Editor’s Choice: Kirk’s Summer Sundae At Merriweather Post Pavilion (Excellence In Concessions Awards 2026)

Food and music bring people together,” says, Kirk Sommer. He would know considering he is WME’s Global Head of Music overseeing an agency roster that includes superstar clients like Adele, The Killers, Olivia Rodrigo, Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Hozier, Bruno Mars and Shakira among many others and he has a namesake dessert now being offered at the Washington, D.C. area’s Merriweather Post Pavilion: The Kirk’s Summer Sundae. It’s a delectable seasonal offering made of vanilla custard, chocolate sauce, whipped cream on a chocolate chip cookie—or brownie—with rainbow sprinkles and the cherry on top: A cherry on top.

“I was always interested in food and the restaurant business,” says Sommer when asked about his sundae.

Sommer sees an intrinsic connection between food and music. “Great kitchens have more in common with the music business than most would think,” he says. “Preparation, relentless execution. The customer is always the focus and you must always leave people wanting to come back for more. ”

The genesis of the idea, according to Seth Hurwitz, head of I.M.P., Washington D.C.’s preeminent independent promoter, was rather random. “It was at the 9:30 once, I don’t know if he ate there, but (Kirk’s) like, ‘I got an idea for a sandwich.’ Okay, great. Then he would send us the idea. And we’d be like, “All right. Thanks, Kirk.” But then he was really like, ‘You got to make my sandwich. I want you guys to make my sandwich.’ Okay. Fine. So we did it.”

Vertical integration for artists can also integrate for. “Then in each venue, he would want something in there,” says Hurwitz, referring to the I.M.P. venue portfolio which includes The 9:30 Club, The Anthem, The Lincoln Theater, The Atlantis, The Lincoln Theatre and Merriweather.

“At the time, I was like, “Great. We get Adele shows. You’ll get your Anthem item. And he did. And he has an Anthem item. Other agents will see that and they’ll be like, “How come Kirk has a Kirk Summer food item?” I’m like, “Cause he asked.” So it’s that random. That’s really it.”

Turns out, according to Sommer, getting food items named after him is something that’s happen multiple times, in markets that include L.A, Denver, New York as well as more in D.C. like “Captain Kirk’s Top Dog” at the Anthem. Other notable Sommer F&B items include “Kaptain Kirk’s Macho Nachos” at The Bill Graham Civic in San Francisco, “Kirk Sommer’s Fried Pickles,” “The El Kapitan Kirk Nachos” and “Kirk’s Killer Queso.”

Sommer, for his part, says the idea of having these eponymously named comestibles came from another person. “Someone just asked me to create a menu item,” he said.

“Some agents you buy cars for, some want a private jet account,” Hurwitz said with his usual humor. “Kirk just wanted a sundae named after him – I think we got off cheap.”