Nov 14 – An Inside Look Into Live Nation

Over a year ago I landed a job as a receptionist for Live Nation, working in two separate venues. The pay was average but as a writer interested in the music scene, I couldn’t dream of a better position. I worked, listened, watched, and learned with great enthusiasm and my share of mistakes. I was surprised at how young, talented, and fun these people are, and it is time for you the readers to meet them. It took me a year to get Live Nation to agree to the interviews, as the people behind the scenes are not generally interested in the spotlight. I persisted, as I am amazed at the work they do in bringing together the greatest concerts the Mile High City gets to attend. I wrote this article in appreciation of the staff of Live Nation who are in the business because they love music! We all know how cool our jobs are and hold them dear.

“Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and e-Commerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five e-Commerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists.” -LiveNation.com.

As you wrap your brain around those numbers, it seems colossal, but know that here in Denver as well as elsewhere Live Nation is made up of really good people.

Live Nation

One Nation That Rocks!

by Jennifer Marriott

The office is on the second floor of the Fillmore Auditorium; wherein framed posters act as windows to past concerts. The walls are still the original red brick from 1907, and there are two desks and a shelf of odd themed trophies. The Fillmore hands-out these trophies such as: a pig, a clown, a cheerleader, a police officer, and my favorite, the back half of a horse. It is fun swag for the bands that play there, complete with their name engraved on it and the date of the show. Photo op!

Behind the desk opposite the door sits Sean O’Connell, sun at his back so he is generally viewed in profile. Sean is a 46 year old, lanky guy from Chicago. He looks like a graduate student with his glasses, casual attire, and short beard. For such a powerful guy, he keeps his feet on the ground and his head in the business game. He can be a laid back guy but he always has an air of importance that he can’t seem to shake.

Sean started working at 12, first as a caddie, then in other jobs including in a warehouse and as an admissions seller at a racetrack. At the age of 18 he began working as a ticket taker at Wrigley Field, which was the start of a remarkable journey to becoming a general manager for Live Nation. He wasn’t handed a lotto ticket to this job, he earned it through a lot of hard work and love of music. He grew up in a large Irish family, as he is one of 12 kids falling in line at number four. That experience lent itself to Sean working as a leader, in a team, and even occasionally scrapping with his siblings who were not always on the same side. I caught him on a rare occasion reminiscing about how his Latin teacher was a big guy who carried his hockey stick around the classroom and would slam it on the desk if you got the answer wrong. In retrospect this is funny but may have lent to Sean’s ability to quickly access the right answer in life. I have seen a slew of issues come knocking on his door and he can cut to a solution faster than anyone, and I have yet to see him be wrong. That ability is impressive and intimidating.

He manages a bunch of people who for all intents and purposes are the rowdy kids who’ve just grown older, learned a skill or two but are there because working in music is exciting, and interesting. It is Rock-n-Roll, unfathomable things happen and we all just work the problem from there. It is a simple dynamic; if you’re stuck thinking “wholly shit!” ask Sean, he will know what to do. Fans get drunk and wild, and there is no manual for the creative antics that ensue. In times of stress I’ve seen him wring his face, and withhold an onslaught of profanity through pressed lips, but he is proficient at working a problem and is ultimately fair. Okay, a few colorful words escape once in a while. He does say some of the funniest stuff I’ve ever heard. If there is a problem, Sean will find an answer as his underlying goal is to put on the best show possible, and the crew knows it.

There is a TV murmuring in the office whenever there is a good baseball or hockey game on. Sean will take a minute to cheer or curse his favorite teams as the bass from the stage shakes the building. He and Patrick exchange a few verbal jabs whenever Chicago plays Detroit, Patrick’s hometown. Sean is most comfortable in his office with a cup of black coffee at hand, working as the mastermind behind an incredibly intricate job. Sean is infinitely knowledgeable about the music business, so there is no bullshitting Mr. O’Connell. If you get the chance to meet him you will discover he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

This interview took place with Sean at his desk.

Interviewing Sean is like playing a game of chess. He will guide the game, catch any mistakes and give away nothing he doesn’t want to give.

Sean O’Connell

Job Title- District General Manager for Live Nation Rocky Mountain Region

CMB-How many people work for Live Nation Denver”

SO– There about 15 full time people and a handful of part time, and as many as 100 people working an event at the Fillmore.

CMB-How often do you get to go to a show that you pay for a ticket?

SO– Probably on average I go about once a month, and I try not to pay for anything (he laughs) Shows that I am not working… I see a variety of shows, I went to Red Rocks and saw the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gary Clark Jr. I went to two days of Riot Fest in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. It is any range of things.

CMB- Chicago is your hometown, was it the show that took you there or friends?

SO–There were a bunch of bands playing that I wanted to see, and yes my friends went with me.

CMB: Which bands did you specifically want to see?

SO: Paul Weller, hadn’t played in America for a while; there was some old punk rock things I wanted to see.

CMB: were you a punk growing up?

SO: I liked the music.  (not saying yes or no)

**I quickly pictured him clad in leather and flipping me the finger. Yep, I could see it.**

CMB: In your car, what makes you turn up the volume?

SO: Road noise. (smart-ass laughing at me) It could be anything, it could be Neil Young, it could be The Replacements. I honestly don’t listen to the radio that often. I listen to CDs, or a Pandora station, or Spotify, things like that where I can have a variety.

CMB: What albums have you repeatedly purchased through vinyl, Cassette, 8-track, CD and digital over and over again as technology changes?

SO: I’ve probably purchased five or six copies of The Who Quadrophenia.

CMB: Nice.

SO: I have at least three copies of London Calling in different formats. I found that my initial CD buys were replacing things I already had on vinyl that I could take with me easily.

CMB: How did you make the transition from the box office to the music business?

SO: There wasn’t really a transition as necessary, whether the ticket office is in a sports or entertainment venue, it is two sides of the same coin. The folks in the ticketing office are heavily involved in making sure that event happens. It is making sure prices are set the way they should be, on sale when it should be, and ready to go. If people don’t get the tickets in their hands, there isn’t going to be a show. So, it was easy enough to go from that to getting a bigger picture of the entire operation. I think that working my way up in that department in different places from arenas, to theaters then working in amphitheaters, you are around it so much, interacting with the marketing of it, the buyers talking about the pricing and that whole thing. As far as getting into the operation side of the world, it was something I knew I wanted to do. I started volunteering to be at some of the events that I didn’t necessarily need to be at the ticket office.

CMB: Did you consciously choose music over sports?

SO: At some point yes, I had choices. There were times that were more sport oriented and times that were more live entertainment oriented and I chose to work in live entertainment. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an interest in sports, I do, but more that music specifically is a bigger part of my life. It’s the first thing I do when I get up is turn on the stereo and the last thing I do before I go to bed is turn it off.

CMB: What was it that caught your interest in what goes on behind the scenes?

SO: (leaning forward lacing his long fingers) It is being a part of that creative experience and knowing we can have an affect outside of what is going on the stage and outside and how people experience music as their chosen entertainment. It is my way of being a part of it without having to be on stage, without having to bear my soul out there.

CMB: As the man behind the curtain, what is the best part?

SO: The best part is that there is a curtain. (he laughs)

CMB: Okay, so what is the best part of a concert night?

SO: The best part of the night is the end of the show, I will stand by the door as people are leaving and try to thank people for coming. I want to get a sense of what are people saying, what are they cheering about? What are they complaining about? What are they talking about? Everybody coming out of a concert is having a conversation about, “That song was great. I wish they would have done…It sucked that I had to wait in the beer line for 10 minutes.”  You’re going to hear those things but most of the time what you are going to hear is three or four thousand people walking out of the Fillmore, or nine or ten thousand people walking out of Red Rocks, or twelve or thirteen thousand people walking out of the Pepsi Center with smiles on their faces, and sweat dripping off their heads and that look that they just had an experience that they are going to remember. It’s the best!

CMB: What is the worst thing on any given night?

SO: On any given night? I think identifying things we could be doing better. It is frustrating, but also an opportunity to find things we can improve. That could be again that someone else is waiting in line for 10 minutes for a beer, or having a hard time getting people in and out in a timely manner when everybody shows up at once and there is only just so much room to get everyone through the door, or a particular issue with a guest because they needed to be engaged by security, which is frustrating. It could be a number of things but mostly it’s when I am seeing things we could and should be doing better.

CMB: On a concert day how many hours do you work on average?

SO: Average Fillmore show probably 15 or 16.

CMB: You just came off three nights of Tom Petty at Red Rocks; it’s a marathon. How do you prep for that?

SO: Personally I don’t. I do what I can in advance to make sure there aren’t going to be any surprises.  The better prepared we are for an event the easier it is to make the guests leave smiling. As far as everything else it is just what we do if it is a 16-hour workday, it’s a 16-hour workday.

CMB: You are a baby band and you want to get on a bill, how do you do it?

SO: You get yourself a good manager and you get yourself a good agent. The venues, generally when you get to the level of a Fillmore (being able to sell 2,500-3,500 tickets) We are not going to be too involved in getting bands on to bills, we will have out of our local office and on a rare occasion a local band open up, but most of the time when a show is coming through to play, they are coming through as a package. It is an arrangement from an agent and a booker from Live Nation who are making that show. In smaller venues there are ways to get in on the ground floor, but at this level it is a regular, professional process.

CMB: Do you have any advice for the baby bands out there?

SO: Yeah, play anytime you can. Get good. There aren’t a lot of terrible bands that are playing for 3,000 people. The bands that take the opportunities to get better, take it seriously as a craft, are the ones that are going to make it. The ones who want to party all the way through and not take it seriously are the ones that are going to fall by the wayside.

CMB: You work with some of the biggest bands in the world, what do you like about working with them?

SO: Most of the biggest bands make it pretty easy. They hire professionals, they hire good people that actually let the venue know what they are going to need for that day so we can be prepared for them, and have everything laid out the way we need to, and they work with us within the budgets that we have available. The only time it gets difficult is when someone is unprepared or decides that they need to have some things on the fly. We do the best we can, but well prepared makes for an easy day. That goes for us and the band. More often than not, like last week we had three Tom Petty shows and a Robert Plant show and there are not two more professional, on top of it, happy to be around, pleasant crews that we see in a year. That goes a long way too. People that have a good attitude, even if there are challenges, it makes it better for our whole crew who in exchange works hard and want to get things done for them.

CMB: Any final thoughts for our readers?

SO: Musicians keep playing, and fans keep coming out and support live music! There’s nothing better!

Joe Petrie-

Job Title- Operations Manager Live Nation

Joe shares an office with Sean; it is not impressive with high end furniture as this is an office where actual work happens. Behind Joe’s desk is a large dry erase board with a calendar of six months of shows planned out. The room is often stuffy but when the windows are open the roar of downtown Denver filters inside disturbing the much needed concentration as the two men are reviewing contracts, bills, letters and so on.

Joe is that guy who is good at everything and modest about it at the same time. He was a Vail kid, played football, baseball, and of course skied. Being a naturally inquisitive kid he also joined the theater, played trumpet in the Jazz band, and at half-time he would take off his helmet, pick up his trumpet and play in the marching band much to the chagrin of his football coach. He told me the story of his coach yelling at him about how music wasn’t going to do anything for him but football was the true future. Joe growled and did the strong-arm flex grunting “Football!” He laughed and wished he could meet that guy again and tell him how far football got him and how far music took him. On career day the Life Skills teacher asked Joe to pick a career and Joe told her he wanted to work in music, she said, “No. Pick a real career.” Joe stuck to his guns and said, “Music!” He recalled how long the semester seemed in her class as he was determined he could make a career in music. In retrospect he was mad that she didn’t support and encourage his dream. “That’s what teachers are supposed to do,” he professed. “I wish I could tell her about it now.”

Joe is the guy who has his hand in everything from fixing the lights, to seeing the parking lot is clear for the tour busses, scrambling to get the maintenance man during a show when the ladies have once again stopped up the toilets, to taking care of all of the human resource issues. It doesn’t seem to matter what task it is, this guy always seems to come up with a smile on his face. Joe is a tan, blue eyed, 33 year old, married hottie; sorry girls. He describes his job as a sort of Jack-of-all-trades including but not limited to: staffing, budgeting, payroll, venue maintenance, production, and the list continues.

CMB: What was your first job in the music business?

JP: I was a bass player in a band.

CMB: Really? What was the band’s name?

JP: I am not gonna tell ya. (flashing a look of satisfied mischief)

CMB: Okay, I can respect that; so what was your first job you can tell me about?

JP: I was in college and they hooked me up with a job as a stagehand at the House Of Blues and later I found a job as a production assistant for the Voodoo Music Festival in 2000.

CMB: What was your first touring gig?

JP: The first time I went on the road was in 2003, with the Kottonmouth Kings. It was weird but a paying gig. After that I was the tour manager and tech for a Japanese band touring the US. They were called Rise, and in Japan they were filling stadiums but they struggled in the U.S. as most of their music was in Japanese and that is a hard sell.

CMB: Did anyone in the band speak English?

JP: One guy did, he was the lead singer, and they did do one song in English. It was a cool experience working with them.

CMB: Who did you tour with after Rise?

JP (Looking up to his memory banks) Let’s see, there was Strata, August House, Vast, and then Frankie Valli. I started with Live Nation in 2009 and toured with The Fray, Slayer doing the Mayhem Fest, and Kings of Leon.

CMB: What made you get off the road?

JP: Well, I wanted to try something new. It’s funny in this business it’s hard to get a job on the road and just as hard to get a job off the road. I interviewed with Sean and got the job of Operations Manager in 2010- Wow! I’ve been doing this for four years. Sean has been a great mentor, he taught me how to put my foot down which was hard for me as I am a natural people pleaser, but sometimes I have to be an asshole or people won’t listen to me. I have learned so much from so many people in this business.

CMB: What is your favorite part of working the venues?

JP: My favorite part is the diversity. I love interacting with all the people. I work with the stagehands, the artists, the box office, the fans, the in-house crew. It’s great! I am a big picture type of person, so this is a great job for me.

CMB: What is the hardest part of your job?

JP: Funny, I guess that would be the same answer only on different days, I work with the stagehands, the artist, … (he trailed off in a laugh) The thing that really works for me is that I am constantly learning something. If I have to call someone to fix let’s say the air conditioning I will be right there with them asking questions so I can understand it. I don’t have to learn every aspect of it but I want to know what we are paying for in the end.

CMB: You’ve been around a lot of music, who do you like to go see play live?

JP: I just bought tickets to see Tom Petty, I guess I like about any band that plays actual instruments. I grew up in the 90’s rock culture listening to bands like Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

CMB: What is one of the funniest things you’ve seen?

JP: Oh man, there are so many… (I saw something come to mind and he laughed but didn’t share that story) Kings of Leon were playing St. Louis in an outdoor venue and a pigeon pooped on the bass player’s head. They were only about two songs into their set and the whole band walked off the stage. They were so mad that they got in their bus and left. We were all scrambling to find out what happened and if they were coming back. We tried to keep the crowd calm as this was St. Louis, famous for the Guns and Roses riot. Someone in the band tweeted about the pigeon poop and blamed the venue for unsanitary conditions and that they weren’t coming back. Well, that moved like wild fire through the audience with everyone on their phones. The band wanted the fans to get mad at the venue but instead the fans got mad at the band and started calling them the Queens of Leon. We closed up and locked down the box office as we didn’t have enough money there for refunds. We called the police and let them know to stand by. We were lucky as everyone just slowly left and we offered to refund their tickets at their point of sale.

CMB: Do you have any words of advice to bands just getting started on touring?

JP: Yes. Don’t be that asshole-band who breaks things and acts entitled. Just go out and play your heart out. Work hard, and once you think you’ve worked hard, then work harder! You know, don’t be stupid. A long time ago I saw a band go out with their band passes on, handing out joints to the front of the line, thinking that was cool. Security stopped them and I just wanted to smack them on the forehead. There are liability issues, legal issues to deal with when people do stupid stuff.  Oh and on a positive note, show some initiative, start conversations with the staff, and most of all say Thank you to the venues, a simple e-mail or card might get you back on the marquee someday.

Eric Pirritt

Job title- President – Live Nation Colorado / Rocky Mountains. 

Eric works in the corporate office in Denver. He has a quiet unassuming presence. He could walk in to any room and comfortably talk to people in any position and they would not know that they just joked around with the president. He is the Clark Kent of the local music scene, generally clad in a t-shirt and baseball cap. The fun part of this ease is watching people find out he is the most powerful guy in the room. He has a wealth of experience as a booker and/or promoter for The Fox Theater in Boulder, AEG, and was the president and head talent buyer for his own promotion company ENDIT! Presents. In his pursuit of making the magic happen Eric retained his position of manager of the abundantly popular band STS9.

CMB: Can you give a brief description of your job for our readers?

EP: I Pretty much run the show with my team here. I’m involved in every aspect of the day-to-day here in the office. I primarily am responsible for booking all of our shows in the region.

CMB: What was your first job?

EP: In the music business? Working for “Nobody in Particular Presents” who at the time was booking the Ogden and Bluebird Theatres as well as various shows at Red Rocks. My first job ever was stacking paint cans at a hardware store.

CMB: Where did you grow up?

EP: Connecticut with a dash of Scotland and Denmark.

CMB: What is your educational background?

EP: I Graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Marketing and Finance.

CMB: Did you play sports, games, an instrument….

EP: Dabbled in sports up to my teens, then rock-n-roll took over and I needed a job instead to pay for all the music and traveling we did.

CMB: How did you get started in the music business?

EP: Well, what made me want to do this was being inspired by following the Grateful Dead around the country. I was amazed at the amount of work that went into the shows from the band and their management’s point of view. I was intrigued from my first show on. Obsessed I would say. 

CMB: What was your first job with Live Nation?

EP: I hung up posters everywhere tape would stick.

CMB: What is your favorite thing about your position?

EP: Seeing thousands of people having the night of their lives thanks to my hard work.

Patrick Siller

Title- Production Manager – Promoter Representative for Live Nation Rocky Mountain Music

Patrick, a young man of 28, has the dark brooding good looks of a Calvin Klein men’s underwear model; what the hell he is doing backstage rather than on stage is beyond me. Now, don’t think for a second that he doesn’t know what he is doing, because this guy is an accomplished production manager. He oversees the production of every show in the region. Patrick doesn’t waste words; in the office he saves his jewels of wisdom for the show. This interview took place on a show day, in his office. There were a few interruptions as expected. The T.V. was on in the background, sports of course and Patrick wore his usual Redwings jacket and a Spartan hockey t-shirt. A blue candle sat burning on the corner of his desk.

CMB: Can you tell our readers what your position entails?

PS: I oversee all production aspects of every show that is booked in our region, or the majority of shows that are booked in our region. I act as a liaison between the tour, the venue, and the promoter, who are all working simultaneously to assure we have a successful show, as far as production is concerned.

CMB: How did you get started in your position?

PS: I started out as a runner, a very important position at every show. It is basically someone that runs and locates the needs of the tour and the house. They run and pickup or drop off things that are off site of where the show is taking place. It is a great way to get started in the business; you get to see what everyone does and you might feel comfortable enough to try to do something else.

CMB: How did you get into production?

PS: I was approached by “brass” in Detroit, who asked me if I was interested in learning how to do what we do, I said yes and we started the process. I’ve been doing this about seven years now.

CMB: What did you do before you got into music?

PS: I am a professional photographer.
CMB: Were you shooting music?

PS: Partially, it wasn’t solely what I did. I would do concert photography occasionally.

CMB- Did you go to college?

PS: Yes, I went to Central Michigan University and I have a Bachelor’s of Science in journalism and communications.

CMB: Do you want to do the interview? (laughing)

PS: I could, I’ve done a lot of them.

CMB: So what is one of the weirdest things you’ve seen backstage or have done for production?

PS: Um, well.. (he paused and sighed) I had to build stripper poles for Kid Rock; that was pretty interesting. Marilyn Manson usually brings certain things that are unique from other artists. That’s one of the reasons I love my job, each day is different and each day lends itself to new possibilities, and adventures and there’s something new around every corner. Each artist is different and each artist has different needs.

CMB: What do you think is one of the worst production set ups that interfered with an artist’s performance?

PS: What do you mean?

CMB: Well, something that the artist struggles with, like they just put Tommy Lee on a rollercoaster, does he come off that wanting to vomit? Have you seen that kind of issue?

PS: I don’t know. You see most artists rehearse so much that when they go on the road and they have larger production they tend to know what is going on fairly well. I find that pyrotechnics tend to effect the artist more than anything simply just because it is such a jarring thing when compressions go off. Frankly I’ve come across more artists having an issue with the edge of the stage more so than anything else, just because they aren’t paying attention and don’t know where it is, so they almost fall off or actually fall off. I see that more often than anything else

CMB: Several artists have fallen off the stage. How long does that tend to delay a show?

PS: It depends on if the artist is injured. I’ve seen them stumble on stage or off the stage and they don’t even stop singing, especially if it is someone professional like Beyoncé. She will trip in a dance move or something like that and she is so professional that she doesn’t even miss a beat. If someone falls off the front of the stage and gets seriously hurt the show could be over.

CMB: Have you experienced that?

PS: No, I have not had a show cancellation due to that, no. I’ve only dealt with an embarrassed lead singer.

CMB: Being in charge of production is such a huge responsibility and working with so many people, what are some of the things that you need to do to keep you on top of everything throughout the course of a show day?  (awkward pause) If someone wanted to do what your job what would they need to do?

PS: You have to be very organized every day. You can’t just worry about your next show. You have to worry about your next five shows, or your next ten shows. You have to have a very large scope and vision as to what is coming up, what you are planning on and what you have to do in order to finish and be ready for your next show and also your next bunch. When you get into a busy week or a busy season, you have so many shows that if you’re not prepared, or you’re not organized than things can certainly fall through the cracks and that is where you run into your bigger issues.

CMB: What do you do personally to prepare when you have a bunch of shows together?

PS: It is incredible to realize what my body has become accustomed to, just simply from lack of sleep and long days. I try to eat right, and take vitamins just to stay ahead of the game. But really you don’t get as stressed out if you’re organized. If I am prepared for my next three shows and I have three shows in a row, I am not as worried. I know I am taken care of, as I prepared well for all three of them.

CMB: Were you a boy scout?

PS: (laughs) I was, yeah.

CMB: Did that help?

PS: Sure.

CMB: Did anything else help you from when you grew up?

PS: Well, I had a lot of jobs, and I think that each job added something. It might be that one job I learned how to carry myself appropriately in the workforce. As different as my jobs were from where I am now, each job has led me to where I am today, so yeah.

CMB: Where did you grow up?

PS: In the greater metro Detroit area.

CMB: How long have you been in Colorado?

PS: About seven or eight months now.

CMB: Do you miss Detroit?

PS: Sometimes. I miss some people; I miss some sports teams. I miss being near family but I wanted a new chapter, so that’s part of what led me out here.

CMB: Do you have any fun backstage stories you want to share with our readers?

PS: Backstage is like Vegas, what happens backstage stays backstage. You remain professional, and you keep it to yourself. You see if you gabbed about all of the things you’ve seen you wouldn’t be very well liked. But, I will say that backstage is very boring, nine times out of ten it is just people working. It’s not what people think it is. I don’t even really have any “fun” backstage stories but even if I did I wouldn’t’ talk about them because I will probably see that person again eventually at the next show.

CMB: If you were going to pay to go see someone perform who would it be?

PS: Foo Fighters, that’s probably who is alive and playing right now that I get most excited to see.

CMB: Final question- If someone wanted to do your job, do you have any suggestions for him or her?

PS: You have to find a way to get noticed. You have to work a small role, whether it’s bartending, guest services, or cleaning crew. You don’t start where I am, as I’ve been doing this for seven years now. You don’t start where Joe or Sean are, you have to know the small things as well as the big. You work, stagehand or runner and you work really hard and then you express your interest to do more and you’ll get more responsibility and you work your way up.

We stopped the interview as the phones were blowing up with calls from people wanting to attend the sold out show. I needed to get back to work and so did Patrick. Joe was busily hanging signs and getting ready for doors, Sean was talking to the band’s manager explaining how he couldn’t for safety reasons, turn off the house lights completely. Outside the line wrapped around the block, and the Electronic Dance Music crowd chatted away with eager excitement waiting for the show. The medics, police officers, and firemen signed in for the night’s shift, and security had their briefing. The energy in the air was tangible; it was going to be another great night for live entertainment.

If you want to work in the world of music, do it, even if you have to sweep up confetti, work security, or as I do, answer the phones. This article was a year in the making and I am still learning, watching and listening. Live Nation is a great place to work and for concertgoers, artists, photographers, and fans, it is also great place to play.