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Todd P Pulls Music From SummerScreen Because Of Vitamin Water Branding

Christopher Robbins

Published Jul 7, 2015

Modified Jul 8, 2015

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Courtesy SummerScreen

Christopher Robbins

Published Jul 7, 2015

Modified Jul 8, 2015

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DJ Dog Dick will not grace the Vitamin Water Stage at Williamsburg's SummerScreen this year. Promoter Todd P announced on Facebook today that he cancelled all of the musical acts slated to perform at "Brooklyn's longest-running outdoor film and music series" because of too much branding.

That means that Tonstartssbandht and The Dreebs will not play before tomorrow night's free screening of Clueless. (Ratking was scheduled for next week!)[Editor: These are actually 2014's bands.]

Todd P made the announcement today on Facebook:

I'm sorry to report, but Trans-Pecos and I have to cancel the McCarren Park music before movies series this Summer.

We learned Thursday that the organizers -- Northside Media -- took a "branding" deal for us to become the "Vitamin Water Stage" without consulting us nor offering the requisite increase in budget that sort of branding commands. We would turn down the branding no matter the money, but certainly if there's money changing hands, the bands should see it.

We insisted the branding be removed and Northside wasn't able to do it, so we're canceling.

I've had a lot of fun booking bands at Summerscreen for the last several years -- it's always a fun social experiment and Northside have been wonderful to work with and tolerant of our sometimes "out" bookings -- but this is simply a situation of our visions for the thing not being in sync.

Apologies for the late notice!
Todd

Vitamin Water (and Verizon, Fresh Direct, Zico, Netflix, Kettle Chips, Mail Chimp, and Rekorderlig Cider) have been listed as sponsors for SummerScreen for some time, and it's not clear what "Vitamin Water Stage" entails. A banner? A line in the promotional materials? Gargling dragonfruit sugar water between songs?

We've reached out to Northside Media and Todd P for more details and will update if we hear back.

Tagged

DJ dog dick

northside

summerscreen

todd p

williamsburg

Christopher Robbins

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Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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