Bruise Control focuses on positive, entertaining and even outrageous happenings in the world of extreme sports, in general.
If I hadn't read negative comments about the Tony Hawk Boom Boom Huck Jam Tour, I may have let our recent experience in Houston pass. In a previous post, I mentioned that NoBruise!, the bruise healing product developed by FutureSavy, was to be a sponsor. It was an opportunity to reach those ever-elusive, 18-34 year-old, male eyeballs.
And, as we all know, Xtreme sports enthusiasts tend to bruise a bit. Perfect marketing fit.
Since no money changed hands, we were grateful.
When I learned that the event in Houston had been canceled, the explanation was vague. The band didn't show...Tony Hawk was a no-show. The organizers weren't saying. No biggie. I let it lie, until a very positive review appeared in the Quad-City Times about the same event that was held in Davenport, Iowa.
How could our show be canceled and it go on as planned in Iowa when Houston's the 4th largest city in the U.S.? Now I'm not a snob, but IOWA!?
Being a large city and all, there's a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar. Maybe they didn't sell enough tickets. I don't know, but after reading the "negative" comments left by the Quad-City Times' readers, I had a sneaking suspicion that this was the case.
"Crowd goes wild as extreme sports stars perform," reads the July 30, 2008 headline. But these attendees weren't crazy for the event:
"It was a good show, but a total waste of money..."
"She and the kids said that yes the show was good but for the money was way too short..."
"I want a refund. It was so ridiculous, my 11 year old decided to leave early..."
Someone once said: You can fool some of the people, some of the time; but not all of the people, all of the time.
Boom Boom Huck Jam better get its act together, because once the kids turn against you, it's all over. I guess Houston's extreme sports fans weren't fooled.