It’s no secret that Ocean Beach has a thriving musical community, so it should come as no surprise that businesses have sprung up in support of local artists, such as promotion company Gale Force Productions. Founded by Gale Hopping, the company is music oriented and multifaceted, specializing in concert promotions, with dozens of shows a year, but also offering everything from party buses to major events to seminars on social media.
Upcoming calendar highlights include a party bus to the Chargers-Dolphins game Dec. 20 and a co-promoted local reggae showcase at the Belly Up Tavern on Nov. 7 featuring Fortunate Son, Stranger and Sensamotion.
Hopping arrived in San Diego in April of 2004, fresh from Southerland, Neb. His arrival in Ocean Beach was perhaps inevitable. “I was born in California, when my dad was in Vietnam, in Port Hueneme, near Ventura,” he said. “Growing up, as a kid, I always thought I got ripped off by my parents. I should live on the beach and be a surfer, you know?” he laughed. It wasn’t long after his arrival that he began to immerse himself in the local community. Hopping has a contagious enthusiasm for local music. “I think we have something akin to Austin here, but there just hasn’t been enough done to support it,” he enthused. “One of the things I’ve learned over the past five years is that there are lots of others on this road,” he mused. “It’s important to find the good ones that will do what they say they will. Right now, in addition to my own things, I work with a half dozen co-promoters.”
Gale Force Productions was created in 2010 to help bring together different aspects of the San Diego arts community. “There’s a massive live music scene here in San Diego,” Hopping stated. “But most people don’t know it. I think if a lot of people knew the ‘where,’ with accuracy, that would change.” To that end, he’s recently added an Events section to the website and the Facebook page, featuring a constantly updated listing. Perhaps unique for such a listing, the criteria for inclusion are not based on geography or which of the arts is favored but instead on “entertainment,” with a mix of music, sporting events and theater as well as food- and craft beer-related events.
Hopping notes OB has been the perfect location for a home base, for more reasons than just the area’s venues. “Personally, it reminds me of my small town where I grew up,” he said. “But on another level, I love that it’s people from all over the country, all over the world. They settle here, they work here and all get along. It’s just amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better place to start.”
Hopping now also co-promotes events outside of Ocean Beach and is extending his reach throughout San Diego County. He attributes the growth to a positive response from the events audiences. “I knew that the only way it would work is if they do take to it,” he said. “I’m not so much surprised as I am flattered that they’re actually responding to the message that we’re putting out there.” Also taking note are the area’s performers. One who has worked with Gale Force numerous times is Chris Leyva of indie rockers Falling Doves. “It’s great to have someone like this who knows the music business and takes care of things,” he said. “It allows musicians to concentrate on the music. Anytime I work with Gale Force, I know it’s going to be a well-run happening and a good time.” Now halfway through his first decade as a music promoter, Hopping is pleased with Gale Force Productions’ progress. “It’s important that we do things right, offering consistently good entertainment,” he said, “so people know that when (we) say that there’s a good show or a good place to go to, they know they can trust that.”
See more on Gale Force Productions at usegaleforce.com.