Kihncert 2013 hailed as a ‘community success’

Thousands of visitors and Morgan Hill residents attended the 2013 Kihncert, which was also the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex’s first attempt to pull off an all-day rock and roll concert complete with food, beer, wine and merchandise vendors.
Kihncert organizers said about 7,000 people attended the show throughout the day. Performances started at 12 p.m and continued to about 11 p.m.
“For a first-time effort, I think this was a good showing,” said Gary Harmon, President of Kihncert co-producer Arts Related Technical Training for Entertainment Careers (ARTTEC). “That says something about the capabilities of (the OSC).”
The Kihncert is an annual South Bay tradition emceed by Greg Kihn and featuring a full day of classic rock performers.
Neil Marlow, 46, and his wife Christine traveled to the OSC with a group of friends from San Jose for the Kihncert. Veteran attendees of the annual South Bay classic rock concert, the Marlows were drawn to the event this year by one act – Greg Kihn himself.
“He always puts on an awesome show – lots of energy,” Neil Marlow said.
In previous years, the Kihncert has been held at larger venues such as Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.
The headliner at this year’s Kihncert was former Poison frontman Bret Michaels. Also performing were The Tubes, dada, Tommy Tutone and the Brodie Stewart Band. The event also featured an “emerging artists” stage featuring local and youth acts.
The Kihncert was co-produced by ARTTEC, ISE Entertainment and the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance.
MHYSA President Jeff Dixon called the event a “community success,” as scores of local businesses, volunteers, residents and local agencies worked together to make sure all the logistical details were taken care of, right up to the day of the show.
ARTTEC’s mission is to work with local youth who are interested in careers in video and concert production. About 50 students participated in the production of the 2013 Kihncert through ARTTEC, Harmon said.
Harmon and ISE Entertainment President Mike DiRubio said they “definitely” hope to produce more concerts – including hopefully the 2014 Kihncert – at the OSC and other Morgan Hill venues in the future.
“The show was great, the artists enjoyed being here, there was a lot of crowd from outside Morgan Hill,” DiRubio said. “We believe we definitely generated some revenue for the City.”