THE JUMPING TURTLE IS STILL BOOKING BANDS AND IS NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!!

First and foremost, the Jumping Turtle is NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!! I will only say this once and to all those who seemed to have found opportunity in our temporary setback; “See you in the years to come!” There is no doubt we were set back by the issue with the city. However, as the months have passed it is our attorney’s opinion the city acted in the wrong and our attorneys are working that issue out with the city. As for our customers, we are back to business as usual.

Many of you have been made aware of the most recent change in the Turtle’s promotion department. The Jumping Turtle has ended its relationship with Joe Troutman Presents. For the last year both parties have been moving in separate directions and there were some major policy violations on the part of Joe Troutman. Many of these violations included pay-to-play, skewing the house threshold, UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR on the part of Joe and his associates, not honoring commitments to bands, etc... I spoke to Joe on these issues and he refused to make any adjustments. Once Joe was not able to do all age shows all the time he began to digress. The Jumping Turtle door policy has been the same since 2004. However, in a desperate attempt to amend his failing business and relationships Joe has pushed a lot of blame and propaganda towards the Jumping Turtle and upper management for his failure to pay many of his commitments from the door proceeds. Many of the shows Joe promotes he offers to pay more than anyone else is willing for the headlining acts. When he falls short of his guarantee others get shorted and others are blamed. Joe has a hard time putting 21+ shows together, and an establishment like the Turtle cannot survive with inconsistent show draws and an underage crowd all the time. Don’t get me wrong, we will continue to bring you some of San Diego’s best all age shows, but just not every day. We want to get back to the middle of the music spectrum. Bring ourselves back to a true music house. We love metal, but there are many other great types of genres. Rock, Blues, Hip Hop, Alternative, R&B, and more!! We want to get back to the philosophy of something for everyone, not all metal all the time. We also want to let everyone know that the weekends are going to focus on the 21+ shows and crowds, something that has been a little inconsistent here with the previous promotion staff.

Now Phil Guevarra will be overseeing the promotion department. Phil has been with us a long time and is on the same page as Turtle management and the local bands. Phil also spent a long time working with Joe and the bands and has recognized a lot of Joe’s mistakes. He has also learned the hard way what works and what does not in North County. Phil has been working in the scene for many years now and will be a very refreshing change in the JT promotion department. Give Phil a call and you’ll see the Turtle program is simple and everyone wins.

In conclusion, I would like to say I apologize for not recognizing this situation sooner. Sometimes management is the last to know. There has been a lot on our plate this summer. The big shows are fun, but the local bands are the life blood. Not to mention we are first and foremost a local music venue. There is a reason guys like Joe, who have never owned a business or venue, end up in the middle of the desert booking bands. I assume it has not been going so well based on the Joe Troutman propaganda machine kicked to full gear. “Next House of Blues”…..Yikes last time I checked…no! 

Time can only tell and from now into the future the Jumping Turtle is not only committed to continue bringing the bands the best venue to play, but also giving the patrons just a great place to hang. We have instituted policies to ensure things like this do not occur again and plan to bring you great live music for years to come. Anyone with any questions, concerns, or booking inquires please contact Phil, 760-855-1337. There is no reason to drive over the hill to Ramona. Just stay in your own back yard and party hard! See you at the next show!!

Papa Turtle