Document text
Fair performers demand some odd stuff By Dani Dodge Jackson County Expo director Chris Borovansky gets to ignore some of the goofiest requests encountered by any county official. Among myriad specific food and beverage choices, Cheap Trick wants a liter of Jack Daniel�s whiskey and two containers of soy milk when it plays the fair. Billy Ray Cyrus wants a large bag of Tootsie Roll Pops and a pack of bologna. This year�s lineup This year�s Jackson County Fair, "2001: A Fair Odyssey," runs July 17-22. This year�s headline performers will be Billy Ray Cyrus (July 17), the Supremes with Mary Wilson (July 18), Diamond Rio (July 19), Don McLean (July 20), Cheap Trick (July 21) and KRWQ country showdown (July 22). Diamond Rio is requesting Jiff chunky peanut butter, red gummy bears and one box of peppermint Altoids in each dressing room. "The fairs have good news and bad news for these guys," Borovansky said. "We pay fairly good money for acts, but we can fall back on the fact we are a fair and not have to provide some of these things like bowls of green M & Ms." Diamond Rio�s contract came to light recently when the Jackson County Board of Commissioners had to approve the country music contract. The commissioners have to approve every contract over $20,000. Diamond Rio�s performance is costing the county $22,500. Next week, commissioners will approve a $25,000 contract for the rock band Cheap Trick. County Administrator Sue Slack said she laughed when she saw Cheap Trick�s contract on her desk. "I said, how many Altoids do these guys want?" she said. "Every one of these contracts is like that: They want 7-Up and not Sprite. And if it�s white wine it�s got to be 1986." But not everyone in the Rogue Valley ignores the eccentric requests. Britt Festival executive director Ron McUne said the festival has the band managers fax them the requests and then they negotiate the specifics. Most requests on the riders are fulfilled. "The only thing we are getting sticky about is we don�t serve hard alcohol back stage to the performers," McUne said. He said when David Sanborn played the Britt Festival, the jazz musician requested a doctor inject him with the vitamin B-12 a half-hour before the performance. A few years back, Dionne Warwick requested two bottles of Crystal Champagne that retailed for $150 at the time. "We searched the valley high and low and found only one bottle at Chateaulin," McUne said. "We had to give her $150 because we couldn�t provide the second bottle." McUne said he considers fulfilling the requests part of the program. "The bottom line for us is we feel if the performer feels like they are taken care of and are well fed with home-style cooked food then we�ll get a better show," he said. "And we don�t have to deal with ego nonsense." Borovansky said over the years, artists� requests have gotten more and more outrageous. Some were for equipment that far exceeded anything the county could afford. Other requests were for hard liquor that can�t even be served at the fair. "Things were getting goofy," he said. So eight years ago, he began to attach a "supplemental rider" to contracts. In the rider, the fair promises to provide catered meals and beverages, but not specific things like Chinese food on Thursdays. Borovansky said the managers usually are willing to sign the riders, although the artists rarely know about it. "The band shows up and will expect something," he said. Instead, just like the rest of us, they get "fair food." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.