What do musical artists like Ashanti, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Ginuwine, and E40 have in common?

They’ve all come to Fresno thanks to promoter Brad Jaurique, who has been doing it for the past 14 years.

The Fresno resident is a rare independent promoter who has made a name for himself. And he’s done it primarily by staging hip-hop and R&B artists at venues such as Selland Arena, Warnors Theater, Chukchansi Park, and The Big Fresno Fair.

“I love hip-hop and oldies so I try to produce those when I can,” Jaurique told GV Wire.

Amazingly, he doesn’t pull these events off by partnering with big-name companies like Live Nation. Everything runs through his own promotion company.

His next show is R&B Night Out at Selland Arena on Saturday. The headliner is the “Princess of Hip-Hop Soul” Keyshia Cole, and the rest of the lineup includes Ginuwine, Paul Wall, Frankie J, Chingy, and Natalie.

“We are hoping Fresno and the Central Valley comes out and supports us so we can keep bringing the big shows to Fresno,” said Jaurique.

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From Local Music Fan to Successful Promoter

Born and raised in Fresno, Jaurique grew up on classic old school music. It all started when he went to a club for a birthday in 2009 and met local music star Timmy T. Him. They became friends and he introduced Jaurique to Rick Mirigian, who was starting a nightclub in downtown Fresno at the Chukchansi Park 600 club called Penthouse. He asked Mirigian if he could learn the business from him and soon was doing small concerts, afterparties, and Strikeforce events.

He then linked up with Club Rome and his first concert there was with Baby Bash. He brought Amanda Perez, J Holiday, 112, Xzibit, and Scarface and more. He also partnered with B95 to bring Too Short and Jo Koy to town.

From 2016-2019 he was helping Tachi Palace with their entertainment providing lineups for their car show and sold them a “Selena Tribute” concert with Selena’s brother. It was there that he did his first Ladies Night Out show in 2019 with Ginuwine, Frankie J and Jon B. The rest is history.

It’s even become a family business. His oldest son keeps track of the finances, and his daughter helps with operations and artist hospitality. He also relies on close associates to help him with marketing and promotions, security and day of operations.

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Turning Fresno into an Entertainment Destination

Why Fresno? It’s a question Jaurique says he gets all the time.

“I was born and raised here in Fresno, this is my town, and I love it,” Jaurique said. “Fresno is a melting pot of many different cultures, races, and ethnicities which makes it very unique. Instead of us waiting on out-of-town people to bring shows here, it should be (done) by local people.”

Fresno might not have the visibility of cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but Jaurique believes in its potential market power.

“You need to have a background in business and have a strong work ethic to do these shows,” he said. “The thing about Fresno is we are not the Bay or Southern California; we are a mix of both of them. Concert lineups from those cities don’t always work in Fresno and I have learned that over time. I curate all my concert lineups myself using a process that has taken me years to create.

“I am a big advocate of downtown Fresno and want to help bring back Selland Arena as an entertainment destination.”

You can bet your last dollar that Mayor Jerry Dyer would love to see Jaurique pull that off.

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Building Relationships with Artists

In the high-stakes game of concert promotions, Jaurique benefits from having an ace in his back pocket.

When he books a show and needs to fill the bill, he knows who to call. Some of the artists who answer his call are Ginuwine, Frankie J, and Baby Bash.

“Fresno and the Central Valley love Ginuwine, Frankie, Baby Bash, Amanda Perez, E-40, and Too Short as a small example so I always try to find ways to get them on my shows,” said Jaurique.

“I consider Ginuwine and his manager great friends of mine. Frankie J also became a friend over the years. It’s crazy when I think about how I use to listen to their music back in the day and now I’m friends with these guys. God sure has been amazing to me.”

The friendship and working relationship with Jaurique means a great deal to Frankie J.

“I’ve been working with Brad for more than 10 years. Every time we do a show in Fresno it goes well,” he says. “Mostly it’s managers who deal with promoters and those relationships so it’s rare. I’ve been able to keep a sustainable relationship with him. He’s a great person and has been a tremendous supporter of my career.”

The Art of Putting on a Show

Making the connections and understanding the business is important, but there’s also the operational side of putting on a show. Here’s Jaurique’s playbook:

• Who to bring
  • Keep budget in mind based on who can sell tickets
  • Will Fresno and Central Valley come out to see them?
  • Will radio and other media support the artists chosen?
  • Is this artist going to be difficult to work with?
• Pick a venue based on the artists and budget
  • Will venue support a show with the artists that are chosen?
• Develop a marketing and promo plan/budget
  • Which radio stations will be partners and which will be just for commercial buys?
  • Buy TV ads and billboards
  • Street team plan
  • Social media influencers
  • Brand and business partnerships
• Production and operation plans
  • Develop sound, lights and stage plans
  • Book hotels, drivers, and catering, etc.
• Preparing for the day of the show
  • Dressing room setup
  • Security plan
  • Guest list
  • Hotel rooms
  • Driver schedules
• Day of show
  • Help set up venue (green rooms, sound, lights)
  • Artist pickups and hotel check-ins
  • Venue meetings
  • DJ & hosts meetings
  • Doors open, show starts

The turnouts and compliments keep him going, said Jaurique, who would like to branch out and promote other genres such as rock.

The bottom-line reason for his success?

When it’s a “Brad Jaurique Promotions Presents” show, odds are you’re going to have a good time.