"While Weir is one of Sweetwater's founding investors and is considered its honorary godfather, he's not Daddy Warbucks. The thing we are struggling to overcome and correct is that we are owned by Bob Weir, Hoppe said with frustration one afternoon last week in a backstage office at the music hall. It's not a joke. I get angry sometimes. We still get these snide remarks on Facebook when we put a call for people to join us and become a member of Sweetwater."
"We are not a music venue. We are not a bar. We're not a restaurant, she said. We operate all those things as part of our mission. But we are a true nonprofit arts organization. We're presenting the arts. And because Sweetwater is independent, meaning it isn't owned by Live Nation, Another Planet or any of the other large entertainment companies, Hoppe points out, We have the freedom to present artists that normally won't get a show in this area."
Sweetwater Music Hall became a nonprofit arts organization in 2021 and operates as an independent presenter of music, film, and community programs. Bob Weir is a founding investor and honorary godfather but does not own or fully fund the venue. Staff and board members face persistent public misconceptions that Weir should underwrite operations, prompting frustration during fundraising drives. Sweetwater combines a performance venue with bar and restaurant services as part of its mission, and its independence from large promoters allows booking of lesser-known or diverse artists. The organization runs monthly jams, community ensembles, and seeks memberships and donations to sustain programming.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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