From running small club gigs at former Tauranga nightclub Illuminati, to organising sold-out music festivals at ASB Baypark Stadium – life has full come circle for Pato Alvarez and Mitch Lowe.
The duo and their companies, Pato Entertainment and Audiology, are working together to present the inaugural Mount Park Summer Series at Soper Reserve and the Bay Dreams multi-genre music festival at ASB Baypark Stadium this summer.
'We've been friends for about seven years now, and since we met we've both shared the same vision,” says Pato. 'It's crazy, we both have similar goals but went down different paths. Then after six years caught up again, talked about what we wanted to do and decided to work together.”
'I did shows at Pato's club in 2010; that's back when we were both doing similar things,” says Mitch. 'Then we went completely separate ways as Pato said, so it really has come back full circle for us.”
'I think the fact we went in different directions but are now working together and combining both our passions is why you're seeing a range of events like the summer series and Bay Dreams.”
The inaugural Mount Park Summer Series at Soper Reserve, which begins with the only New Zealand concert for American hip-hop and R‘n'B superstars Ja Rule, Ashanti and Chingy, is on tonight.
Bay Dreams is up next, with a warm-up party at ASB Baypark Arena on January 1, followed by the sold-out festival at ASB Baypark Stadium on January 2.
The Mount Park Summer Series continues with Beast of a Feast; a food, craft beer and music festival on January 3 before it's brought to a close with what will be one of the last performances by Australian indie-reggae rockers Sticky Fingers who've recently announced an indefinite hiatus.
Pato currently lives in the Mount, while Mitch has just recently moved himself and his company here from Sydney, Australia.
For the two promoters the goal is to make the Mount the place to be for concerts and entertainment featuring world class artists.
Needless to say they've got big plans for 2017 and beyond.
'Both Mitch and I and our crews combine and work really well. We've got a really good relationship, which is one of the reason why we're able to bring to the people such amazing shows,” says Pato.