Hustle Like U Broke

In our second edition of Catching Up with the Core 4, Matt, Kyle, Christine, and Chris wax on the state of the nation and the industry, discussing politics affecting the roadie community, the welcome distractions of professional sports, and updates on their experiences with virtual and televised events. The show closes out with some group questions from Tech Support, as we learn about the doctoral program of live mixing from Kyle Hamilton, the fight for equality from Christine Dallas, the psychology of being the man behind the monitors with Chris Lee, and the tightrope between crew and management that Matthew Walt walks while out on the road.

Chris Gratton is a roadies' roadie. A live event production mogul, Gratton has been a tour director, tour producer, designer, production manager, and every job in between. A student of the school of hard knocks, Gratton's passion for music and theater came at an early age, fueled by a similarly inclined family, and has built that passion into a career spanning more than three decades. He's worked with Justin Bieber, Kanye, Janet Jackson, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Ariana Grande, and countless others. What sets Chris Gratton apart from many in the industry, are his efforts to build new institutions to support the concert techs he relies on. A member of the board of directors for The Roadie Clinic, an organizer behind #RedAlertRESTART, and a driving force behind upcoming fundraisers for the music industry, Gratton has made it clear that he wants the industry to do better and will put in the work to make sure it does. In our discussion with Chris we talk about how he has personally defined a healthy work-life balance, tour standards implemented on the newest Bieber dates that may permanently raise the bar for crew care, and the need to blow up the status quo in the resurgence of the music industry.

Co-Founded by Lance “K.C.” Jackson and William “Bill” Reeves in 2009, Roadies Of Color United was started as a social network to represent, introduce, and unite those in concert touring and entertainment services that were not being represented in the major industry publications and associations. Like those before them, K.C. and Bill made it a priority to create new opportunities for PoC in the music industry, providing resources and education to develop technical skills and business acumen for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Since its founding, Roadies of Color United has grown to nearly 1100 members, and will soon release a database of verified professional touring staff and a list of black owned music production service providers. In our discussion with K.C. and Bill we talk about the impediments that still exist in the industry, the road that led to where we are now, and the pathway forward.

Michael "Huggy" Carter got his start in the music business as a custodian at Star Maker, a rehearsal studio in Oakland, CA. Within 6-months, Huggy had claimed the top spot as head engineer. His first taste of the road came with The Whispers, where he would become the FOH engineer after his predecessor missed a flight. Between mentor, Nicholas Caldwell, and business partner, Alan Thompson (the PM for Patti LaBelle), Huggy gained the experience and know-how to strike his own path in the music industry. Feeling a responsibility to pay forward the opportunities afforded to him, Huggy opened countless doorss for people of color to pursue careers that had for too long been closed to them - including our very own Kyle Hamilton. All the while finding ways to create opportunities for others, Huggy built his own company, MGC Productions, and has worked with artists like Prince, Mary J Blige, The Whispers, Anita Baker, Janet Jackson, and more. Today with Huggy we talk about the challenges facing the nation, the people who mentored and coached him along the way, his work to develop the next generation of touring professionals, and the pride he feels when that next generation finds success.

Looking for something to relax too? Check out his debut album jazz album on Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/chillin-vol-1/1525817587?uo=4&app=apple+music) or YouTube Music (https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n3S100mPgJpfaRfrnsnHJ8hze58gcZOzM).

Teri Lynn started her career at Loud Records, overseeing day-to-day operations for the budding careers of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and more. By 1999, the transition to digital music was well under way, and Teri Lynn was working for Quincy Jones Music Publishing. Realizing that the label life was not where she wanted to be, Teri Lynn pivoted and struck out on the road. Since then, she has worked with Usher, The B-52s, Solange Knowles, Big Sean, Nicole Scherzinger, and many more. In our discussion with Teri, we talk about the transition from label to road, the nuts and bolts about the work a TM does, and the importance of mentoring the next generation.

Rickey Minor is an Emmy Award winning Music Director, Composer, and Producer. Throughout his storied career, Rickey has worked with some of the biggest talent in the world, including Beyonce, Usher, Adele, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Khalid, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, and countless more. Complementing his profound musical resume, is an equally impressive list of television credits that includes The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, American Idol, The Kennedy Center Honors, The American Music Awards, The Super Bowl, The Grammys, The Emmys, and The Oscars. In our discussion with Rickey, we talk about the lessons he's learned about the business, the importance of building a strong team around you, ways to get out of your own way, and we include some of our first fan questions.

On this Special Edition "Public Service Announcement" we welcome back a good friend of the program Bobby Schneider to talk about the Word of Mouth Coalition, Register a Roadie, #RedAlert, #WeMakeEvents, and all the organizations and advocates that are trying to make the live event industry a priority for national relief.

To learn more about the various organizations, check out the links below:

https://wordofmouthcoalition.org

https://www.saveourstages.com

https://nitolive.org

Described by Live Nation Ones to Watch as “one of the most in-demand international drummers on earth”, Chris Johnson is regularly seen by audiences of millions through his work with acts like Lady Gaga, Camila Cabello, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Seal and J-Lo. Like many of our guests, Chris' musical start is owed to the church; it was there that he would pick up his first set of drum sticks. Since his inaugural tour with gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin, Chris' portfolio of work has expanded dramatically, and now includes global TV credits on shows like Late Nate with Seth Meyers and Fox's The Four. In our episode with Chris, we talk about the elements that have made him successful, the life of a touring musician, and the fundamentals of music as business.

Eddy Sato has known he needed to be part of the show since his mother took him to see KISS in 1979. Since learning the ropes as a member of the University of Southern California's Program Board, Eddy has worked in concert production from multiple angles to fully develop a "win-win" approach to production. He has served as a Touring Carpenter for Stevie Nicks and David Bowie and has worked as a touring Production Manager for M.I.A, Japanese mega-act B’z and the inaugural Oddball Comedy Festival tour. He has worked on the Venue side as the Crew Chief at the Wiltern Theater and as the Director of Production for the Los Angeles Forum. He has also worked as a Production Rep, Stage Manager and Site Supervisor for LiveNation at multiple events across Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii. His freelance history includes positions for Goldenvoice, HARD events & Holy Ship, SAS Productions, and NComppass International. Currently, he works as the Director of Production for Redrock Entertainment Services, a LiveNation Global Projects company. In our discussion with Eddy we talk about his five tenets of show business, the value of the perspective that come with working multiple roles, and the advice he took to heart along the road.

As promised, here's part two with Touring Travel Agent, Dani Triebner. In this episode we cover the differences between agents, the green movement in the travel business, the importance of caring for crew and principals, and end on the quick hits where Dani shares some of her favorite career moments.