2. 2016
Molly Cotter
Expectations are weird. You don’twant to set your expectations too high
for fear of disappointment. But you don’twant to set them too low either, because
then you could be shorting yourself.
The Happy Together Tour was something I knew about since I arrived at
Belmont my freshman year. All through freshman and sophomoreyear I had these
ideas and thoughts of what it was and what it could be.
“It’s like showcase-minus 100 people-times 15 days.”
“It’s a giant sleepover with 10 strangers who go to the same schoolas you.”
“It’s like being an intern but on tour.”
“It’s like a 3 week class with no breaks, and you basically live with your teacher
and his friends.”
“I’m not sure if I’m right for this. I can’t do anything technical. I don’tknow what
all the different notes are!”
“Darn, I didn’t get it this year. Junior year will be the one!”
So by May of sophomoreyear I was preparing for a summer of working and
visiting home. But one day I received a call during class letting me know that
someone was unable to go on the tour and I was next in line. All of the sudden I
had a tour to prepare for and information to catch up on (but I guess that’s how it
works in the real world. If someone can’t fulfill a position they call the next
capable person). I had no idea that this was going to make my summer and frankly
my time in college.
I expected to meet some like-minded people from Belmont, some artists my
parents would love, and some people who had incredible stories. I met people I
never would have met otherwise, was able to see how hard they worked, and once
it was all packed up and the bus was moving, we got to see each other just being
ourselves.
Going into it, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to learn but I knew I
3. was going to be learning a ton. And I definitely did. I knew I wanted to tour but
whether or not I was cut out for it was the question. I figured this was the best way
to see if I was. If the Happy Together Tour isn’t for you, then touring in general
probably isn’t either.
War Memorial Auditorium-Nashville,TN
6/8/16
Todaywas pretty hectic-but in a really good way. We loaded the bus at
Belmont and headed over to War Memorial. We had about 5 minutes for lunch
(catering was on the TPAC stage…) and then we had to rush over to load-in. I tried
to jump right in but at the same time I knew everyone else had a job to do so I also
didn’t want to make their job harder. Also, the first day is a lot of watching so I
would know what to do in the future. However, my experience at Showcase
definitely helped!
My “job” for the day was FOH with JC. He was a really coolguy and was
up to answer any question I had. When everything was set up and we had power,
we made sure everything was working properly, did line checks, and then the band
came down to sound check everything as a whole. JC was saying how with a lot of
rock acts and explained that for the Happy Together Tour, his goal isn’t to show
we he can do on a sound board and blow everyone away with volume, it’s to make
sure vocals are clear, it’s not too loud, and everyone is having a good time.
4. Once the doors opened and people started taking their seats, JC was worried
that there wasn’t going to be enough bodies to absorb the sound and he would have
to collapse everything he had made in order for the volume to be adequate. And
that’s exactly what happened. I really enjoyed watching JC do everything even
though most of it when over my head. I wish I
had more questions to ask but I am so not a
technical person.
With FOH it was also coolto see the
show from the audience’s point of view. It was
awesome to see Mark perform, he’s like a
totally different person on stage. You can tell he
absolutely loves it and the audience loves him.
I’m excited for what the rest of the tour will
bring.
King Center-Melbourne, FL
6/9/16
First night on the bus: done. I wasn’t sure what to expect, people were
comparing it to a cruise but I’ve never been on one so I was pretty much in the
dark (literally…those bunks are pitch black). Lex and I grabbed a super speedy
shower last night. At the time I didn’t realize we were the only ones but I knew I
would feel better if I showered. It took a while to fall asleep, I think partly because
I was getting used to the movement, and also I was pretty wired up from the show.
Nonetheless, when I did wake up I thought it was maybe 8am (you literally have
no clue what time of day it is in those bunks), but nope, it was 11:00 am. We were
still driving and were almost at the Orlando airport to drop our co-driver off.
Load in was scheduled for 1pm but we didn’t get to the venue until 2pm.
Everything was already inside so we helped a bit in setting up the stage. I was
doing merch tonight with Tessaso eventually we made our way out as the jobs got
more focused and they didn’t need our help.
We had our first “class”with Mark and Ron, the tour manager. We talked
about how the tour came to be, all of the work Ronhad to put in in order for it to
happen. He talked about
5. working with agents, advances, their demographics, and more. I’m really excited
for the Clearwater show becauseI’ll be shadowing him.
During the show I was on merch. Tessapretty
much has it down to a science now…at 4:30 we met up
to count-in each piece of merch (counting how much we
were going to put out for that night). Once that was
finished we were free to go for dinner or whatever else
we wanted to do.
During dinner we ended up talking to Billy J Kramer
and his wife for a little bit. Billy talked about how he
got his start back in Liverpool with Brian Epstein and
the Beatles. We even talked about Making a Murder.
His wife was super nice…she’s helping him out on tour
since he just had thumb surgery, but I love her Brooklyn
accent.
Merch was a little hectic, but I really liked it. I
don’tknow if it’s the combination of organization and
dealing with people or what but I’m really excited to do
it again. Tessahas a lot of insight too because she was
in our shoes just a little while ago.
Ruth Eckerd Hall-Melbourne, FL
6/11/16
Todayfelt very chill and quiet. I don’tknow if it was because of our day off
yesterday or the rain this afternoon…
I shadowed Ron, the tour manager today. It was really interesting to watch
him work. He’s done it for so long that he just preps most of it and the rest is
routine. Also because he knows it so well most of the contacts at each venue are
people he’s worked with before.
I watched the show from backstage today. It was coolto see it from a
different perspective. I also love that The Cowsills stay side stage for almost the
entire show singing and dancing to everyone’s set! Really, everyone cheers each
other on and seems to be having the time of their lives.
Load out was pretty quick, I felt like I knew what I was doing this time
around. Also, the load-ins and load-outs for the past few shows have felt like a
breeze because the ramp and stage situation the first night was extremely hectic!
I’m more excited for each show now since I don’t feel so lost.
6. Florida Theatre-
Jacksonville, FL
6/12/16
Load in was smooth…I spent my time on the drum kit since it what I sort of
latched on to from the beginning. The set-up is definitely getting easier! TodayI
was stage with Jason and I feel like I definitely learned the most concrete things. I
learned how to fix a lug in a drum, tune a drum, and tune a guitar. Tuning the
guitar was definitely the most stressful becauseI have literally never held a guitar.
But, I have to say, I felt super accomplished after I (semi) successfully tuned The
Cowsill’s guitars. I also helped with sound check-literally scratching mics, playing
keys, and speaking into mics. I learned that I really hate hearing myself through a
mic…
Jason showed me how to do the effects on the projector and I messed around
with that for a while. Since we were in downtown Jacksonville, I was on the hunt
for coffee. Forgetting it was Sunday, the search was harder than I thought.
Eventually we were successfuland found a place called “Chambelin’s”. It doubled
as a coffee shop and used bookstore/library. I would have spent all day there if I
could.
7. We also talked to Kevin, the venue’s Director of Programming. He was
super insightful about the venue side of things but also about progressing your
career in general. He talked about buying talent, being a non-profit, and his journey
from lighting director. Something he mentioned that I thought was really
interesting was to not be afraid to move. Your abilities and talents and your current
position may not necessarily be the bestoutlet for
them. I don’tknow, it was one of those things that
made me think.
The show itself went great. We had a bit of
a late start after a 15-minute venue hold. I was
slightly nervous at first about the effects but once
I started it was a breeze. I actually really enjoyed
it, I was able to be creative and not have to worry
about messing up.
Working with Jason was cool. I really
admire how much he knows, how good he is at
everything, and also how willing he is to teach us
even if it slows his process down. I never pictured
myself feeling confident about working backstage but after today, I feel like if I
needed to I could definitely do it (after some more practice of course!)
Cobb Energy Center-Atlanta, GA
6/13/16
I am so happy to be out of Florida. Humidity is definitely on my list of
“Things I Hate”. Load-in felt much more routine. Actually, our days feel much
more routine…
wake up
load-in
lunch
find a shower
class
dinner
kill some time
show
load out
I was lighting tonight. During load-in I introduced myself to the LD, he had
no idea there were students on the tour so I think it threw him for a bit. He
explained that it’s a relatively simple show and the projector has enough going on
that there wasn’t much programming needed. I stopped in after lunch to check-in
8. see if there was anything I could pick up on before the show started. He explained
some basics, the type of console(Light Palette), the colors, electrics, and back
lighting. During the show I watched him for a while and helped him pick colors for
each song. For a couple songs and transitions I actually controlled the lights.
Before the show I sort of explored around the venue. We spent a lot of time
in catering talking to Godfrey, Manny, and the new bass player John. I was out by
merch for a bit talking to some of the audience members. I really enjoy talking to
people and seeing how excited they are for the show. I also sat outside for a while
just people watching. I walked around, made my way up to the roof of the parking
garage and got some coolpictures of the Atlanta skyline. Something I sort of knew
about myself, but I think has become more apparent in my participation of this
tour, is I like my alone time. When you’re living with 10 other people on a bus,
eating meals with 30+ people, and in the midst of hundreds of audience members,
20 minutes alone will do you some good!
We also got to hear from Peter, the promoter of the show. He’s actually an
independent promoter which I didn’t realize existed. He takes on all of the risk but
receives the pay off. What I found interesting was that because he essentially
works on a commission, what he puts into the show, he gets out of it. Whereas,
promotion companies (AEG, LiveNation) are paid a salary so no matter how the
show does, those doing the leg work get paid each time. Peter was a really cool,
laid back kind of guy which I loved. He’s worked with The Beach Boys, The
Rolling Stones, Weird Al, and a bunch more doing promotions and merch.
After the show we watched The Goonies, one of my favorite movies. I fell
asleep on a moving bus somewhere in Georgia and woke up on a still bus
somewhere in Virginia…
Mid-Hudson Civic Center-Poughkeepsie, NY
6/15/16
Well, it was nice to be up north again! Not as hot and a little breezy. Tonight
I was merch and since we got an order of new shirts a few dates back, we had to do
some pulling and sorting. It didn’t take too long so we had the rest of the time to
ourselves.
Class today was with Godfrey. He’s a really coolguy and it’s coolto hear
him talk about all that he has done and continues to do. He’s a professional
musician which is like a whole other world to me. He talked about his time on the
road and how when he’s off he tries to create his own work. He plays in multiple
bands, leads bands (like the Happy Together Tour), and does his own shows
around NY.
9. I love getting to hear from people who work in all facets of the industry, it
opens up so many possibilities for the future.
The actual show went well. We sold a decent amount of merch and I fully
understand the settlement now. It’s crazy how splits are so different everywhere
though.
Beacon Theater-New York, NY
6/16/16
Ah, New York. I have a love/hate relationship with you.
First getting into the city we grabbed our stuff and rushed off the bus as we parked
right on Broadway. It took a while to find our way into the venue but when we did,
we were met with an old building and an elevator operator. We had a dressing
room on the 7th floor to keep our stuff for the day.
Because the theater, like most of NYC, was unionized, there was very little
we could do. We couldn’t load-in or touch any of the cases. We couldn’t even sell
mercy. I understand why that’s the way it is and everything but it’s frustrated to
stand by and do nothing but watch.
Lunch and dinner were walk-away. Lex and I went for a walk and ended up
finding a place with great coffee. When we got back to the venue there were
already people waiting outside for the artists. I was photographer so I snapped a
few shots of the stage being set-up and also of the theater itself.
With more time to kill we grabbed some lunch at an Italian place across the
street. A few of us went to a museum and some of us grabbed ice cream. Basically,
today was a day full of eating and by the end I kind of hated myself…
10. During the show I was able to snap some pictures from side stage but I was
very limited in where I could go. It took me a bit to get the hang of the camera and
the lighting but by the time Mark Lindsay came on I got some good pictures. Of
course, the camera died as soonas the finale started though….
Overall it was a pretty good day, we got a taste of the union life and got to
scopeout the city for our day off.
Park Theater-Cranston, RI
6/17/16
Whew. I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been writing though! Wi-fi has been
spottyand we’ve been going and going and going (not complaining!)
I was stage again tonight. Brittany was also stage so we decided I would do
the first half and she would do the second. It was super easy this time as far as the
effects. I knew what I was doing so I kind of just got creative with it. I had tune a
guitar again. Despite knowing what to do, I still get freaked out doing it. I guess
that’s the non-musician in me.
I liked this show too because I got to help with staging and stuff during the
second half. I helped with Mark Lindsay’s jacket switch, brought out the mics for
The Turtles and the finale. I also picked up the drumsticks and take away the Adele
get up.
Once I catch up, I promise to stay on top of the things (hopefully).
11. NYCB Theater-Westbury, NY
6/18/16
The rotating stage!
The day didn’t start out the best though…we had a bit of an “accident” that
afternoon that resulted in a hospital trip. Things were a little off all day but in the
end, it all worked out well, everyone is okay, and the show went on without a
hitch.
Load-in was a little tense. We weren’t sure what exactly we could touch and
how much we could really do. I did get to shower though, so no complaints! The
food was awesome (eggplant rolitini!) The place was run by Kerri and we actually
got to meet her for our class that day. She is literally a one woman show. She is the
production manager for the theater and rules with an iron fist (in a good way
though)!
She talked about growing up in Greece and transitioning from wanting to be
a police officer to a productionmanager. She started off as a runner and climbed
the ladder from there. She encouraged us to ask questions all the time as we
continue on and to not let anyone talk us down. She was really awesome, someone
I really admired but slightly feared…
12. I was merch and it went really well. We sold a lot more than we expected
and it was something we really needed because some of the other shows hadn’t
been that lucrative. Tessalet us take controlof count-in which was cool. I really
love talking to all the people and seeing how excited they are to see these artists.
Tarrytown Music Hall-Tarrytown, NY
6/19/16
Right off the bat I loved this place. Everyone that worked there was
incredibly nice and helpful. Not to mention right next doorwas a really good
coffee place that I hit up twice! The venue was small but homey.
I was monitors with Alejandro which was both exciting and scary. I knew
minimal things about sound and cable but I was ready to learn something new.
Alejandro was awesome, he really is a great teacher. He had graphics, and
explained things clearly but definitely let me take a hands-on approach. It was
weird but by being there and doing it, it was like everything from my Recording
Technology class came together. I was hesitant to mix anything but I got to listen
to Billy and Mark’s monitors which was really cool.
13. St. George Theater-
Staten Island, NY
6/21/16
Wow this theater was old. I was the photographer so I tried to take pictures
of everything I could. The first time I did photography it was extremely
mediocre…everything was blurry, the lighting was off, honestly I could have taken
better pictures with my iPhone.
14. Anyway, when we first got there we met Vincent. He worked at the venue
and was totally accommodating about the pictures. He essentially told me I could
go anywhere in the venue for pictures-just try and stay out of everyone’s way. He
even brought us up to the projection room that had all of the old spotlights and
movie reels.
During our down time I was able to
hang with my parents! They came up for the
show which was really cool. We grabbed a bite
to eat and caught up before I had to get back.
Keswick Theater-Glenside, PA
6/22/16
Thankfully some more good coffee. I was merch today and we had to do a
bit of switching around. We grabbed stuff from our bus to refill the bins, and tried
to consolidate.
We had a nice little set-up in the lobby with clothes pins to hang things,
bags, CD/Book stands, and we broke out the mannequins for this one. Surprisingly,
we did pretty well! My favorite part of the night was this woman who must have
15. been the biggest Billy J Kramer fan. She brought his bookthat she had bought and
was wondering if he’d be out signing stuff. I explained to her that none of the
artists really come out after but I offered to try and get it signed. I knew Billy
wouldn’t mind so I found him during the second part of the show. After the show
she came back sortof expecting to be let down. When I told her we got it her eyes
lit up and she was so happy. She couldn’t have been more grateful and I was so
happy I was able to
help make it happen!
Pike’s Peak-Jim
Thorpe, PA
6/23/16
I woke up in Jim Thorpe, PA today to see that we were literally on top of a
mountain. Once we stepped off the bus my day started as I was with Ron. This was
a venue the crew knew so it was a big shower and laundry day for everyone.
The wi-fi was a little spotty, at least on Ron’s computerand trying to get it to work
was nearly impossible. Eventually we gave up and went on through the day
without it. It was pretty typical-assigning dressing rooms, hanging up schedules,
etc. Around dinner I spent a pretty hefty time on the phone with folks in Hampton
16. Beach trying to arrange rides for those who had to be at the airport after the last
show. Let me just say it was much harder than expected! A bit frustrating too.
Eventually we figured uber would be cheapest.
I learned that it’s the crazy little things like that that Rondeals with on the
daily. Everyday is just a different set of problems that needs to be solved. It keeps
you on your toes though!
We also got to hear from Chuck Negron which was absolutely awesome. We
heard is story, the rise of Three Dog Night and got to know him a bit better.
The American Theater-Lancaster, PA
6/24/16
Picture Day!! Everyone went straight to the venue today (artists included) in
order to take the big group photo. Today was also the day we got to hear from
Howard. Howard is such an interesting dude. I absolutely love his outlook on life
and the stories he has are incredible. One thing he mentioned that I believe is worth
thinking about is “don’thave a plan B”. He explained that if it’s what you love and
want there is no need for a back up plan. As soonas you have another option, you
begin to slightly neglect your main goal. The time and energy going into the “just
in case” effects the “ultimate goal”. I translated this into take things as as they
come. If I’m really not meant to do this, I’ll take care of it upon that realization.
17. Even when injured, and talking about some deep, real-life things, Howard
still has a great sense of humor. It definitely started the day off on a good note.
Lynn Memorial Auditorium-Lynn, MA
6/25/16
Todaywe spokewith the crew-JC, Jason, and Alejandro. It’s sort of funny
that they were our last class; we worked closestwith them this whole tour and I
sort of felt like I already knew their stories of how they got where they are, and
what it’s like being on the crew side of touring.
I think almost everyone can sort of sense the sluggishness in the air. We only
have one more show and it’s sad that we’re almost done. I think everyone on the
tour is sad to see us go but they’re excited as well because this is also the last show
of the 1st leg, so they are all going to home to see their families and friends.
18. Todaywas also the first time in a while that I was in an actual car. There
were a few things missing from dressing rooms and we needed some new bandages
for Howard. I’m not eactly
sure how but somehow I
ended up being that person.
I looked all over creation
for a supermarket-the
people at the venue sent me
somewhere that was closed.
Eventually, the runner just
had to drive me to a Stop
and Shop that was 5
minutes away. For
something that should have
been really simple, it was
pretty stressful. But it all
worked out in the end.
Hampton Beach
Casino-Hampton Beach, NH
6/26/16
The last day . It’s exciting to be by the beach. The town itself reminds me
of home. It took a while to navigate ourselves in-the streets are busyas people
make their way to the beach and trying to get a tour bus into a small driveway in
the back of the casino is no small feat. (Shout out to all of the bus drivers on this
tour).
We didn’t have class today-Mark wanted to give us a chance to enjoy the
beach and “boardwalk”. However, we did kind of have one last meeting to wrap up
19. the tour, say thank yous, and get the rundown on this paper.
I was merch for the night but the venue did the selling so once we got it
inside we were pretty much free. Of courseI found some good coffee, saw the
crazy sand sculptures and made the rounds of goodbyes/thank yous just in case I
didn’t see people after the show.
The whole time though-weighing on my mind was the dreadful fact that I
had to go on stage for the finale. A few people were excited about it and a few
were like me; “just stay in the back, get behind someone”.
All in all, it wasn’t the worst thing but I can’t say it was my favorite. As the
show wrapped up we went to get the merch and settle. Unfortunately, the person
selling didn’t sell the merch at the correctprices which was extremely frustrating
and translated into us losing moving.
Reflecting backon the tour, it was such an incredible experience that I
will never forget. I learned so many things about music, the business, people, and
places. However, there were definitely a few personal things I checked off; how to
tune a guitar, how to tune a drum, putting together a drum kit, sound itself and all
of the splitters and cables involved, and propertour bus etiquette.
I also learned a lot about myself. I like to have time to myself-a nap in my
bunk is perfect. I also discovered I am excellent at locating and fitting in a shower
fairly often. I’m pretty good at staying healthy on tour, but if there’s chocolate chip
20. cookies anywhere in catering I will definitely be taking one. I learned how to live
with people I didn’t know and didn’t necessarily click with on a close level, which
is perfectly fine! As long as you are someone others don’tmind being around, you
have a chance in the music business.
I had wanted to get a feel for the technical aspect of live shows as that’s an
area I’m not well-versed in. I think I can say I definitely accomplished that. I feel
like if it came down to it, I could run a lighting board-it wouldn’t be a very
complex light show or anything unique but I could manage it. I’m still dabbling in
sound but I can absolutely set up mics and in-puts in any situation. And I think at
this stage in my career and my current goals, I’m in a good place.
Touring is definitely something I want to do again in my life- I could
absolutely make a career out of it. However, I do feel a little bit at a disadvantage;
my first tour was on a huge tour bus with a
noon load-in. For most a first tour is in a van or
a not so great bus. And most load-ins start at 8
or 9 am. I can rough it though! Going into this
experience I knew I was living “the high life”
in terms of touring.
This entire experience is something I
will always carry with me. I can’t say enough
“thank yous” to all of the people that make this
work-Belmont, Curb College, Paradise Artists,
Ron, Lucas, and of course Mr. Mark Volman. I
also want to extend a formal thank you to the
entire Happy Together Tour crew and artists
for welcoming all of us, answering our
questions, being patient with our mistakes, and
being like our family.
