper pop, punk bands like Green Day are probably OK. We’re working on that one.

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So what do you think is the difference between the Ventura and Santa Barbara market?

In Ventura, there are working-class people--carpenters and mechanics or whatever--who make $15 to $20 an hour, and actually have some disposable income because the cost of living is way less here. In Santa Barbara, there’s a bunch of highbrows that wouldn’t go to Emerald City anyway. Now, they’re talking about a performing arts center in Santa Barbara, but who’d support it? In Santa Barbara, all the working people moved away because they couldn’t afford to live there.

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So the myth that Santa Barbara is a happening rock town is just that?

Yeah, and it’s always been like that--a lack of venues. The Arlington is too expensive; everywhere else is too small. That’s why 10 years ago I was promoting shows down here at the Skate Palace in Oxnard and Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura. Right now, it’s the worst it’s ever been in Santa Barbara. The Beach Shack closed, Alex’s Cantina closed, Toes Tavern closed. Plus, most of the students in Isla Vista don’t go downtown anyway.

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Do you think bouncers are an alien race put on Earth to torment music fans?

I’ve never had any trouble with any bouncers, and I’ve done a variety of shows. We try to get college students with families and no felonies. We don’t hire football players who just want to beat the (expletive deleted) out of somebody.

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In the past, several local bands have refused to play the Ventura Theatre; others were banned by the management. What’s the new policy toward local bands?

Well, in Santa Barbara all the local bands got signed, and most of the ones that are left won’t attract an audience. Some of them have an attitude like “Hey, we’re local, put us on the bill. We deserve it.” Most bands from Ventura or San Luis Obispo seem willing to work hard and see it as a privilege to play at the Ventura Theatre--it’s good for the resume. I’ve never demanded that a band sell tickets. I’m a real easy-going guy and I’ve never told a band that they couldn’t play because they didn’t sell tickets.

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Over the years, the theater has been notorious for having a lousy sound system. I saw them wreck John Prine, just a guy and a guitar, which is no mean feat. How’s the sound going to be?

A lot better than it used to be. We’re going to have a brand new sound system. And our beer prices won’t be as high as they used to be. Plus, there won’t be any more minors’ fees where kids have to buy drink tickets. We had higher overhead in Isla Vista and we didn’t have alcohol for two years.

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So have you met your neighbors, the Hells Angels, yet?

No. I think I’ll wait until I book Steppenwolf, then go introduce myself.

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What do you expect the operation to be in a year?

It’ll be clean. I’d like to change the carpet to maybe burgundy or deep maroon. This is an old building, a historical landmark. No matter how long I’ve been in this business, it’ll still be a learning process as to this venue and this town.

We’re not going to do the same thing we did at Emerald City; we’re going to diversify the music because we can do a lot more here. That place has a capacity of 278, this one has a capacity of 1,247.

We’re not going to promise to have Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan--but if they want to stop by, that’s fine. We’ll have a lot of $10 shows. This is going to be fun.

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BE THERE: Upcoming shows at the Ventura Theatre:

Wednesday

The Dave Nelson Band, Suns of the Dead.

Saturday, Nov. 1

The Skeletones, Shelter, Man Will Surrender.

Sunday, Nov. 2

Switchblade Symphony, Spahn Ranch, Trance to the Sun.

Friday, Nov. 7

The Ventures.

Monday, Nov. 10

Flotsam & Jetsam, Nevermore.

Thursday, Nov. 13

Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, The Mermen.

Friday, Nov. 21

Common Sense.

Saturday, Dec. 6

Mike Watt.