EDIE ZUVANICH Special to the Press
HUTTO — The beleaguered relationship between the city and Directors of Chaos, an entertainment management company contracted to produce concerts in Brushy Creek Amphitheater, has run its course. The city announced that the entities have mutually agreed to terminate their contract, effective immediately.
“We received an email on July 11 from Chris Stone, managing partner and founder of DOC, requesting a mutual termination of the contract,” Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon told the Press.
“He cited that they didn’t have the financial resources necessary to operate as a company any longer and that they would be closing their business.”
City Council had an executive session item listed on the agenda for its July 11 meeting to discuss the con- tract. With receipt of the email, they took action to announce that they would be invoking the mutual termination clause of the contract.
“We are grateful for the efforts and contributions of Directors of Chaos over the course of our partnership,” said a press release from Communications Manager Shayna Jung.
“As we move forward, the city of Hutto is committed to exploring new opportunities to continue providing exceptional experiences, maintaining the highest standards of entertainment and seamless operations at Brushy Creek Amphitheater. We assure our community and patrons that we are actively seeking new management solutions to uphold the quality and enjoyment of our future events.”
DOC had one show coming up in Brushy Creek Amphitheater, a Beatles tribute show that was scheduled for Aug. 1. The show has been canceled as a result of the termination and all ticket holders have been refunded, according to Jung.
The relationship between DOC and the city hit rocky ground soon after the contract was originally signed last year.
Owners Tim Pioppo and Stone gave an ambitious presentation to city council at the April 20, 2023 City Council meeting.
“Our plan is to organize and operate 10 plus concerts from July through the end of 2023, starting with lower capacity events during the summer to minimize risk and grow the venue during the remainder of the year to ensure a strong 2024 calendar,” Stone said at the time.
After much discussion and some dissension, the majority of council members voted in favor of the contract.
Those 10 concerts never appeared.
Directors of Chaos was only able to book three concerts in 2023, and of those, only one concert actually happened.
A Ramon Ayala concert set for September was canceled because the artist canceled his entire tour. A November concert headlined by the Floozies operated at a net loss with only 200 tickets sold. The city’s share of the facility fee and parking was $729.75, according to city documents. And a concert featuring a pair of Grammy-awardwinning artists was scheduled for December but was canceled by the event promoter.
The city issued a notice of contract termination in December.
Then in March, City Council approved a revised contract with DOC. The new agreement offered more favorable revenue splits for the city and “aimed for” eight concerts for 2024. Now, just a few months later, that contract has been voided.
“I was disappointed that things didn’t work out with them, and that they were unsuccessful in their attempt to program the venue for us.
I’m hopeful we are able to find another company that might have greater success, as I believe the Brushy Creek Amphitheater has great potential as an event space,” Gordon said.
