Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Puttin' on the Hits

Canes Bar & Grill in Mission Beach has been an obstacle in Randy Wood’s attempt to revive his success of the 1980s. At least, that is, according to Wood, who in his heyday created a televised lip-sync contest called Puttin’ On the Hits, which ran from 1984 to 1988. Wood launched his new venture, America’s Lip Sync Star, at Canes on Tuesday, June 2.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“When I first talked to Pamela, the person who books all the bands and does all the promotions [at Canes], I told her this was a long-term deal,” says Wood. “Once you put the money up, you want to run this for eight weeks, and then do another eight-week cycle, and then another. The return on investment is much greater when you do many eight-week cycles.” Wood was told that Canes, which would open its doors on a typically closed Tuesday night, expected to take in at least $2000. “I thought, no problem.” Wood, who had partnered with Cybersports Today (a show on ESPN 800), Shot Spirits Corporation (the makers of ShotPak, an adult beverage served in a disposable pouch), and Long Hard Ride (an “action and sports lifestyle brand”), agreed to make up the difference if his show didn’t bring in the full amount.

On the first night of the contest, fewer than 20 people arrived at Canes, a venue that holds 800. Five of them were contestants, a few were friends of contestants, and the rest were employees of the bar. “We only took in $600,” explains Wood. At the end of the night, Wood was informed he owed $1400, plus the $300 he had agreed to pay for security. Wood handed over all the cash he had remaining after he paid the contest winners ($100 for first place, $50 for second) and was left owing $1523.

“Now Pamela says if we want [the venue] by Tuesday, we have to pay or no contest,” says Wood. For two weeks he tried to negotiate with Canes, but now Wood is rethinking his choice in venue. “The bottom line is, when I originally talked to Pamela about this, I told her we wanted to run this as a long-term deal, and what I found out after the fact is that they’re losing their lease in October, and they’re gone.”

A call to the club’s owner was not returned. However, a Canes employee divulged, “We’re not going anywhere. The lease is up in September, and the owner is in negotiations with the landlord.” The same employee confirmed that if the lease is not renewed, the club’s moving downtown could be an option. As of now, the contest is still on hold.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Secrets of Resilience in May's Unforgettable Memoir

Canes Bar & Grill in Mission Beach has been an obstacle in Randy Wood’s attempt to revive his success of the 1980s. At least, that is, according to Wood, who in his heyday created a televised lip-sync contest called Puttin’ On the Hits, which ran from 1984 to 1988. Wood launched his new venture, America’s Lip Sync Star, at Canes on Tuesday, June 2.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“When I first talked to Pamela, the person who books all the bands and does all the promotions [at Canes], I told her this was a long-term deal,” says Wood. “Once you put the money up, you want to run this for eight weeks, and then do another eight-week cycle, and then another. The return on investment is much greater when you do many eight-week cycles.” Wood was told that Canes, which would open its doors on a typically closed Tuesday night, expected to take in at least $2000. “I thought, no problem.” Wood, who had partnered with Cybersports Today (a show on ESPN 800), Shot Spirits Corporation (the makers of ShotPak, an adult beverage served in a disposable pouch), and Long Hard Ride (an “action and sports lifestyle brand”), agreed to make up the difference if his show didn’t bring in the full amount.

On the first night of the contest, fewer than 20 people arrived at Canes, a venue that holds 800. Five of them were contestants, a few were friends of contestants, and the rest were employees of the bar. “We only took in $600,” explains Wood. At the end of the night, Wood was informed he owed $1400, plus the $300 he had agreed to pay for security. Wood handed over all the cash he had remaining after he paid the contest winners ($100 for first place, $50 for second) and was left owing $1523.

“Now Pamela says if we want [the venue] by Tuesday, we have to pay or no contest,” says Wood. For two weeks he tried to negotiate with Canes, but now Wood is rethinking his choice in venue. “The bottom line is, when I originally talked to Pamela about this, I told her we wanted to run this as a long-term deal, and what I found out after the fact is that they’re losing their lease in October, and they’re gone.”

A call to the club’s owner was not returned. However, a Canes employee divulged, “We’re not going anywhere. The lease is up in September, and the owner is in negotiations with the landlord.” The same employee confirmed that if the lease is not renewed, the club’s moving downtown could be an option. As of now, the contest is still on hold.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Hike off those holiday calories, Poinsettias are peaking

Winter Solstice is here and what is winter?
Next Article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader