People are always commenting on my post, sending me dms and text messages "OMG!!! This looks insane your killing it!!" .... "YOOOO Crazy I bet your having the time of your life!!" There never wrong, I am having the time of my life. Its funny to me because everyone sees the outside, everyone sees the edited videos and pictures of the cool moments. What they don't see is the behind the scenes constant battles and struggles just to do what I am doing.
At my current level I am all things. Music producer, promoter, dj, ticket jockey, manager, booker, marketer, driver and so on and so forth. Im constantly getting rejected, I am constantly reaching out to everyone I can to get on a lineup. Looking for the best deals on places to stay. Hitting up people I haven't talked to in years just to ask them if I can sleep on their couch. Having to sell countless tickets to almost every show I am on the line up for in order to play. Driving endless hours to places Iv never been before. Getting off stage soaked in sweat asking the bar tender for a water bottle and getting charged for it. Cramming studio sessions in after work wether it be 30 minutes or hours until I pass out and have to wake up for work again. Ultimately Doing everything in my power to play.
Just this last weekend I played a show in North Carolina. I found out I was playing this show not less then a week before hand. I scrambled to put together a mix that I thought was good enough, which i finally finished. I got an email for the headliners management stating the maintenance for the openers accompanied by a hefty do not play list. I reviewed the list and realized I needed to change my entire set so I stayed up the night before to get it done. Woke up the next morning at 6am went to work at my full time job got off work and drove 7 hours shortly after to get down to North Carolina where the venue was. Sitting in traffic, stopping to get gas every few hours. I finally arrived to my destination, which was a small shitty Econo Lodge motel. While I was checking in the lady at the front desk said hold on one moment sir, and proceeded to make a phone call. "Yeah Becky is Paul there? Yes Paul, in the maintenance department. Oh well please tell him to get his ass over here ASAP the thing in 108 is on the fritz again and if we don't get it fixed its going to start another fire! Ok well thanks, bye" "How are you sir can I help you?" Every ounce of my being wanted to turn around and walk out the door but I said yes I have a room reserved (praying to god it wasn't anywhere near 108. Shortly after I drove to the venue which Iv never been before. It was pretty much the size of a small house.
A couple minutes in to my soundcheck and the tour manager for the headliner arrives and starts the Artists soundcheck so I hop off. He started asking the audio tech allot of questions that he seem to not be getting the responses he wanted back. Later I found out that they just got done playing at one of the biggest nightclubs in LA, so needless to say playing this venue was probably a shock. I shortly found out that the direct support artist could not make. I got bumped up to direct support with an increase of 35 minutes to my set, which I had not planned for but just rolled with it.
Within an hour of doors the place was slammed. I was instantly in love with the venue because it more intimate then most others. The air was electric, or maybe that was just the stench of 400 sweaty bodies, I couldn't tell. Regardless I was hooked. I took the stage, loaded my tracks, hit play on my intro, and screamed into the mic. The floor beneath me shook and the crowd went wild. I put every ounce of energy into that set and performance and it showed. People came up to me after to tell me how much they enjoyed it and appreciated it. I had people asking to take pictures with me. The crowd was incredible, inviting, and endless.
After the headliner was finished he asked me to stick around until after his meet and greet. He motioned for me to come over and we talked about allot of things. He gave me his number and told me to send him demos and music whenever id like. His tour manager told me good job and that he appreciated my set. I was on a HUGE high, or maybe it was the fact that It was 3 am and I was exhausted. I went back to the shitty motel, passed out, woke up and drove another 7 hours back home.
Its not always glamorous but I am obsessed with it. Ill do anything it takes. The reasons above, the people who come up to me, the dm's I get after a show. These are the things that keep me going. Its the small wins that count. Moral of the story, don't be afraid to go to new places, meet new people, play in front of different crowds you might end up getting hooked like I did.
-88
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