[Pturner]

Originally Posted by jandbrare

Must be the Christmas Season, but I'm softening. Paul Vesco is a prominent musician, band leader, and promoter. He has brought excellent talent to The Villages to perform on the squares, free to all who would attend. I listed 10 appearances of his band and his associates for the month of December, and I'm speculating that I missed one: Street Talk who got three gigs. I've not confirmed their association with Vesco, as yet, but three gigs makes it likely, to me.

The Villages developer pays for this entertainment to enhance the appeal of The Villages to existing residents and would-be residents. It's a great benefit: free live entertainment every night. It is just another facet of his genius. And, The Villages is a marketing marvel, a residential paradise, a heaven-before-heaven for those of us old timers who are lucky enough to have found our way here.

But, there's always a "but", and mine is that I resent Paul Vesco coming in, and influencing the bookings through his wife. His wife, Barbara, is head of Entertainment and has been for years. She works for the developer, not for the local governments,CDD's, but "the developer." So, it is up to the developer to make changes to this situation.

If you are not a Paul Vesco associate, your chances of getting a booking are reduced.

So, I should not worry abut this or that entertainer who is not getting bookings, anymore? And, if a friend is trying to get a gig and is a good entertainer, I should not be concerned that he can't? I should just go and enjoy the high-quality Vesco entertainment?

But, I've been here 10 years, and I DO resent the takeover by Paul Vesco.

Originally Posted by mikeod

Oh, yes we do. But, like freedom, you have to watch out for threats to your way of life. The concern raised by the OP may seem trivial to you, but, to me, an attempt to monopolize and control access to the town square entertainment is a concern to me. As others have posted, there are some excellent groups that have appeared here in the past that don't seem to return. Perhaps they are more successful playing elsewhere. If so, fine. But I would not want them to be excluded because they don't happen to be represented by, or refuse to be represented by someone whose relative controls the bookings.

Jerry and Mike,
Good points, well stated. Thankfully, Vesco does provide quality entertainment. It's a shame if other quality talent is being squeezed out by "insider" dealing.