Rapids revisited

(Editor’s note: The following is opinion.)

So it’s been a couple days since Jesse Gooch melted down on Facebook over not getting the rights to redevelop the Rapids Theatre.

As of Thursday afternoon, After Dark Presents had 91 shows scheduled between now and Dec. 18 in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, mostly bands I have never heard of or music I don’t care for and don’t know about. It's OK. I am not After Dark's target audience.

Jesse Gooch had 7 cover bands in North Tonawanda set to play Thursdays on the River, mostly bands I have never heard of or music I don’t care for and don’t know about. It's OK. I am not Gooch's target audience.

I have not seen the proposals. I know how they were described to me by Mayor Robert Restaino and by both Gooch and Ring as well as other sources in city hall.

I also spoke to politically connected Republican and Democratic sources in Niagara County as well as multiple music industry promoters in Western and Central New York.

Some of the political types think Gooch got screwed and cite a history of corruption and inside dealing that preceded Restaino and they believe continues. Others say the process was objective and fair.

Among the promoter types, they say 1) Ring and Dale Segal were the most qualified and real deal. 2) Gooch does not have the experience or connections After Dark does and 3) On a personal basis, they can’t stand Ring.

In reporting on the topic, the Niagara Gazette used Gooch’s rant to create what Mark Scheer and Rick Pfeiffer like to sell as “investigative journalism.”

It’s sort of like listening to Tom Darro on WEBR and the reporting the scoop that Mayor Restaino said he received a call from Chinese investors interested in Niagara Falls, New York. The Express spoke to Niagara Falls Ontario Mayor Jim Diodati about that in April. It asked Restaino about it in May. They could conduct “investigative journalism” by reading the Express. The interest is serious enough the mayors are in the process of planning travel to present a bi-national front to the investors. This is not a Blue Cardinal dream because Diodati's city has somewhere between $7 and $10 billion in new investment underway in the next 5 years. There is transformative money there that is too big for containment. 

The Express will be doing further reporting on the topic of the investors as well as Main Street redevelopment. 

My guess is FOIL requests for the proposals from After Dark and Gooch as well as internal debate over the proposals will be denied, most likely because Gooch’s rant, and what he has been telling people in private, constitute the threat of litigation.

There was enough Niagara County Republican representation at the table that Gooch likely had to persuade one of five people to change their vote, at least if it wasn’t an objective process or it was at least close.

Instead, they chose the Buffalo operator, an outsider with the most experience whose plan had the greatest chance for success as judged by the committee.

Those things said, I think Gooch played his post-loss hand poorly. Taking your sour grapes to social media might be cathartic but i does not A) Change anyhing or B) Age well.

The best thing to do, if Jesse has a solid plan and investors is move forward somewhere else. Show the committee it was wrong by succeeding.

Don’t sling mud because people who already didn’t respect your operation will remember how you reacted when things didn’t go your way and the music community is tight nit, clicky and has a long memory. You risk branding yourself as a whiny and entitled wannabe.

Gooch needs to set up some place and show he can do bigger things than book 7 cover bands on a Thursday night in a city park. Open a bar and restaurant in a struggling area like the north end of Oliver Street and show you can make it work. Be at the core of recreating a district in NT or LaSalle that attracts regular people priced out of Webster Street. 

Perhaps promote some shows at the Riviera, the Rapids, River Works or somewhere else. Show you know the business so when the next opportunity presents itself no one questions the legitimacy of your operation.