Hahn is a walking encyclopedia of nearly all things related to the arena. Can you imagine being given that much responsibility when you are that young?” “Ernie was still in his 20s when he became general manager of the arena. That was cool, but - at that point - I didn’t even know San Diego had a hockey team! And in 1997, Ernie had me come to the arena to receive the San Diego Gulls’ leadership award for community involvement. “In the late 1990s, my band, Sack Lunch, played at a big punk-rock show at the arena with blink-182 and a bunch of other bands. “I took my mom to see Andrea Bocelli at the arena just a couple of years ago and that was amazing,” Machado continued. Along with skateboard great Tony Hawk and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Trevor Hoffman, he is an investor and celebrity ambassador for Wonderfront. “I don’t recall how old I was, but the first time I went to the arena was to see the Harlem Globetrotters in the mid-1980s with my dad and brother,” said San Diego surfing legend Rob Machado, 49, speaking by phone Monday from France. With or without ice, several generations of San Diegans have attended events at the arena. When concerts or other events are held during the Gulls’ ice hockey season, which runs from October to April, the ice is covered so that rows of seating can be set up on top of it. The arena currently houses three professional sports teams, the San Diego Gulls, San Diego Sockers and the San Diego Seals. So, every summer the San Diego Police Department comes into the building to train their bomb-sniffing dogs.” “A lot of people don’t know this,” Hahn said, “but it’s in the charter for the arena that the building be used for the greater good of the city, even though the arena is privately managed. “Cameron and his cast and crew were in the building for over a month and six to seven minutes of that movie were shot in our building, which I’m very proud of.” Oscar winner Cameron Crowe, who grew up in San Diego, shot concert scenes at the arena in 1999 for his acclaimed film “Almost Famous.” He returned in 1997 with his band to test out a new sound system, although even arena employees were forbidden from attending. Prince first performed at the arena in 1983. That concert was chronicled on the 2016 album, “Live in San Diego,” and a 2017 DVD. In 2007, the arena was the only venue in the world at which Eric Clapton performed with his now-deceased musical idol, JJ Cale, then a resident of Valley Center. The venue, which can seat more than 14,000 for performances, has hosted tour-opening concerts by everyone from U2 and Chance the Rapper to Slayer and Justin Bieber. Under Hahn’s guidance, the sprawling venue - which has been known as Pechanga Arena San Diego since 2018 - grew from an aging, under-utilized facility into an award-winning industry leader for concerts and sporting events alike. He’s always been very entrepreneurial, which is why he would pursue all types of events at the arena, not just concerts.” “But Ernie starting a festival in San Diego was not a big leap for him. “It’s unusual in our world that a venue operator embarks on festival production,” Jacobs said. Moss Jacobs, the Santa Barbara president of AEG/Goldenvoice - Live Nation’s biggest global competitor - agreed. It doesn’t surprise me he started Wonderfront because he’s always looking ahead,” said Candace Mandracia, the former San Diego president of Live Nation, the world’s largest concert and live event’s producer. “Ernie’s such a go-getter, and he’s had so many relationships with so many people in our business. (Alan Hess Photography / Pechanga Arena – San Diego)
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