Meet Tony Abrams | Music Lover, Musician and Promoter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Abrams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was hoping to create community friendly events, that brings people joyously together and raises needed money for local non profits.

What should our readers know about your business?
I moved to Flagstaff AZ in 1995. My band Huck Freely, was a local “jam band” and decided to play some all Grateful Dead concerts. The 1st Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash happened in 2003, to a whooping 15 people! 2nd annual Bash in 2004 had 40 people. We took some time off for a few years and new bands formed. This year we celebrate the 15th Annual Jerry Garcia Bash! I found local businesses to help support the event, and we started donating the money to Habitat for Humanity, the local food bank among other great charities. We have raised well over $90,000 to Flagstaff non profits in the last ten years! I started the Grateful Festival in 2019 , in hopes to band together all the incredible Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia tribute bands in Arizona. My vision was to bring people from all over the Southwest together, to dance, hug, celebrate and enjoy the best music possible. We secured a venue for 2019 and then the real work started. I got a quick reality check in how to book, market, promote, advertise, hire, negotiate and the million things that it takes to put together a 2 day music festival. Who to work with and who to steer clear of. I am fortunate to have attending countless concerts all over the world. I took those experiences and tried to shape what I wanted to build. I took the approach of what me as a fan would want to see, how I would want to be treated. I have been told to work it from a financial aspect, and how to make money. That is not how I think! There is already too much greed in this world. I want to have people come, have an awesome time, tell all their friends and count the days to our next event. I want the bands to be treated well, fed, respected and ask to be part of next years event. I also want to ensure we are making a positive impact in our community. Deadheads are such a caring, loving, conscious, kind fanbase, and love to help whenever possible. Every event I put on, there will always be a non profit charity aspect. The road has not been easy, but I love the challenges and people I have met along the way. I would not have been able to do any of this with out the gracious help the Arizona Deadhead community has offered. From promotion, marketing, photography, social media and beyond, people have been so incredibly generous in helping out. They are part, a vital part, of the Grateful Festival and 15th Annual Jerry Garcia Bash successes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Flagstaff is a great place to live and raise a family. It is a safe, clean, family friendly city. When people come to visit, we love to take them to our secret hiking spots, great biking trails, Sedona, Grand Canyon and local water holes like the Flagstaff Brewing Company, or I always treat out of town guests to our tasty Mexican food! Walking downtown is always fun, shops like Rainbows End and Crystal Magic (Flagstaff or Sedona!) are part of the Flagstaff special vibe. So many nice restaurants, galleries and bars in a small area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am Grateful for the support and love from my wife and son. Nothing would be possible without them. I have also been very fortunate to have friendship and mentorship from Matt Ziegler. He is the awesome force behind Greenhouse Productions and Hullabaloo Festivals. Seeing what Matt and his wonderful wife Hadassah have created has inspired me.

Website: gratefulfestival.com

Image Credits
Chris Bachler photographer