And that's a wrap! Styx will be on stage for 35 more mins as I write this and it will be the end to the 2014 Iowa State Fair for us in the grandstand. It has honestly been one of the best fairs here that I've experienced. Of course there have been a few hiccups but that's expected. The key word is...FEW not many. :)
Today was the perfect day to end on. Super easy day working with Foreigner and Styx. It helps that I've worked with Styx so many times now but everyone was so nice from the stage managers all the way to the band. They were completely flexible and willing to work with the situations. They even ended up with two semis at the side of the stage, Foreigner's and an empty truck. They took Foreigner's equipment from the stage after their set, pulled it into the empty truck, put it in cases and then ramped and packed it into their truck. They made it work.
The most difficult part of the day is when I'm being pulled in multiple directions. I had to try and solve a ticketing issue, while dealing with a separate issue, a meet and greet and oh yeah, making sure the show got started. It ended up I was at the opposite end of the grandstand when it started. Thankfully they are pros and started right on time without a cue. We ended up doing the Styx meet and greet in between sets but I was dealing with multiple things at that time as well. With everything going on backstage, I never once made it in front of the stage. Judging by what I heard and the road of the 9000+ crowd, it was a killer show. Foreigner drove out during the Styx show to deadhead it to Ohio for a show tomorrow and Styx will be driving through the night for Nashville tomorrow. Each band will be doing over 600 miles to make it to the next gear. I know it's hard for me, 20+ hour days, pretty much on my feet and figuring issues left and right for many, many days in a row. These guys however have to pack up and move to a different location every day and do it all over again. I still don't think I could truly do a road gig.
Update on the phone :) Tracphone was a joke. It took over 5 hours for it to activate. By that time I had given up on that. A lovely friend had gotten a phone from a friend. I was hopeful that I could find a retailer for AT&T with a booth here at the fair and transfer everything to that phone. It was a Gen1 Iphone. It's UNBELIEVABLE how much they've changed! Unfortunately there was no such thing here and after a call to a store it appeared that I wasn't getting a phone. So now it's in real rice and we'll see if it's back to normal tomorrow. I will certainly be cautious of my phone in my back pocket from now on.
We all count down to the days of the fair being over. We're tired, physically and mentally drained but it's always sad. These people are friends and like I say I have little families all across the country. But we'll see each other next year, spend a few minutes catching up and the year we were apart flies by. I can't wait to see my Iowa family in 2015! Now back home to be at the Kentucky State Fair for a few days! I haven't been there in six years. I'm ready to go back to where this crazy journey all began. Then I'll head to Lubbock for the South Plains Fair to continue the Mud and Dust Tour 7.0.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Lady Antebellum-Billy Currington-Kelsey K
Ugh, what a day! I was really looking forward to this day because I LOVE Lady Antebellum. But it also meant we had the demolition derby on the same day. Sad face. It rained last night so the track was a muddy mess. There was literally mud everywhere. Trampled through the bathrooms, through catering, dressing rooms you name it. Plus all of the rednecks were weaving between the buses, dressing room areas, and all over the place. To the point that Hillary jumped off her bus and freaked out because there were so many people around. They were taking pictures and tweeting all morning that they were so close to Lady A's buses. Either way 3:00PM rolled around and we were able to shoo them out and move the stage. Our world became sane again....well as sane as it can be.
Because of the mud and having to run back and forth it made the day pass by quickly. We had a few minor fires to put out and again resulted in me needing to be in three places at once. Getting the opening act, the talented Miss Kelsey K on stage to start the show and coordinating the meet and greet for Lady A. Then the inevitable happened. I dropped my phone in water...in the toilet to be exact. I've always been afraid that I'd drop a radio in because they sit on the back of my waistband. Nope, my phone was in my mophie charger and slipped right out and plink. Instantly dried it off but we didn't have any water. So it's been sitting in some drying agent, the kind that's used to clean up puke on a school bus. ;) I've bought a tracfone that I've spent an hour trying to set up to no avail. I just need a phone to get me through tomorrow! I can travel without a phone and get home and to the At&t store on Monday. EERRGGG!
Anyway, on to what you really want to know. Yes, Billy Currington kicks butt and Lady A is all that. I didn't get to watch Billy's show from the front but it sounded great from the back. Kelsey did an amazing job warming up the 10,000+ crowd and then Billy comes walking out, barefoot and on to the stage. He even walked through mud and gravel which was kind of weird if you ask me. I have always been a huge fan of Lady A. I worked with them when they first started touring at the South Florida Fair. They weren't anywhere near where they are now but they continue to put on an amazing show. Everyone in their camp is sooo nice and worked well together. As our production guy put it, everyone played nice in the sandbox today. They had this gorgeous HD video screen on the stage that showed IMAG and some of the music videos. I was able to watch about 20mins of their show because have to go back and cue the fireworks. Which entailed running through the mud back to the fireworks guys to tell them they were finishing early....because of course...I couldn't text them as usual. ERRG. ;)
All in all, even with the frustrations of the Demo Derby and the phone it was a really great day. I can't wait to see what Lady A will be like the next time I work with them!
**And yes, I don't have any pictures because....of the toilet. :)
Because of the mud and having to run back and forth it made the day pass by quickly. We had a few minor fires to put out and again resulted in me needing to be in three places at once. Getting the opening act, the talented Miss Kelsey K on stage to start the show and coordinating the meet and greet for Lady A. Then the inevitable happened. I dropped my phone in water...in the toilet to be exact. I've always been afraid that I'd drop a radio in because they sit on the back of my waistband. Nope, my phone was in my mophie charger and slipped right out and plink. Instantly dried it off but we didn't have any water. So it's been sitting in some drying agent, the kind that's used to clean up puke on a school bus. ;) I've bought a tracfone that I've spent an hour trying to set up to no avail. I just need a phone to get me through tomorrow! I can travel without a phone and get home and to the At&t store on Monday. EERRGGG!
Anyway, on to what you really want to know. Yes, Billy Currington kicks butt and Lady A is all that. I didn't get to watch Billy's show from the front but it sounded great from the back. Kelsey did an amazing job warming up the 10,000+ crowd and then Billy comes walking out, barefoot and on to the stage. He even walked through mud and gravel which was kind of weird if you ask me. I have always been a huge fan of Lady A. I worked with them when they first started touring at the South Florida Fair. They weren't anywhere near where they are now but they continue to put on an amazing show. Everyone in their camp is sooo nice and worked well together. As our production guy put it, everyone played nice in the sandbox today. They had this gorgeous HD video screen on the stage that showed IMAG and some of the music videos. I was able to watch about 20mins of their show because have to go back and cue the fireworks. Which entailed running through the mud back to the fireworks guys to tell them they were finishing early....because of course...I couldn't text them as usual. ERRG. ;)
All in all, even with the frustrations of the Demo Derby and the phone it was a really great day. I can't wait to see what Lady A will be like the next time I work with them!
**And yes, I don't have any pictures because....of the toilet. :)
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Chevelle/Halestorm/Saville Row
Easy, easy day today. I only wish it would have started later. My phone started ringing at 5:30AM with folks rolling in. I was on site at 7:30AM and didn't stop. I hit a wall about 10AM but it turned out to be a busy and good day. We had rain from the minute of arrival. It was mainly a drizzle most of the rain with a few minutes of harder rain. Fortunately, there were no storms, heavy winds and such. But I did go buy a new pair of cute rain shoes at the fair, just in case. =)
I knew today would be a fairly easy day. Neither band had an elaborate setup. We didn't have to rig any tour lighting. Both acts were amazing to work with! We had an opening band that wasn't here most of the day and were easy to point in the right direction so they didn't take much babysitting. The tour managers for both acts were super great to work with. We knew this was going to be more of a harder rock show than the rest of our lineup. In turn the crowd would be a little harder as well. That proved to be true. The beer was flowing and so were the fists. That's all expected I suppose.
I spent the majority of the Halestorm show watching from the front of house platform. They are a freaking amazing band. If you haven't heard them you need to. Their live show is even better. They have a female front woman that has super pipes. Her brother is the drummer and he kicks butt just as much. I had several people come up and say it's the best band we've had all week. I worked with them in 2011 at the South Plains Fair and that's when I became a fan. They have only gotten bigger and better since then. This is a band that will be big time soon. Lzzy, the lead singer has even broken into the country scene performing with Eric Church and others and even touring with him this summer. I can't WAIT to see where they go.
Chevelle is not necessarily my cup of tea, I just don't like hard rock music, but the crowd loved them. They had a huge light show that was definitely different but brings the 'rock' feel. I felt like I was watching the lights not the 'show'. I couldn't really take pictures because of that either. One of the best parts was standing backstage and watching everyone's reactions when the fireworks went off. Some were caught off guard but they loved it.
Only two more days left and we're hoping to get lucky with the weather again.
I knew today would be a fairly easy day. Neither band had an elaborate setup. We didn't have to rig any tour lighting. Both acts were amazing to work with! We had an opening band that wasn't here most of the day and were easy to point in the right direction so they didn't take much babysitting. The tour managers for both acts were super great to work with. We knew this was going to be more of a harder rock show than the rest of our lineup. In turn the crowd would be a little harder as well. That proved to be true. The beer was flowing and so were the fists. That's all expected I suppose.
I spent the majority of the Halestorm show watching from the front of house platform. They are a freaking amazing band. If you haven't heard them you need to. Their live show is even better. They have a female front woman that has super pipes. Her brother is the drummer and he kicks butt just as much. I had several people come up and say it's the best band we've had all week. I worked with them in 2011 at the South Plains Fair and that's when I became a fan. They have only gotten bigger and better since then. This is a band that will be big time soon. Lzzy, the lead singer has even broken into the country scene performing with Eric Church and others and even touring with him this summer. I can't WAIT to see where they go.
Only two more days left and we're hoping to get lucky with the weather again.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Jake Owen-Eli Young Band-The Cadillac Three
Well I can tell we're nearing the end because I'm exhausted and completely over everything. Although, today was a really great day for the most part. I knew most of who I would be working with and really enjoy working with both Jake Owen and Eli Young Band.
It completely made my morning when Mike Ely, one of the lead singers of EYB came in for breakfast and came over to say hi with a big hug. I've done several shows with them and our company has done a ton them. All of the guys are just great!
The day was really almost completely seamless from my prospective. The stage was a little hectic because the setup was huge. They had what pretty much looked like a beach setup; tiki bars, a dock, etc. They were ready for a beach party and that's the party the crowd got. I had to deal with some issues; pissed off reporter, broken keyboard, settlement, security issues, etc. so about all I caught of the entire show was about 10mins of EYB. It wouldn't have mattered anyway because they had so many guests on the front of house platform I would even be able to watch anyway. Now there is a massive probably 50 person party going on in the bus compound, lights, music, fun and they aren't leaving until 2AM. So I'm a little crabby. :)
But in funnier news. The midnight bandits struck Tuesday night. See the evidence below. We were even featured on the local CW morning news. They talked about what happened and what it was and that they know that the people that put on the fair need to have fun too. 'Kudos to the Midnight Bandits' the anchor said. Funniest thing I've seen or done in a long time. This one certainly took some extra help but this one goes down in the books!
It completely made my morning when Mike Ely, one of the lead singers of EYB came in for breakfast and came over to say hi with a big hug. I've done several shows with them and our company has done a ton them. All of the guys are just great!
The day was really almost completely seamless from my prospective. The stage was a little hectic because the setup was huge. They had what pretty much looked like a beach setup; tiki bars, a dock, etc. They were ready for a beach party and that's the party the crowd got. I had to deal with some issues; pissed off reporter, broken keyboard, settlement, security issues, etc. so about all I caught of the entire show was about 10mins of EYB. It wouldn't have mattered anyway because they had so many guests on the front of house platform I would even be able to watch anyway. Now there is a massive probably 50 person party going on in the bus compound, lights, music, fun and they aren't leaving until 2AM. So I'm a little crabby. :)
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| Jake Owen and members of Cadillac Three and Eli Young Band at the end of the show |
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Florida Georgia Line-Colt Ford
What a freakin' kick butt day! Huge show with some amazing people so I knew I was in for a great day. We had already sold the majority of the reserved seats and the fair was planning to open standing room only seats today. We ended up selling over 600 on top of the 10,000+ seats that had already sold. Imagine the energy from 11,000+ people! The day was super easy. I had worked with these guys last year at the New York State Fair so it's like friends coming back. I worked with Colt and crew at the Strawberry Festival in March. I even had a few minutes to hike across the fairgrounds to see my friend Leroy and Gladys Van Dyke and the Country Gold Tour. Actually Billy Dean was performing with them and has come over to our compound to hang out with the FGL boys tonight. It's hilarious to see the "new" guys freak out about one of the legends wanting to hang out with them.
One of my favorite parts of this job is having a sold out show and the people flooding in, hearing the roar of the crowd but to top it off is having an incredible show. Tonight was that perfect combination. I could have sat and watched the entire show, singing and dancing if I had the opportunity. I did take advantage of it for a few minutes at least. Fortunately I was able to get some great pictures. The guys, while some don't think they're country...it's because they're not. They're 'new' country. That's how it is. A bit of pop, a little of country and a whole lot of rock. I cannot wait to see them reach the top and hope they stay there for a long time...and that I get to work with them again. :)
One of my favorite parts of this job is having a sold out show and the people flooding in, hearing the roar of the crowd but to top it off is having an incredible show. Tonight was that perfect combination. I could have sat and watched the entire show, singing and dancing if I had the opportunity. I did take advantage of it for a few minutes at least. Fortunately I was able to get some great pictures. The guys, while some don't think they're country...it's because they're not. They're 'new' country. That's how it is. A bit of pop, a little of country and a whole lot of rock. I cannot wait to see them reach the top and hope they stay there for a long time...and that I get to work with them again. :)
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| Colt Ford getting the crowd warmed up |
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| The fair manager, Gary Slater even enjoyed a few minutes |
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| Grandstand lit up |
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Duck Dynasty- Willie, Korie and Si
Today was a blast, especially considering I didn't have to be here until close to 4PM. I went for a run and moseyed on over. We were going to have some of the stars of Duck Dynasty and let's face it...the best ones. I was actually excited to meet them. I don't know why I never get star struck but only with reality stars. Willie and Korie arrived first. They had been out filming and Si was due to arrive by private jet about an hour later. On this show they decided to bring a band along. An acoustic show with two guitar and one bass. We had a general idea of how the show would work but I was told that nothing was confirmed until Willie approved it. Well that didn't happen until he was on the ground and talking with the band. So about an hour and half before the show we figured out how it was going to work. The band goes out a little before the show starts and plays some warm up music, then during the song boondocks Willie comes out and starts singing. Then Willie gives a little speech about family, faith, etc and ends up bringing out Korie and Si while to sing songs as well. Actually Si and Korie ended up dancing during the first song they were out on. They talked for a little bit longer as the band left the stage. Then a local DJ came out and did a Q&A with the group. Anywhere from 'do you wish there were things that hadn't been aired that were' or 'do you feel like having the show has changed your family' or 'is Si really that weird'. All questions asked from fans on the radio stations facebook page. It was fantastic. I had a great time watching show.
Willie was super nice. He's extremely smart and knows what he's talking about. He's very personable as is Korie. Si, when talking to face to face was very quiet but on stage he was just a 'normal' as he appears on the show. And he never let go of his tea cup. From the time he got out of the plane, when he was on stage, sitting in the dressing room, to walking to the car to leave; his tea cup was in hand. Some of the time he had his jug of tea. When he first got on a stage and was telling a story he spilled it down his shirt. He said "well darn I've spilled my tea....and it's COOLLLDD!". Too funny. The show ended up being very funny and put together.
Apparently the midway provider had tweeted that they had 'Willie' Ducks. Willie saw it and asked that they bring one to him...so they did!
Willie was super nice. He's extremely smart and knows what he's talking about. He's very personable as is Korie. Si, when talking to face to face was very quiet but on stage he was just a 'normal' as he appears on the show. And he never let go of his tea cup. From the time he got out of the plane, when he was on stage, sitting in the dressing room, to walking to the car to leave; his tea cup was in hand. Some of the time he had his jug of tea. When he first got on a stage and was telling a story he spilled it down his shirt. He said "well darn I've spilled my tea....and it's COOLLLDD!". Too funny. The show ended up being very funny and put together.
Apparently the midway provider had tweeted that they had 'Willie' Ducks. Willie saw it and asked that they bring one to him...so they did!
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| Told you he had his tea cup everywhere |
Goo Goo Dolls/Daughtry/Plain White T's
Whew, I'm not used to these long days yet after being in the office for a bit. I should know better than to stay up until 2AM the night before a big show but too much fun is to be had. Some may remember our escapades with golf carts over the past couple of years. We didn't take any time to start. We took it the first night of the fair to hide it and the driver (whom shall remain nameless to protect his identity) drove it into the muddy track and got it stuck. As I was going to rescue him, I got stuck. They had to pull it out with a tractor the next morning. So last night we had planned to plant smoke bombs under his semi as he was hooking the cab up to move it. Unfortunately, the bombs were duds. We waited an hour and half to do that and it failed. But alas, we couldn't leave without something happening. So we propped his cart on a small piece of wood. The perfect size that when the gas was pressed, the wheels just spun. It took him two hard presses on the gas to realize something was wrong. After several looks, he found the wood and just laughed. We hadn't stuck around for that but got to see the video aftermath. We have now coined ourselves as the 'midnight bandits'. We even left a sign behind last night to 'mark' the cart. We'll see if I can actually stay up tonight to do anything.
This morning I woke straight up at 6:30A before my alarm and realized I had missed three calls from the Daughtry truck driver. Thankfully, he was just letting me know he was arriving and asking for security to meet him (per my instructions anyway, just wish it was at 5:00AM). I had the phone on vibrate. I guess I'll need to be double checking that from now on.
I made it to the grounds by 7:45A since the tour was supposed to arrive between 8:00AM and 9:00AM. The majority of them didn't arrive until almost 10AM. I was already ready for a nap by then. We had three different bands, which means three different production managers, three different tour managers, a couple of assistants and even a chef. Try keeping all of those names and faces and duties straight. Fortunately, it only took me a half hour to figure it out. I feel like I have not stopped moving since 7:00AM. They had 6 runners running all the time, laundry, grocery, pharmacy, shoe store, Walmart, liquor store (I think 3 different times) and so much other.
When it came to be show time, in a normal situation with three bands, I was being pulled in two different directions. Goo Goo Dolls meet and greet needed to happen but then Daughtry had an issue with a fan that I needed to assist with relocating. I ran up and back from the grandstand at least 3 times in a 30min period. We had a really good crowd. The biggest one so far this year and they loved the show. I recognized more of Daughtry's songs than Goo Goo Dolls.
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| Plain White T's |
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| Think we could add something else to the stage? #stagetoosmall |
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| Goo Goo Dolls |
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| Goo Goo Dolls |
Looking forward to a SUPER easy day tomorrow. We don't start until 3:30PM and I have have to wrangle three ducks....three stars of Duck Dynasty that is.
Steps today were: 15,096!
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| Makeshift drying rack (aka frames for sponsor banners for races) |
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| Guest star lighting director- they saw them at the carnival and just had to have |
Friday, August 8, 2014
Happy Together Tour
Tonight's show consisted of some of the greatest entertainers from the 60's and 70's era. Fortunately, they are extremely low maintenance and carry a lot of fluff so our day was a breeze. I even got to get a run in this morning before I had to be on the grounds. I was shocked by the amount of people pouring into the fairgrounds so early on a Friday morning/afternoon. This fair to some is the two week vacation they've been waiting all year for. Good, family friendly, entertainment.
The lineup of this show originally consisted of Gary Lewis of the Playboys, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Gary US Bonds, Chuck Negron; formerly of Three Dog Night and the Turtles. Straight from the bell bottom, tie dyed, psychedelic days. They have one band that backs everyone and they even all come out at the end (starting over from the beginning as Eddie says) and singing Happy Together, well together. I had the unfortunate news as soon as they arrived that due to unforeseen circumstances Gary Lewis wasn't going to be able to make it to the show. So we went into recon mode, offering refunds for those that wanted it and making sure that the public was aware of the situation. Fortunately, with a show of a group of people like this it doesn't hurt as bad as a day where it's two separate acts and one cancels. Some folks were probably just as happy to see the rest of the groups. There were a few though that got their refund and didn't see the show. So obviously Gary Lewis has a couple dozen exclusive fans in Iowa.
Even with the change it all worked out to be fine. Except for one small problem. The Turtles were supposed to stretch out their set and add a song to gain some of the time that was lost with Gary leaving. They still wanted to give the same length of show to their fans (even though the fans have no clue how long the show was supposed to be to begin with). However...they forgot. LOL I guess that's what happens when your prime was in the 60's. Who am I kidding, these guys are in the prime of their genre now. They will have been on tour for 4 months straight when they finally make it home. But everyone here had a fabulous time. They even had a dance party in front of the stage. I didn't think I'd have to worry about a mosh pit on oldies night. :)
Steps today: 12,909. Need to 'step' it up tomorrow.
The lineup of this show originally consisted of Gary Lewis of the Playboys, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Gary US Bonds, Chuck Negron; formerly of Three Dog Night and the Turtles. Straight from the bell bottom, tie dyed, psychedelic days. They have one band that backs everyone and they even all come out at the end (starting over from the beginning as Eddie says) and singing Happy Together, well together. I had the unfortunate news as soon as they arrived that due to unforeseen circumstances Gary Lewis wasn't going to be able to make it to the show. So we went into recon mode, offering refunds for those that wanted it and making sure that the public was aware of the situation. Fortunately, with a show of a group of people like this it doesn't hurt as bad as a day where it's two separate acts and one cancels. Some folks were probably just as happy to see the rest of the groups. There were a few though that got their refund and didn't see the show. So obviously Gary Lewis has a couple dozen exclusive fans in Iowa.
Even with the change it all worked out to be fine. Except for one small problem. The Turtles were supposed to stretch out their set and add a song to gain some of the time that was lost with Gary leaving. They still wanted to give the same length of show to their fans (even though the fans have no clue how long the show was supposed to be to begin with). However...they forgot. LOL I guess that's what happens when your prime was in the 60's. Who am I kidding, these guys are in the prime of their genre now. They will have been on tour for 4 months straight when they finally make it home. But everyone here had a fabulous time. They even had a dance party in front of the stage. I didn't think I'd have to worry about a mosh pit on oldies night. :)
Newsboys/Matthew West
I was debating on whether to start the blog up for this year. But after several people asking about it I figured, what the heck. Even if one of you actually reads it and enjoys it, it's worth it.
Tuesday I had an easy peasy trip from Louisville (where I had been parked for several months working on contracts, advancing, booking 2015 :)) to Des Moines to begin the Mud and Dust Tour 7.0. Yes, this is my seventh summer of being on the road and doing what I love. It's amazing that it's been so long. I think of all the great people I've met, fantastic concerts I've seen (and wish I'd seen) and all in all finding my love for the business and my career. It has certainly been a fun journey thus far.
Today, Day 1 of the Iowa State Fair we started with rain. It actually rained about 1.5" last night. Which meant the track that the buses have to cross was a sloppy, sticky, grease pit mess. Needless to say the support acts bus didn't even attempt it. I don't blame him because I would've hated to tell that driver how difficult it is getting the mud off your shoes, let alone a tour bus. It continued to rain, mist, sprinkle the entire day. In true Des Moines fashion about 5PM the sun was peaking through and we were on the dry side. With a couple of sprinkles during the show, including a panic of having to cover the front of house area as to not get the boards wet, we made it through unscathed.
I can't tell you all how blessed I am to work with the great team here at this fair. I don't have to worry about something happening. Half the time before I think of it they've already handled it. For being the first day you would have thought we'd be half way through with as well as everything was "together".
Now on to the good stuff. Matthew West, download it, listen to it, feel it. This guy is the real deal. Two #1 hits and holding the record for holding the #1 spot right now for 17 weeks. He is an absolute sweetheart. He even did a separate meet and greet for some folks that are going through a teen outreach program. I had the opportunity to talk with his Dad a while and they are obviously just the nicest family.
Newsboys are so cool. Just such people person and you can tell they just want to be up their sharing their story through music. They actually have a rotating drum riser. Like I'm not kidding the drummer is lifting, tilted sideways and then rotated. I have waited probably 5 years to see this because every show I've done with them has been a fly date and they haven't had their gear. I was ecstatic when I found out they would have it here (there truck originally wasn't going to make the trip). So guess where I was when it happened....
IN THE BATHROOM. Couldn't believe it! Guess I'll have to catch their show at the Kentucky State Fair.
On another note I walked 13,546 steps today. yippee! Guess it helped with the Deep Fried Milky Way...oh yes, I did and it was AMAZING!
Tuesday I had an easy peasy trip from Louisville (where I had been parked for several months working on contracts, advancing, booking 2015 :)) to Des Moines to begin the Mud and Dust Tour 7.0. Yes, this is my seventh summer of being on the road and doing what I love. It's amazing that it's been so long. I think of all the great people I've met, fantastic concerts I've seen (and wish I'd seen) and all in all finding my love for the business and my career. It has certainly been a fun journey thus far.
Today, Day 1 of the Iowa State Fair we started with rain. It actually rained about 1.5" last night. Which meant the track that the buses have to cross was a sloppy, sticky, grease pit mess. Needless to say the support acts bus didn't even attempt it. I don't blame him because I would've hated to tell that driver how difficult it is getting the mud off your shoes, let alone a tour bus. It continued to rain, mist, sprinkle the entire day. In true Des Moines fashion about 5PM the sun was peaking through and we were on the dry side. With a couple of sprinkles during the show, including a panic of having to cover the front of house area as to not get the boards wet, we made it through unscathed.
I can't tell you all how blessed I am to work with the great team here at this fair. I don't have to worry about something happening. Half the time before I think of it they've already handled it. For being the first day you would have thought we'd be half way through with as well as everything was "together".
Now on to the good stuff. Matthew West, download it, listen to it, feel it. This guy is the real deal. Two #1 hits and holding the record for holding the #1 spot right now for 17 weeks. He is an absolute sweetheart. He even did a separate meet and greet for some folks that are going through a teen outreach program. I had the opportunity to talk with his Dad a while and they are obviously just the nicest family.
Newsboys are so cool. Just such people person and you can tell they just want to be up their sharing their story through music. They actually have a rotating drum riser. Like I'm not kidding the drummer is lifting, tilted sideways and then rotated. I have waited probably 5 years to see this because every show I've done with them has been a fly date and they haven't had their gear. I was ecstatic when I found out they would have it here (there truck originally wasn't going to make the trip). So guess where I was when it happened....
IN THE BATHROOM. Couldn't believe it! Guess I'll have to catch their show at the Kentucky State Fair.
On another note I walked 13,546 steps today. yippee! Guess it helped with the Deep Fried Milky Way...oh yes, I did and it was AMAZING!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
That dreadful flight on a tarmac somewhere in Texas.
I can't say I'm a traveling guru but in the limited time I spend traveling from year to year I've certainly learned a thing or two. I can still remember one of the first times I flew solo and my how much has changed since then. I never really get nervous about layovers or changes in travel but sometimes I do become more relaxed and forget to cautious of things going haywire. This year after my 'Mud and Dust Tour' had officially came to a close I was looking forward to just getting home! All summer I had my fingers crossed that something would happen and give me the opportunity to get "bumped" from a flight. Typically when an airline asks for volunteers because of an over booked or over weight flight they'll give you a voucher worth $200+ that can be used toward another flight. I thought, 'hey, I'm really not in a rush to get somewhere and only have to hang around for a few hours I'll take that!". As each trip and flight went by the offer never came.
Flashback to Sunday September 29th. I'm leaving Lubbock, TX after 9 days of fun with concerts and friends. After being on the road for almost two months the exhaustion was finally catching up with me. I started the morning with a "goodbye" breakfast with the girls, rushed around to clean out the office, tell the staff goodbye and return the rental van. My friend, Jan dropped me at the airport. As I near the ticket agent I see that the flight has been delayed. I can't help but admit I thought this was going to be my ticket to that voucher. The flight was supposed to leave at 11:50A but was delayed to 12:20P. My layover in Dallas was over three hours so I knew I wasn't going to have any trouble there. Actually I had just complained that morning about how long the layover was going to be. The gate agent was communicating well about when the plane was due and warning us all to "be ready" because as soon as it landed they were boarding that thing and leaving. Sure enough we were on the plane, in the air and I was knocked out cold before the plane even took off.
When I awoke from my nap I realized we weren't going anywhere. As I peek out the window we were seriously going in circles. The pilot comes on to tell us that DFW (Dallas) has informed them that they are not allowed to land. He said, "they haven't given us a reason why so we're going to circle for a little while longer." After about 30mins of this and one more similar announcement they came on to say we were being diverted to Austin. The pilot "assumed" it was due to weather. I assumed the President was flying over and messing all the transport up. After landing in Austin we were in for a treat.
1:50PM- Flight is diverted to Austin
We were given a phone number to call to see about rebooking our connections. At this point I still had some time to waste before my connection was in jeopardy. That is if they planned on getting us in within two hours. I went through the menu of selections to finally speak to someone. At this point we're all frustrated because they can't even tell use why we aren't able to get into DFW. The lady on the other end didn't find my sarastic humor as humorous as I did. I know I told her "no mamm, we're being held hostage on a plane on a tarmac in Austin. I don't know why they won't let us get into DFW." I was informed since the airport still had "a hold" of my reservation she could do nothing with it. I.e. she couldn't reschedule my flight and put me on the later flight. She also had no confirmed information on why all of this was happening other than there was "predicted" weather. So basically she was telling me that we were literally on top of the airport and weren't allowed to land because of the prediction of a storm. I would have rather been sitting on the tarmac in DFW for that.
Soon after they allowed passengers that were flying to three specific locations to exit the plane. The flight attendents brought out snack and water for those of us left behind. Yay for cheese its and bottled water.
2:50PM We were told that the groundstop (aka no flights in or out of DFW) had been lifted and we would be leaving soon. That would have been just in time to more than likely make my connection. But just as soon as they told us that they said that it had been reissued until 3:30PM. The flight attendant came through to show us a radar on his tablet so we were aware of the storm/s that were passing through Dallas. It did end up being a pretty nasty storm. I had pulled out my laptop so 1) I could charge my phone that was sucking the battery with all the texting, radar viewing and facebooking I was doing and 2) so I could actually get some work done.
3:30PM Ground stop was lifted, engines were fired up and we were making our way to the take off strip. We were second in a line of four planes that were in the same situation. We started going slower and slower and realized that the first plane was stopped. Sure enough, groundstop was reinstated until 4:30PM. At this point I've looked and know that my original connection flight had left. They took us back to our original location on tarmac. The one fortunate thing about this was that the flight was about half full so we all pretty much had a row of seats to ourselves. There four other passengers in my surrounding area. We all became buddies and couldn't help but laugh at the situation. We were all going in different directions and all had different "life stories" but we had one thing in common, we were being held hostage by American Airlines.
The flight attendants started to offer more snacks and beverages. It didn't take us long to realize the booze were on that cart and they happily offered that as well. Knowing what was ahead I would have stocked up.
4:30PM The groundstop reissued yet again and they took us to the jetway. We were given an option, get off the plane or not. If we got off the plane we were terminating that flight and would have to wait for a flight out of Austin to DFW or our final destination. All which would more than likely be the next day. If we stayed on the plane and they shut the door it would be three more hours before they had to open the door again. Yes, we could have been stuck for three more hours if we weren't allowed to leave for DFW in that timeframe. Our 5 musketeers decided we were in it for the long haul and were going to take our chances of getting into DFW that night. Now had they given us the option for a free nights stay and partying at 6th St we would have stayed in Austin. However, it would have been much easier to get a flight out of Dallas. I think the first class passengers might have been complaining because they soon said everyone had to get off the flight and once we're able to leave we would all reboard.
At this point we had no clue when the next time we were going to be allowed to eat. I wasn't even hungry but wasn't going to risk not getting to eat for another 3+ hours. As soon as I finished dinner and a friendly conversation with a few of the musketeers they told us it was time to get back on the plane...we were leaving! As soon as we got back on the flight we all started calling the 800# they gave us when we first got there. Hope was that there were still flights that could get us out that night. As I spoke to probably the slowest person at AA every one else was either rebooked or some even changed their destination. My neighbor switched her flight to Omaha from Des Moines and her husband was going to drive the two hours to pick her up. I was considering which would be easier wait for a flight to SDF or go to Indy or Cincinnati and drive home. My rep told me the first available flight she could get me on was 12:45P the next day, would connect through Chicago and not get to Louisville until 7:40PM Sunday night. I was so furious at this point. Had the rebooked me when I called 3.5hours before I could have been on the 7:45AM direct flight. Oddly enough I think my musketeers were even more upset. One even said, "Hey isn't Louisville the UPS hub? We'll just pack you up and overnight you...it will be quicker and cheaper!" He was also the one that asked if I could cry on command because that would help when I spoke to the ticket agent in DFW.
5:50PM We finally departed for Dallas. The claps and cheers from all aboard were comical to say the least as the plane went airborne.
6:45PM We landed in Dallas and were told there wasn't a gate available. Yet another 30min wait on a tarmac. We did see this lovely piece that apparently was just dropped and no one was bothering to pick it up. I wonder if it ever made it to it's owner.
They told us there was a gate available, we moved, and psych, no there wasn't. I got up to go to the bathroom. As I come out one of the attendants is sitting in his seat between the bathrooms, gives me a scowling look and says, "please get in your seat. We might miss our gate because of you." Oddly enough, one of the 5 musketeers was in the next bathroom and the flight attendant was banging on the door. Either we really did force them to lose the gate or the gate really wasn't ready because we sat there yet another 15mins.
After finally getting off that dreadful plane we all went our separate ways. I was pushing to the ticket counter to discuss other options for a flight the next day. I was going to find any opportunity to leave earlier than 12:45PM. This forced me to "leave" the airport and would mean the option of sleeping in the airport to be void. The ticket agent informed me that I could go on standby the next morning for the 7:45AM flight that would be direct to Louisville. Being the second person on standby meant I did stand a shot. After all this my consolation prize was a travel "spa kit" with a 1 cent razor, baby toothbrush and a small packet of toothpaste. I was thankful and pissed at the same time.
Going back to the initial part of this blog about knowing how to deal with issues on the fly...I went to the phone bank where several hotels were listed. Called a few and found the best rate and asked them to send the shuttle. A half hour later I was on my way to a lovely hotel. The shuttle driver even took me to Target so I could get a change of clothes and additional toiletry items. In that same note from the beginning I mentioned not being as prepared for chaos. I stopped packing a change of clothes and toiletry items once they started strictly regulating what you're able to bring in your carry on.
After my trip to Target and a lovely meal from Whataburger I was ready for bed and the next day. When I entered the airport the next day I saw stacks and stacks of cots and even some still resting in every corner you saw. I felt extremely lucky to have great bosses that give me the opportunity to stay in a hotel instead of a crash pad in the airport. I was certainly elated to hear my name be called from the standby list. I was on that early flight and heading home!
What did American Airlines do because of all of this you ask? They got me home safely. I guess that's all I could ask for. No they didn't pay for the hotel room, no they didn't pay for food. But we had some of the nicest flight attendants and pilots and that's what kept us all sane. I sure hope the other 4 musketeers made it safely; one that missed a football game, one getting home to her family, one that was possibly going to loose their job if they didn't make it to CA by a specific time and one that was in the same boat as me...just ready to get home!
Flashback to Sunday September 29th. I'm leaving Lubbock, TX after 9 days of fun with concerts and friends. After being on the road for almost two months the exhaustion was finally catching up with me. I started the morning with a "goodbye" breakfast with the girls, rushed around to clean out the office, tell the staff goodbye and return the rental van. My friend, Jan dropped me at the airport. As I near the ticket agent I see that the flight has been delayed. I can't help but admit I thought this was going to be my ticket to that voucher. The flight was supposed to leave at 11:50A but was delayed to 12:20P. My layover in Dallas was over three hours so I knew I wasn't going to have any trouble there. Actually I had just complained that morning about how long the layover was going to be. The gate agent was communicating well about when the plane was due and warning us all to "be ready" because as soon as it landed they were boarding that thing and leaving. Sure enough we were on the plane, in the air and I was knocked out cold before the plane even took off.
When I awoke from my nap I realized we weren't going anywhere. As I peek out the window we were seriously going in circles. The pilot comes on to tell us that DFW (Dallas) has informed them that they are not allowed to land. He said, "they haven't given us a reason why so we're going to circle for a little while longer." After about 30mins of this and one more similar announcement they came on to say we were being diverted to Austin. The pilot "assumed" it was due to weather. I assumed the President was flying over and messing all the transport up. After landing in Austin we were in for a treat.
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| At least the view was pretty as we circled |
We were given a phone number to call to see about rebooking our connections. At this point I still had some time to waste before my connection was in jeopardy. That is if they planned on getting us in within two hours. I went through the menu of selections to finally speak to someone. At this point we're all frustrated because they can't even tell use why we aren't able to get into DFW. The lady on the other end didn't find my sarastic humor as humorous as I did. I know I told her "no mamm, we're being held hostage on a plane on a tarmac in Austin. I don't know why they won't let us get into DFW." I was informed since the airport still had "a hold" of my reservation she could do nothing with it. I.e. she couldn't reschedule my flight and put me on the later flight. She also had no confirmed information on why all of this was happening other than there was "predicted" weather. So basically she was telling me that we were literally on top of the airport and weren't allowed to land because of the prediction of a storm. I would have rather been sitting on the tarmac in DFW for that.
Soon after they allowed passengers that were flying to three specific locations to exit the plane. The flight attendents brought out snack and water for those of us left behind. Yay for cheese its and bottled water.
2:50PM We were told that the groundstop (aka no flights in or out of DFW) had been lifted and we would be leaving soon. That would have been just in time to more than likely make my connection. But just as soon as they told us that they said that it had been reissued until 3:30PM. The flight attendant came through to show us a radar on his tablet so we were aware of the storm/s that were passing through Dallas. It did end up being a pretty nasty storm. I had pulled out my laptop so 1) I could charge my phone that was sucking the battery with all the texting, radar viewing and facebooking I was doing and 2) so I could actually get some work done.
3:30PM Ground stop was lifted, engines were fired up and we were making our way to the take off strip. We were second in a line of four planes that were in the same situation. We started going slower and slower and realized that the first plane was stopped. Sure enough, groundstop was reinstated until 4:30PM. At this point I've looked and know that my original connection flight had left. They took us back to our original location on tarmac. The one fortunate thing about this was that the flight was about half full so we all pretty much had a row of seats to ourselves. There four other passengers in my surrounding area. We all became buddies and couldn't help but laugh at the situation. We were all going in different directions and all had different "life stories" but we had one thing in common, we were being held hostage by American Airlines.
The flight attendants started to offer more snacks and beverages. It didn't take us long to realize the booze were on that cart and they happily offered that as well. Knowing what was ahead I would have stocked up.
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| No they weren't mixed |
4:30PM The groundstop reissued yet again and they took us to the jetway. We were given an option, get off the plane or not. If we got off the plane we were terminating that flight and would have to wait for a flight out of Austin to DFW or our final destination. All which would more than likely be the next day. If we stayed on the plane and they shut the door it would be three more hours before they had to open the door again. Yes, we could have been stuck for three more hours if we weren't allowed to leave for DFW in that timeframe. Our 5 musketeers decided we were in it for the long haul and were going to take our chances of getting into DFW that night. Now had they given us the option for a free nights stay and partying at 6th St we would have stayed in Austin. However, it would have been much easier to get a flight out of Dallas. I think the first class passengers might have been complaining because they soon said everyone had to get off the flight and once we're able to leave we would all reboard.
At this point we had no clue when the next time we were going to be allowed to eat. I wasn't even hungry but wasn't going to risk not getting to eat for another 3+ hours. As soon as I finished dinner and a friendly conversation with a few of the musketeers they told us it was time to get back on the plane...we were leaving! As soon as we got back on the flight we all started calling the 800# they gave us when we first got there. Hope was that there were still flights that could get us out that night. As I spoke to probably the slowest person at AA every one else was either rebooked or some even changed their destination. My neighbor switched her flight to Omaha from Des Moines and her husband was going to drive the two hours to pick her up. I was considering which would be easier wait for a flight to SDF or go to Indy or Cincinnati and drive home. My rep told me the first available flight she could get me on was 12:45P the next day, would connect through Chicago and not get to Louisville until 7:40PM Sunday night. I was so furious at this point. Had the rebooked me when I called 3.5hours before I could have been on the 7:45AM direct flight. Oddly enough I think my musketeers were even more upset. One even said, "Hey isn't Louisville the UPS hub? We'll just pack you up and overnight you...it will be quicker and cheaper!" He was also the one that asked if I could cry on command because that would help when I spoke to the ticket agent in DFW.
5:50PM We finally departed for Dallas. The claps and cheers from all aboard were comical to say the least as the plane went airborne.
6:45PM We landed in Dallas and were told there wasn't a gate available. Yet another 30min wait on a tarmac. We did see this lovely piece that apparently was just dropped and no one was bothering to pick it up. I wonder if it ever made it to it's owner.
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| Clean up on the tarmac |
They told us there was a gate available, we moved, and psych, no there wasn't. I got up to go to the bathroom. As I come out one of the attendants is sitting in his seat between the bathrooms, gives me a scowling look and says, "please get in your seat. We might miss our gate because of you." Oddly enough, one of the 5 musketeers was in the next bathroom and the flight attendant was banging on the door. Either we really did force them to lose the gate or the gate really wasn't ready because we sat there yet another 15mins.
After finally getting off that dreadful plane we all went our separate ways. I was pushing to the ticket counter to discuss other options for a flight the next day. I was going to find any opportunity to leave earlier than 12:45PM. This forced me to "leave" the airport and would mean the option of sleeping in the airport to be void. The ticket agent informed me that I could go on standby the next morning for the 7:45AM flight that would be direct to Louisville. Being the second person on standby meant I did stand a shot. After all this my consolation prize was a travel "spa kit" with a 1 cent razor, baby toothbrush and a small packet of toothpaste. I was thankful and pissed at the same time.
Going back to the initial part of this blog about knowing how to deal with issues on the fly...I went to the phone bank where several hotels were listed. Called a few and found the best rate and asked them to send the shuttle. A half hour later I was on my way to a lovely hotel. The shuttle driver even took me to Target so I could get a change of clothes and additional toiletry items. In that same note from the beginning I mentioned not being as prepared for chaos. I stopped packing a change of clothes and toiletry items once they started strictly regulating what you're able to bring in your carry on.
After my trip to Target and a lovely meal from Whataburger I was ready for bed and the next day. When I entered the airport the next day I saw stacks and stacks of cots and even some still resting in every corner you saw. I felt extremely lucky to have great bosses that give me the opportunity to stay in a hotel instead of a crash pad in the airport. I was certainly elated to hear my name be called from the standby list. I was on that early flight and heading home!
What did American Airlines do because of all of this you ask? They got me home safely. I guess that's all I could ask for. No they didn't pay for the hotel room, no they didn't pay for food. But we had some of the nicest flight attendants and pilots and that's what kept us all sane. I sure hope the other 4 musketeers made it safely; one that missed a football game, one getting home to her family, one that was possibly going to loose their job if they didn't make it to CA by a specific time and one that was in the same boat as me...just ready to get home!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Adelitas Way
What a fantastic way to end the 2013 Mud and Dust Tour! We had rocker group, Adelitas Way to wrap up the concerts at the South Plains Fair today. This group of guys was fabulous to work with. Each of them was laid back and so sweet. They came in did their soundcheck, played around on stage for a bit and then just chilled the rest of the afternoon. They were all so laid back that seeing them rockin' out on stage was almost a shock. We went over all the particulars prior to the show...don't call anyone down to the front of the stage, no you can't say curse words- PG13 show boys, and so on.
We were possibly expecting some pretty bad storms to hit about half way through their show. They were predicting 60MPH straight line winds, hail, rain and of course good ole lightning. Not what you want when you have thousands of people walking around large, metal lightning rods otherwise known as carnival rides. So if this were to hit as hard as they were thinking we had to be prepared to use the coliseum (where the concerts take place) as a shelter for those outside the venue. Which would mean we have to shut the show down and pull up all the house lights. I talked with everyone, the band, the production crew, the ticket takers and security and told them the plan. The band was so bummed. They really were enjoying playing a big venue with amazing production and didn't want anything "rain on their parade". Sorry for the pun.
Since we had the possibility for this to come up pretty quick I stayed in the venue the entire night. Actually, I ended up watching most of the show. These guys are truly entertainers! The lead guitar player would come off stage, make his way up into the side balconies and play for the crowds there. The fans were loving it and actually behaved. The was one song in the show that the lead singer and second guitar player were the only ones on stage, playing a slower song. The lead guitar player went into the balcony, quietly, sat down and other than the twenty people around him...no one knew he was there. Security even walked right past him. There was one little girl that was totally enamoured with him. Sat next to him for a picture and even came back and made the lady sitting next to him move so she could squeeze back in.
You can tell that these guys know who supports them, the FANS. The drummer breaks probably 15 sticks during the show and the singer hands them out. He picks out kids to hand them out to. Then he asks that all the parents that have brought kids to the show and it's their first show to bring them down. He makes it a point to say, "don't fill in the area in front of the stage, we can't do that. But we're thrilled that you pick us for their first concert!". They then spent over an hour signing for their fans after the show. If you haven't heard their music, check it out!
Couldn't miss the opportunity for a photo op with two of my favorite kids! These little ones are those of the fair manager's awesome assistant. They get to come out to the fair almost every night and hang out with me. Although, I think it's more for the candy! :)
I love all my fair families across the country! I'm sure going to miss them until we start this party all over again in 2014! That party will be starting a little earlier this year with a WINTER leg of the Mud and Dust Tour....now what should I name that one?? Hint: they're both in FL
We were possibly expecting some pretty bad storms to hit about half way through their show. They were predicting 60MPH straight line winds, hail, rain and of course good ole lightning. Not what you want when you have thousands of people walking around large, metal lightning rods otherwise known as carnival rides. So if this were to hit as hard as they were thinking we had to be prepared to use the coliseum (where the concerts take place) as a shelter for those outside the venue. Which would mean we have to shut the show down and pull up all the house lights. I talked with everyone, the band, the production crew, the ticket takers and security and told them the plan. The band was so bummed. They really were enjoying playing a big venue with amazing production and didn't want anything "rain on their parade". Sorry for the pun.
Since we had the possibility for this to come up pretty quick I stayed in the venue the entire night. Actually, I ended up watching most of the show. These guys are truly entertainers! The lead guitar player would come off stage, make his way up into the side balconies and play for the crowds there. The fans were loving it and actually behaved. The was one song in the show that the lead singer and second guitar player were the only ones on stage, playing a slower song. The lead guitar player went into the balcony, quietly, sat down and other than the twenty people around him...no one knew he was there. Security even walked right past him. There was one little girl that was totally enamoured with him. Sat next to him for a picture and even came back and made the lady sitting next to him move so she could squeeze back in.
You can tell that these guys know who supports them, the FANS. The drummer breaks probably 15 sticks during the show and the singer hands them out. He picks out kids to hand them out to. Then he asks that all the parents that have brought kids to the show and it's their first show to bring them down. He makes it a point to say, "don't fill in the area in front of the stage, we can't do that. But we're thrilled that you pick us for their first concert!". They then spent over an hour signing for their fans after the show. If you haven't heard their music, check it out!
Couldn't miss the opportunity for a photo op with two of my favorite kids! These little ones are those of the fair manager's awesome assistant. They get to come out to the fair almost every night and hang out with me. Although, I think it's more for the candy! :)
I love all my fair families across the country! I'm sure going to miss them until we start this party all over again in 2014! That party will be starting a little earlier this year with a WINTER leg of the Mud and Dust Tour....now what should I name that one?? Hint: they're both in FL
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Brandy
What a day! I think this was my day for walking. I walked back and forth between the gates and coliseum probably 5 times tonight. So before the show even started I was drained. You know how everyone says communication is key? Well tonight it certainly was...it showed that without communication the ball is DROPPED. We were running on all cylinders just trying to get information from the band. Fortunately it all started trickling in bit by bit last night as to when we would be picking folks up from the airport, for the day of the show and lastly as they were leaving tonight what time they needed to go to the airport in the morning. The day didn't start until later at the fair but I took some time to have lunch with another client. Once the band started coming in we picked up speed. Then once the sound check was complete, along with Brandy (yes, the R&B, Moesha Brandy) they went back to the hotel for a bit giving us some down time and me time to prepare their dressing rooms. Tea setup, drinks, chips and candy in her dressing room. Chips, candy and sodas for the boys in theirs.
The band made it back on site 45 mins before show time. Brandy however didn't roll up until 15mins before showtime. Which is fine because her fans were stragglers as well. We held the show 5mins because there was a large group of people trying to enter right at show time. Go figure! Three songs into her show she calls the entire crowd on the floor (about 900 people) to move down closer to the stage. They filled in a large gap in front of the stage that the fire marshals require. Fortunately, we didn't have one in the house or we could have quite frankly been shut down. People were on chairs, standing on the rails of the second floor and having a really great time. Security did a phenomenal job at just keep everyone as safe as possible and not letting anyone jump on the stage. Unfortunately, the heat and close quarters typically brings fights. And that it did. Security was booting out those that were cat fights as well as guys with scratches across their face. I'm still trying to figure out if it wasn't just one big brawl. You could tell that Brandy was loving it. Especially when she played one extra song. As soon as she walked off the stand and into her dressing room, she was back out to her car just as fast. She jumped in the car and sat waiting for the rest of her entourage as the fans just stood back away snapping pictures.
The cleaning crew is going to have a great time tonight...the house was an absolute mess with all of the spilled drinks and trash left on the floor. Keep it trashy Lubbock!
The band made it back on site 45 mins before show time. Brandy however didn't roll up until 15mins before showtime. Which is fine because her fans were stragglers as well. We held the show 5mins because there was a large group of people trying to enter right at show time. Go figure! Three songs into her show she calls the entire crowd on the floor (about 900 people) to move down closer to the stage. They filled in a large gap in front of the stage that the fire marshals require. Fortunately, we didn't have one in the house or we could have quite frankly been shut down. People were on chairs, standing on the rails of the second floor and having a really great time. Security did a phenomenal job at just keep everyone as safe as possible and not letting anyone jump on the stage. Unfortunately, the heat and close quarters typically brings fights. And that it did. Security was booting out those that were cat fights as well as guys with scratches across their face. I'm still trying to figure out if it wasn't just one big brawl. You could tell that Brandy was loving it. Especially when she played one extra song. As soon as she walked off the stand and into her dressing room, she was back out to her car just as fast. She jumped in the car and sat waiting for the rest of her entourage as the fans just stood back away snapping pictures.
The cleaning crew is going to have a great time tonight...the house was an absolute mess with all of the spilled drinks and trash left on the floor. Keep it trashy Lubbock!
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| Brandy's bedazzled mic |
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| Collage of the show |
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Quiet Riot and the inside view of my office
Today was a really good day. We actually had some down time that seriously threw me off my game. The band, Quiet Riot was fantastic to work with. The band disbanded several years ago when their lead singer died. The only somewhat "original" member put it back together in a few years ago and they've been going strong ever since. It's definitely a LOUD show but several recognizable songs. For me to enjoy a heavy metal rock show means something. If it hadn't have been so loud I would have watched the entire show.
These guys were extremely low maintenance and yes are still rocking the long, 80's hair. Accompanied by an amazing light show they rocked the house. The fans that were here really enjoyed it. There's one young kid I know is going to be hurting tomorrow with all the head banging he was doing. The people that weren't here really missed out.
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| Quiet Riot! |
Some of you may wonder, what does Sara work in while she's on the road? Ok, I'm sure it's probably never came to mind. However, I thought I'd give you the behind the scenes of my office at the South Plains Fair. The venue we work in should be a historic building by now. Elvis and Buddy Holly performed here! There are two dressing rooms in the building but no other additional offices in the backstage area. So they cleverly put a outdoor shed in the parking lot about 125' from the building. I've got RVs on either side that some of the folks that do the grounds shows (including the person that oversees that, aka Junior Fair Manager, Sparky) stay in. The shed is equipped with lights, air/heat, freezer (for ice for the bands and to store the awesome homemade ice cream our runner, Jan brings), fridge (for my cokes and adult beverages for after show) and as always becomes the location to stash EVERYTHING. The back table looks like a SAMs club threw up on it my "desk" looks like it's in complete disarray with candy, etc thrown all over it. Now it's check in/out central for all of the employees that we have working during the shows. So their time clock is in here too. Every year I pick all the necessary items that we can use from year to year and stash it in the little storage/attic area of the shed and pull it all down the next year.
Here are a few photos to give you idea of what production central looks like in Lubbock.
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| Sparky caught me working by computer/iPhone/candlelight when it got dark while I was working |
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| Couch :) (backseat of the van) |
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| Cute little porch that we can drink wine on |
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| Desk/storage including Sparky's mountain bike. The grill was used today so it's not in here right now. |
Last night Sparky hosted a production meeting/potluck after everyone's shows. Ricco was intrigued with the golf cart key. Good thing I was watching the pedals!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tommy James & The Shondells/Lee Brice
I can't believe it. I forgot to blog about our first show at the South Plains Fair (Lubbock, TX) on Saturday. We had a great day on Friday setting up for the shows. The fair hired a new production company to bring in sound, lights and the like. Change is always a little unsettling. But this change has turned out to be amazing. This company has been a dream to work with. Great equipment, they love what they do and most of all they are completely organized and friendly! Holding my breath til the end but so far it has been smooth sailing!
We kicked off the fair with Tommy James and the Shondells. Honestly, I wasn't familiar with the band or their music before the show. After is another story. They had hits like Mony Mony, Hanky Panky, I Think We're Alone Now and about 40years worth of music. Let say by the end of the show I was a fan. Tommy was extremely nice, really his whole crew was. The show was non-stop hits and fun. How a guy at his age can run around for an hour+ is amazing. Once their show was over he went and signed autographs for over an hour for his fans that stuck around. We were all having a good time just telling stories and jokes while waiting for him to finish up. The different thing about Tommy is he doesn't like to take connecting flights. Usually the connecting flights when coming into a small town are the small puddle jumpers. He doesn't like those and I can say I don't blame him! So to get here he had gotten in limo in Dallas and drove the 5 hours here. Goodness!! Then they turned around and rode back the next morning. The rest of the crew fly in and out of Lubbock.
We didn't have a show on Sunday so I went to see the movies 'Prisoners' with my friend, Jan. It was a really good movie, dark and had many twists and long! Once the movie was over we were thinking of something else to do....why not the fair! lol We went and did all the things we can't do while we're working. Including being in a hypnotist show! This was Jan's first time and my second. It was the same amazing hypnotist, Ron Diamond that I was in his show at the Iowa State Fair. It was such a great time!
Today started early for me. The band ended up pulling in around 7AM. I usually wouldn't be here until about an hour or so before load in. I knew they would be starting to stir around 10AM. I was right and I've barely sat down since. Taking care of the building, employees and then the band and their needs, it turns out to be a long day. This group was fantastic to work with. They were all friendly and just did their job. The show was a really great show. Lee Brice has so many popular songs. One of those that you forget he's the one that sings them. But watch out, this guy is going to be big! He and his family are complete sweethearts. His little boy was playing by the buses all day. It wasn't until late tonight that the fair's asst manager brought her kids over and they all started playing football. That was more fun than the show! I would go from outside playing football to inside checking on the crowd, clearing aisles and watching the show. What a fun night! The crowd we had was a great one. Very well behaved but still having a good time.
Tomorrow is Tejano night. I'm not familiar with the band but apparently it's the brother of Selena. Should be an interesting day!
We kicked off the fair with Tommy James and the Shondells. Honestly, I wasn't familiar with the band or their music before the show. After is another story. They had hits like Mony Mony, Hanky Panky, I Think We're Alone Now and about 40years worth of music. Let say by the end of the show I was a fan. Tommy was extremely nice, really his whole crew was. The show was non-stop hits and fun. How a guy at his age can run around for an hour+ is amazing. Once their show was over he went and signed autographs for over an hour for his fans that stuck around. We were all having a good time just telling stories and jokes while waiting for him to finish up. The different thing about Tommy is he doesn't like to take connecting flights. Usually the connecting flights when coming into a small town are the small puddle jumpers. He doesn't like those and I can say I don't blame him! So to get here he had gotten in limo in Dallas and drove the 5 hours here. Goodness!! Then they turned around and rode back the next morning. The rest of the crew fly in and out of Lubbock.
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| Tommy James and the Shondells |
We didn't have a show on Sunday so I went to see the movies 'Prisoners' with my friend, Jan. It was a really good movie, dark and had many twists and long! Once the movie was over we were thinking of something else to do....why not the fair! lol We went and did all the things we can't do while we're working. Including being in a hypnotist show! This was Jan's first time and my second. It was the same amazing hypnotist, Ron Diamond that I was in his show at the Iowa State Fair. It was such a great time!
Today started early for me. The band ended up pulling in around 7AM. I usually wouldn't be here until about an hour or so before load in. I knew they would be starting to stir around 10AM. I was right and I've barely sat down since. Taking care of the building, employees and then the band and their needs, it turns out to be a long day. This group was fantastic to work with. They were all friendly and just did their job. The show was a really great show. Lee Brice has so many popular songs. One of those that you forget he's the one that sings them. But watch out, this guy is going to be big! He and his family are complete sweethearts. His little boy was playing by the buses all day. It wasn't until late tonight that the fair's asst manager brought her kids over and they all started playing football. That was more fun than the show! I would go from outside playing football to inside checking on the crowd, clearing aisles and watching the show. What a fun night! The crowd we had was a great one. Very well behaved but still having a good time.
Tomorrow is Tejano night. I'm not familiar with the band but apparently it's the brother of Selena. Should be an interesting day!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Parmalee-Kix Brooks
Last day of the fair! It's always bittersweet because we say goodbye to friends but I'm definitely looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night. This fair has been the best one yet of the New York State Fair for me. Everyone got along great and things went really smooth for the most part. I really hope to be back next year!
Today we had a pretty easy day. Both bands were here pretty much all day, arriving as early as 7A. Fortunately, I didn't have to be here until 8:30A. We hit the ground running with load in at 9A. Parmalee was our 2PM show. They're a newer band with a hit at #25 this week, Carolina. They were a great band! Extremely entertaining, they've got the look, have the sound. Hopefully we'll get to book them in several places next year. The worst part of the day was dealing with the bus shore power (they had plugged two buses into a power source that couldn't hold two, only one. It ended up blowing the breaker and they all had to go to shore power.) Plus we were dealing with rain all afternoon. The atmosphere was horribly unstable and my phone was blowing up with alerts all day. We were under a thunderstorm warning for most of the afternoon. The little cells ended up splitting and going north for the most part but about 4P a huge cell popped up. It was packed with 60MPH winds, hard rains and lighting. The extreme part did go north of us but didn't spare us from a little wind, tons of rain and some lighting. We ended up having to tell the folks that were saving the front row seats for Kix's show that they HAD to leave the metal bleachers. Amazing! Unbelievably, there was a poor lady sitting in the ADA section in a wheelchair. When we told her she needed to leave, she said that her party had left her there (in a thunderstorm!!) and she couldn't move. I sent the Troopers out to rescue her. Some people!
With the rain we got last night everything was a muddy mess this morning and got even worse with the afternoon storm. The lead singer of Parmalee even tried to help the staff get the forklift out of a mudpit.
Kix Brooks is half of the duo Brooks and Dunn. He's a really great guy and is currently pumping out a good show. They've been here all day just hanging out waiting for their turn to load in and do a show. Sounds like they're going to be out of here quick as well. Yay!! Because of the rain the crowd didn't build as well as we would've hoped. They escaped during the storm but it doesn't seem that anyone wanted to take the chance of another storm. However, all of those that are here are loving the show.
We celebrated one of the staff members birthday's today! Happy Birthday, Jason! :)
Today we had a pretty easy day. Both bands were here pretty much all day, arriving as early as 7A. Fortunately, I didn't have to be here until 8:30A. We hit the ground running with load in at 9A. Parmalee was our 2PM show. They're a newer band with a hit at #25 this week, Carolina. They were a great band! Extremely entertaining, they've got the look, have the sound. Hopefully we'll get to book them in several places next year. The worst part of the day was dealing with the bus shore power (they had plugged two buses into a power source that couldn't hold two, only one. It ended up blowing the breaker and they all had to go to shore power.) Plus we were dealing with rain all afternoon. The atmosphere was horribly unstable and my phone was blowing up with alerts all day. We were under a thunderstorm warning for most of the afternoon. The little cells ended up splitting and going north for the most part but about 4P a huge cell popped up. It was packed with 60MPH winds, hard rains and lighting. The extreme part did go north of us but didn't spare us from a little wind, tons of rain and some lighting. We ended up having to tell the folks that were saving the front row seats for Kix's show that they HAD to leave the metal bleachers. Amazing! Unbelievably, there was a poor lady sitting in the ADA section in a wheelchair. When we told her she needed to leave, she said that her party had left her there (in a thunderstorm!!) and she couldn't move. I sent the Troopers out to rescue her. Some people!
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| Parmalee |
Kix Brooks is half of the duo Brooks and Dunn. He's a really great guy and is currently pumping out a good show. They've been here all day just hanging out waiting for their turn to load in and do a show. Sounds like they're going to be out of here quick as well. Yay!! Because of the rain the crowd didn't build as well as we would've hoped. They escaped during the storm but it doesn't seem that anyone wanted to take the chance of another storm. However, all of those that are here are loving the show.
 |
| Kix Brooks and I |
We celebrated one of the staff members birthday's today! Happy Birthday, Jason! :)
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