On May 9, 2020, the music community of Columbus lost a Titan. Mary Coffmon, longtime concert promoter with Columbus Events Group, passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Mary wasn't the biggest promoter in town, save that for the PromoWest's and the AEG's. But over the last 30 years she was responsible for bringing a host of touring acts to Columbus who would have passed our city by otherwise. I wouldn't hesitate to say that word of mouth about working with Mary caused more than one act to include our fair city in their itinerary, so in no small way she was at least partly responsible for helping Columbus to become the live music hotspot that it is known as now. An immigrant from Germany, Mary had a work ethic and a drive that was infectious. To witness her in action was something else. She was like a Mother-figure to all in her orbit. A CEG hospitality room was like a family gathering. It felt like walking into the living room of the house you grew up in. In fact it's really a shame that large funerals aren't being held in the wake of the worldwide pandemic we are currently experiencing as humans, because Mary's memorial would sell out any venue in town. This past week has felt a bit lonelier as I have remembered her, because in better times, many of my closest friends in the CEG family and the Columbus music scene as whole would have likely gathered at The Alrosa Villa (where many of her most triumphant shows were held) for some sort of memorial, and I know a tribute show would be being planned (and I hope it still is for the eventual return of live events, whenever that may be). Instead we are left to remember her and reflect on her life on our own. And for someone who brought people together like Mary, that's just not fair.
I first met Mary in 1993, when the band I was in at the time played at Park Avenue, the concert club she owned with her husband Roger. She took a liking to us and we continued to be booked there, both for shows of our own, and for many opening slots with national touring acts. We had a group of rowdy friends in those days who looked for any excuse to gather, see their buddies play some tunes, and drink. A good combo of traits for potential bar clients. As news of Mary's passing spread last weekend, many in the music scene posted tributes and memories on social media. Longtime Columbus area guitarist Laura DeBrier-Miller remembered, “The one thing I always think about when I think of Mary is how she treated us so professionally. Music is a tough biz (and dead right now). Bar owners were notorious for not paying bands and not providing any amenities for bands. Nowadays, bands typically buy tickets to get a spot on a cool bill. Back then, you had to know the right people and it was luck of the draw in regard to how bars treated the talent that brought the drinkers in. We were always paid [and treated like family] at Park Avenue.”
A really cool move that Mary and Roger made in those days that endeared them to the bands they booked was the issuance of “Musician Passes.” Basically if you were in a local band, you did not pay a cover charge at their bar, outside of national ticketed events. So local shows there were always packed with other local musicians. The networking was fantastic. Hundreds of budding young musicians spent the formative years of their Rock & Roll fantasy lives under Mary's steady tutelage, and she was always the best bar owner - and later - promoter to work for. There were zero hassles, unless you created them yourself.
One of the most memorable shows for me at Park Avenue was when the band Candlebox played there on the tour for their first album. Sometime between booking the show, and the date it rolled into town, the band had blown up, with their song “Far Behind” becoming a bonafide hit. So the show became a large radio sponsored sold-out event. Park Avenue's stage was low to the ground, the band was basically at eye level with the audience, and a handrail separated the stage from the dance floor. The band's singer, Kevin Martin, said at one point between songs, “I HATE THIS BAR!” From where I was standing I could see Mary tending bar. She did a double take and openly mouthed the words, “What did he say about my bar?” Martin was of course talking about the handrail, and not the establishment. But the momentary confusion was funny. I thought she was going to march through the crowd and confront him on stage. She could be as stern as she was loveable.
Many years later I wound up as a part of Mary's street team for Columbus Events Group. Through my time spent with the CEG family I was witness to the way that Mary had become a mentor to her team. “She was such a huge piece of the Columbus music scene. But she was also a warm, caring and charitable person,” remembered Kristi Dingess, Mary's longtime assistant at CEG. “She brought so many people together from all sides of life in so many ways. We were her adopted 'German' kin. We did Deutsche Stammtisch with her and friends on the odd Sunday. We did shows, benefits and really were just looking out for each other. Music in itself brings challenges and some drama - while Mary definitely lived for (some of) it, she also shied away from the attention.” The bands and crews she worked with were treated with that same family hospitality, and no one could speak of a bad experience in working with her. Not every show was a success, of course, but everyone was always treated fairly and came away feeling respected.
Many of Mary's shows were held at The Alrosa Villa, at one time her rival in the booking of national touring acts in the Park Avenue days. Once Park Avenue closed its doors, Mary continued to work on an independent contractor basis with the Cautela family, owners of The Alrosa, and her shows filled that club for years to come, only stopping a few years ago as she entered more extensive treatment in her battle with cancer. Her initial diagnosis didn't slow her down however, and some of the most memorable shows she ever brought to town were held in those final years. The Alrosa wasn't the only venue she hosted shows in though, and many other clubs were witness to that CEG hospitality and good will as well.
While she promoted shows that mainly fell under the Metal banner, particularly extreme forms of Metal like Thrash and Death Metal, in her later years she became the Queen of the Central Ohio Hick-Hop community, which was met with some controversy from her longtime loyalists. But everyone understood as a promoter she had to find a niche that made money, and Metal didn't always pay the bills. Mary once told me that people often assumed she liked to listen to the kind of music she promoted. A true businesswoman, she admitted to me that she didn't enjoy all of it, but it's what kept food on the table, and the people and connections were what it was all about to her. Well, the connections are what it's ultimately about for all of us, and no one helped facilitate connections quite like Mary Coffmon.
I was close with Mary, but by no means as close as many others, who, frankly, could sing her praises better than I. But I was close to her no less, and we had a conversation just a few short weeks before her passing about what's going on in the world right now. I will keep her confidence, but I can tell you that Mary was a fellow Catholic, and often turned to me for guidance in how to walk with a foot in both the spiritual and temporal worlds. I'm not patting myself on the back by any means. Our discussions helped my journey of faith as well. But she expressed to me then that even though she knew her own battle was nearing its end, she was concerned for her family and friends. Ever the Mother to the end.
It is a trite thing to say, but because of these conversations, I know Mary is in a better place. But the mark she left on so many will never be forgotten here. The Columbus Music Scene is a little worse off today. The other guys are gonna have to work hard to live up to the CEG legacy. Debrier-Miller summed it up, “I think about Mary and I think about a person who genuinely cared for people and experiences. She brought so many incredible bands to our town and this gathering of people and music was something that shaped and molded me.” I would have to agree. So much of the formative years and experiences that helped form me were spent at an event hosted by Mary Coffmon. It was during those times that I learned how to be an adult, and a friend to others.
Godspeed Mary. I, and countless others, will always love and remember you.