Hustle Like U Broke

Dani Triebner's passport book has stamps from all over the world thanks to her work as the travel agent for artists like Guns 'N Roses, Jay-Z, and Post Malone. As a travel agent, Dani is unique; along with the usual hotel and flight booking services that music clients rely on, she also tours with some of her clients, advancing accommodations from the road and working ahead of the traveling parties to ensure a seamless experience for principals and crew. In part one of our discussion with Dani, we talk about the ways the industry has changed, how travel agents are also computer code experts, and she answers some of our most pressing travel questions.

Mitchell Bornstein is the Vice President of Business Development at the soon to be finished Los Angeles Stadium and Entertainment District (LASED) at Hollywood Park. Mitch started his entertainment career with Altitude Sports in Denver, before moving over to the Experience and Marketing world for the Los Angeles Rams. In our episode with Mitchell we discuss the ways he works to program game day to "beat the couch," the future of entertainment in LA, and the importance of catering to the fans.

With 30 episodes under our belts, we thought it time to check in with Matthew, Kyle, Chris, and Dallas about how they're adjusting to life off the road. We hear about how old fallbacks are generating new business, how our hosts are staying positive for their own benefit and others, who the hosts are missing, and what they're looking forward to when business returns. In addition, we talk about highlights of past episodes and some of the many lessons we've learned from our guests.

Pyrotecnico's Bob Ross, Danielle Hicks, and Keith Hellebrand are special effects experts, adding spectacles that engage all five senses at events across the globe. As live music has embraced the notion that more is more, with ever escalating production elements, the role of pyrotechnics has seen corresponding growth, being incorporated not only as an embellishment, but as a critical piece of scenic design. The flash bangs and flames that define modern shows are meticulously handled – from design to procurement, permits to ignition – by Bob, Danielle, and Keith. In this episode's conversation we discuss the fundamentals of pyro safety, the inspiring number of women joining the special effects world, and the technological improvements that are pushing the industry forward.

Larry Lancro and Beth Krudys are quite the duo. Larry is the Senior Vice President/Fenway Concerts & Entertainment and Beth is the Director of Fenway Concerts & Entertainment. The two are responsible for making magic happen both on and off the field, through fan promotions and engagement and the Fenway concert series. Since 2003 Larry and Beth have filled seats at Fenway with people excited to see artists like Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Aerosmith, Zac Brown Band, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and Billy Joel. Straddling the worlds of live sports and concerts, Beth and Larry offer a valuable perspective on the similarities and differences of the two industries, and the ways that both can learn from one another. We explore that perspective in detail in our most recent episode, where we discuss how Larry and Beth got started with the Red Sox, how baseball is working on its COVID comeback, and what we can expect from Fenway Concerts moving forward.

Caleb Calhoun of Florida Coach, and Doug Shay of Shay Coach, are two of the leading providers in the coach leasing industry, with more than 70 combined years experience between them. Caleb Calhoun was born into the industry, watching his father, Jack Calhoun, retrofit buses in the 80s to meet the road needs of artists like Willie Nelson. Caleb has since taken over the family business and currently employs over a 100 engineers, artisans, and drivers at Florida Coach HQ in Kissimmee. From the broker side, Doug Shay has been connecting clients with top notch tour buses, sourcing coaches from a nationwide network of vendors, to ensure that today's talent is never left stranded. In today's episode, the HLUB team examines the past, present and future of moving concert tours, from the early days of Eagle coaches with forward facing bench seats to the latest & greatest technological advancements for crossing the continent in luxury and style.

At 6'10" tall, Mason Haynes was seemingly built for his role as a venue and personal security professional. He started his career at the Ministry of Defence, before returning to university. Recognizing that better fiscal prospects awaited him in the security world, Mason pivoted from his educational path, pursuing full-time work with Scorpion Security, the primary provider for Café De Paris in London. With this new role came new opportunities to provide services for both venues and individuals. In the years since, Mason has worked with celebrities including Kendrick Lamar, the Kardashians, Kanye West, Kevin Hart, Charlie Puth, and Lewis Hamilton; and has provided venue security for some of the most prestigious arenas, theaters, and stadiums in the world. In our discussion with Mason we talk about how early experiences being bullied started him down this road, the philosophy that informs his approach to the work, and some of his recent international excursions.

We're back with part two with Production Designer, Patrick Dierson. In this episode we talk about the many projects Patrick has in the works, some of his favorite tour moments, and why it's critical for everyone to speak up for the struggling members of the music world.

Patrick Dierson always had a backstage view of what it took to produce a successful theatrical spectacle. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Patrick grew up within a family that featured two Broadway actors. He spent two years studying Performance Theatre in college, jumping right into the live event industry with an automated lighting equipment company. Shortly after, he would find his niche as a successful console programmer and lighting designer. Dierson's expertise has been called upon for numerous high-level productions, including the world tour of Shakira, the MTV Video Music Awards, numerous world tours for hip-hop entrepreneurs Jay Z, Meek Mill & Drake, numerous events for the the NFL, NBA, NHL, Volkswagen, Samsung and Walmart, multiple festivals such as Ultra Music Festival, Made In America, and Tidal X, and speaking tours for former First Lady, Michelle Obama. Patrick’s base of operations is now in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, where he currently resides as the Principle Designer at production design firm The Activity. In our first of two episodes with Patrick we discuss the politics around COVID response in the music industry; the idea behind design haven, the Activity; and the importance of operating like a business from the beginning.

We're back with the second episode featuring Production Manager Bobby Schneider. In this episode we talk about the ways in which coronacation has forced us to observe events we might have otherwise ignored, new protocols and guidelines that are needed to make sure that crews thrive, and the importance of compassion on the road.