Comfort Dental Plays Along

Some publicists take their jobs too seriously – something Pollstar knows all too well. This is apparently not the case for Rob Medina, publicist for Comfort Dental.

Comfort Dental, which put its name on what is commonly known as Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre near Denver, opened itself up for some good-hearted ribbing. And the folks at satiric Web site The Onion , at its AV Club blog, not only saw a joke but actually got pretty serious about this effrontery.

“And now, the latest beacon of capitalistic what-the-fuckery: The new Comfort Dental Amphitheatre!” AV Club wrote. “Yes, Comfort Dental, those sensible purveyors of teeth-cleanings and hugs, picked up the naming rights to Fiddler’s Green last week, because nothing says sex-drugs and rock ‘n’ roll like awkward conversation with dental hygienists.”

Medina was sent some questions to answer, one of which got printed.

“See? Even Rob knows it’s total bullshit!” AV Club remarked.

It was an awesome quote, so Pollstar asked Medina about it. Turns out, instead of responding to the Onion with corporate-speak approved by company attorneys, Medina played along with it perfectly. It was never published, so Medina sent us his responses.
“Will people be able to receive dental treatment during concerts?” the Onion asked him.

“For most shows no, we won’t have dental treatment available,” Medina responded. “However we’re thinking about setting up a few chairs for Insane Clown Posse.”

When the Onion asked him how people would react to the name change, Medina wrote back, “Most people don’t like change, but after they get a tooth knocked out at a metal show, and we fix them up, they’ll be fine with the whole idea.”

Because of the controversy that first surrounded the renaming of Denver’s Mile High Stadium to Mile High at Invesco Field, the Onion asked Medina if Comfort Dental would be so “old school” as to incorporate Fiddler’s Green into the shed’s name.

Medina’s answer? “No, we’re not old.”

As for the cost of naming rights? “Actually, we traded dental services to help out the bands. Have you ever seen Lemmy Kilmister’s teeth? – could be in the billions.”

The AV Club did run Medina’s best answer though. He was asked how Comfort Dental was compatible with a music venue.

“Music is about feeling good,” Medina said. “Good dental health also makes you feel good. Ever had an impacted tooth? See the connection? The truth is, there is no connection – we just wanted the front row tickets.”

True, Pollstar does get lighthearted answers like this from time to time, but they’re usually preceded by, “Can I go off the record for a minute?”

Now, if only the AV Club would call up someone about another recent Live Nation name change: Jiffy Lube Live. Previously known as Nissan Pavilion in Virginia, that one also underwent the change with little announcement.