Workin' for the Weekend

I was very hesitant to write on here from the hard stance that Caleb took on Tricia's blog, but since he has "un-shuned" the blog world, I figured I could write one as well. I will spare each of you from a majority of my ramblings and leave this mostly to Laurette, but every now and then I will join the fun.

As most of you know music is a large part of my life, I have tried to make a career out of it and who knows where it will take me, but this week I have come across a developing trend that I would like to share, just because I think it is funny. When you book an artist for a show along with the contract for the event comes a Rider. The rider is full of many different rock-star'esk request, and you can usually tell how far an artist has there head up their booty from these riders. They all have them and it is just part of the game. For instance, Mariah Carey asks for fresh flowers and stuffed teddy bears in her dressing room. Even my man Jimmy Buffett asked to be the first person served in line when catering for his 80 person crew. I don’t want to look like a traitor in the business, so rather then tell you a ton of awful request, you can check out some of your favorite artists on your own time here...Artist Riders.

Anyway, right now I work in corporate entertainment booking talent for white collar companies that want to give their employees a little break from the cubicles and corner offices and let them loosen their ties and drink at open bars in lavish hotels in cities like Vegas, Orlando, and others. The trend I have found is now a lot of artists are asking for additional perks other then rider request. And why not, they are being paid stupid money to play for middle/upper class 30-40 something’s. I think it is great, for instance Huey Lewis has so many request from corporate execs wanting to play a few rounds of golf that he is now charging 20,000 a game. Way to go Huey now that is capitalism, and also "The Heart of Rock and Roll"! Anyway as I sit here my next task after this is to contact a golf course in Orlando and find out prices on a round of Golf for 6 for a Smokey Robinson show. Smokey may be even smarter then Huey. Instead of having to listen to 4 execs talk about how much they loved rocking out to your hit tunes in the 80's, good ole Smokey has it included in his contract that you will provide a round of golf. No execs bugging you, and free golf all day.

On another note, Summer festival season is rolling around and i am getting very excited about the idea of dragging Laurette all across the south to several random Music festivals. Probably the one i am most excited for is the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Potts Camp, MS. This will be a big family reunion of blues musicians where BBQ goat will be served in the hundreds and the characters will be just as plentiful. Here is one of those characters....Jimbo Mathis

Jimbo is an amazing blues musician and producer from Clarksdale, MS. In fact he produced Elvis Costello's latest Grammy nominated album and somewhere along the way started the swing/punk band The Squirrel Nut Zippers (random). He is just one of the many characters we will run across. I cannot wait to introduce Laurette into this world. If anyone would like to join us it will be the last weekend in June, right outside of Holly Springs, MS. I'll bring the moonshine!