1. Indiana Supreme
Court Rules Against
Mid-America Sound on
Liability Issue
East Coast Blizzard
Shuts Down Broadway,
Other Live Shows
High End Systems and
LightParts Expand
Service Agreement
News Spotlight
Vol. 17.01
February, 2016
7
7
7
Designer Insights
Oli Metcalfe and Muse’s Drones Tour
Wide Focus
Fresh ideas for Tool’s latest trek
24 30 70
Video Road Test
Elation’s eMotion Digital Projector
WHAT’S HOT
PROJECTION CONNECTION p. 63
35
2. plsn.com • FEBRUARY 2016 59
S
tephen Gudis is one of those select peo-
ple in Nashville that you can truly call a
“Man about Town.”There’s nobody that’s
been in the live event biz around Nashville for
any length of time who hasn’t crossed paths
with this guy.While the same can be said about
most seasoned touring veterans on the music
scene, one thing that sets“Gudis,”as he’s affec-
tionately referred to, apart is that he’s worn just
about all the hats…
Raised outside of the Knoxville area, he
was in the music business before he graduat-
ed high school. Like many, he started out in
a band, as a drummer. But he soon found he
could make more money booking the band
than playing in it.
Bythetimehewas17yearsoldhewasbook-
ing shows around the University of Tennessee
under his own agency. Upon graduation he
went to work for a radio station in the promo-
tions department. When tours came through
Knoxville he became the local promoter rep,
before the term existed in the music business.
He found creative ways to get the job done, in-
cluding renting limousines from the local funer-
al home to chauffeur stars. Within a few years,
Gudis had worked regional tours with Sonny
and Cher, Blood Sweat and Tears, BJ Thomas
andThe Grassroots, to name a few.
PLSN:What was you first full-time job?
Stephen Gudis: I took a job working for
the Lashinsky Brothers’ National Shows. They
were concert promoters. I moved to Charles-
ton, West Virginia to represent the shows they
booked. I was responsible for hiring the sound
and lighting for every gig we promoted. There
were no backstage caterers at the time, so I had
to find a way to handle the catering riders. This
often meant I was just trying to scrounge up
some good local food.
Sounds like a lot of work.
Touring was a different animal at that time.
Back then a tour might carry a road manager,
a soundman and a single backline tech, if you
were lucky. We would do about a week’s worth
of gigs all over the Southeast with a band and
then they would head out with the next pro-
moter in another region. I would move on to
the next band entering our region
Is it true that you have worked with Charlie
Daniels for decades now?
I used to work for Joe Sullivan, his first
manager. I’ve known Charlie since his first big
record and worked with him on the first Volun-
teer Jam and many, many special events since
then. In the early days, we had six semis full of
gear, which was huge back then. Most recent-
ly, I stage-managed the 40th Volunteer Jam in
Nashville.The CDB are like family to me.
But eventually you left West Virginia and
came back toTennessee?
Yes, I returned to Knoxville and started my
own entertainment services company. I went
on tour with the likes ofWaylon [Jennings] and
Willie [Nelson] as a stage manager, promoter
rep and“jack-of-all-trades.”Then Knoxville host-
ed the [1982] World’s Fair, and it was a huge
opportunity for me, serving as one of the En-
tertainment Directors.That experience opened
many doors for me, and in many directions.
But still catering to the entertainment busi-
ness?
Yes, I did a bunch of television work just as
all the Country Music Award shows were gain-
ing in popularity. I ended up doing a lot of dif-
ferent work in Florida. I did film work for what
was referred to as Hollywood East, in Orlando.
I did gigs like Roller Jam shoots and NewYear’s
Eve shows from Sea World. Shows that were
connected toTNN [The Nashville Network].
By the late 80’s you migrated to Nashville?
In 1989, I started working with Pace Con-
certs, which booked the shows at Starwood
Amphitheater. I became the in-house produc-
tion manager. Pace concerts booked shows all
over the Southeast, so I also traveled for them
as a promoter rep.
How long were you at Starwood?
I worked there for four years straight.
By 1993, sponsorship for tours had come
around in a big way. Productions got big-
ger, as did festivals. In the mid 90’s I got in-
volved with working on these giant Country
Fest and Rock Fest shows that would play
on huge speedways in Atlanta and Texas.
I’m talking about close to a quarter million
fans attending a single event. Today, we see
this often, as festivals keep popping up ev-
erywhere, but back then a crowd that size
was unheard of. As the production manag-
er, I was involved with every facet of those
shows. A company called TBA opened in
Nashville about that time, and they helped
bridge corporate sponsorship with live en-
tertainment. They had a lot of divisions, and
I found myself called on for lots of their proj-
ects.
How did your current company start up?
I opened The Production Dept., LLC in
1995. We handle a wide array of productions,
including large music festivals, corporate con-
cert events, record label promotional events,
Farm Aid, and most recently, the Dailey and
Vincent show with Travis TV for RFD TV.
Does that mean you are off the road your-
self?
Not sure that will ever happen, because I
still love touring. Last year, I helped my friend
(country star) Jamey Johnson transition after
leaving his record label. This included every-
thing from helping him with the selection of a
new agent, tour managing, production man-
aging, and more for six months.
What has the Production Department
been up to in Nashville this month?
This month we’re deep into Hockey down
here in Nashville. The NHL is holding its an-
nual All-Star game here. Our Arena is right
downtown, and we have an Exhibition Hall
at the Music City Center that will feature the
Honda Concert Stage. I am serving as the pro-
duction manager for that stage.
The Production Department seems to have
their fingers in a lot of pies.
I like to think there’s no event we can’t
handle with the support of our many produc-
tion partners. In addition, we are fortunate
to work on a variety of projects. We produce
fundraisers and charity shows. A big part of
my job is consulting with band managers and
agents on every facet of the live event busi-
ness on behalf of their artists. If there’s one
thing I’m known for it’s using my skills, experi-
ence and relationships to keep an eye on the
bottom line and cut the best deals, minimiz-
ing costs and reducing stress for my clients.
That’s kept me gainfully employed for over 40
years.
Stephen and his wife, Beth Anne Musiker, reside
in Nashville. You can reach the Production De-
partment, LLC. at proddept@gmail.com.
NASHVILLEINTERVIEW
ILLUSTRATIONBYANDYAU
Nook Chats with The Production Department’s Man About Town
By NookSchoenfeld
![plsn.com • FEBRUARY 2016 59
S
tephen Gudis is one of those select peo-
ple in Nashville that you can truly call a
“Man about Town.”There’s nobody that’s
been in the live event biz around Nashville for
any length of time who hasn’t crossed paths
with this guy.While the same can be said about
most seasoned touring veterans on the music
scene, one thing that sets“Gudis,”as he’s affec-
tionately referred to, apart is that he’s worn just
about all the hats…
Raised outside of the Knoxville area, he
was in the music business before he graduat-
ed high school. Like many, he started out in
a band, as a drummer. But he soon found he
could make more money booking the band
than playing in it.
Bythetimehewas17yearsoldhewasbook-
ing shows around the University of Tennessee
under his own agency. Upon graduation he
went to work for a radio station in the promo-
tions department. When tours came through
Knoxville he became the local promoter rep,
before the term existed in the music business.
He found creative ways to get the job done, in-
cluding renting limousines from the local funer-
al home to chauffeur stars. Within a few years,
Gudis had worked regional tours with Sonny
and Cher, Blood Sweat and Tears, BJ Thomas
andThe Grassroots, to name a few.
PLSN:What was you first full-time job?
Stephen Gudis: I took a job working for
the Lashinsky Brothers’ National Shows. They
were concert promoters. I moved to Charles-
ton, West Virginia to represent the shows they
booked. I was responsible for hiring the sound
and lighting for every gig we promoted. There
were no backstage caterers at the time, so I had
to find a way to handle the catering riders. This
often meant I was just trying to scrounge up
some good local food.
Sounds like a lot of work.
Touring was a different animal at that time.
Back then a tour might carry a road manager,
a soundman and a single backline tech, if you
were lucky. We would do about a week’s worth
of gigs all over the Southeast with a band and
then they would head out with the next pro-
moter in another region. I would move on to
the next band entering our region
Is it true that you have worked with Charlie
Daniels for decades now?
I used to work for Joe Sullivan, his first
manager. I’ve known Charlie since his first big
record and worked with him on the first Volun-
teer Jam and many, many special events since
then. In the early days, we had six semis full of
gear, which was huge back then. Most recent-
ly, I stage-managed the 40th Volunteer Jam in
Nashville.The CDB are like family to me.
But eventually you left West Virginia and
came back toTennessee?
Yes, I returned to Knoxville and started my
own entertainment services company. I went
on tour with the likes ofWaylon [Jennings] and
Willie [Nelson] as a stage manager, promoter
rep and“jack-of-all-trades.”Then Knoxville host-
ed the [1982] World’s Fair, and it was a huge
opportunity for me, serving as one of the En-
tertainment Directors.That experience opened
many doors for me, and in many directions.
But still catering to the entertainment busi-
ness?
Yes, I did a bunch of television work just as
all the Country Music Award shows were gain-
ing in popularity. I ended up doing a lot of dif-
ferent work in Florida. I did film work for what
was referred to as Hollywood East, in Orlando.
I did gigs like Roller Jam shoots and NewYear’s
Eve shows from Sea World. Shows that were
connected toTNN [The Nashville Network].
By the late 80’s you migrated to Nashville?
In 1989, I started working with Pace Con-
certs, which booked the shows at Starwood
Amphitheater. I became the in-house produc-
tion manager. Pace concerts booked shows all
over the Southeast, so I also traveled for them
as a promoter rep.
How long were you at Starwood?
I worked there for four years straight.
By 1993, sponsorship for tours had come
around in a big way. Productions got big-
ger, as did festivals. In the mid 90’s I got in-
volved with working on these giant Country
Fest and Rock Fest shows that would play
on huge speedways in Atlanta and Texas.
I’m talking about close to a quarter million
fans attending a single event. Today, we see
this often, as festivals keep popping up ev-
erywhere, but back then a crowd that size
was unheard of. As the production manag-
er, I was involved with every facet of those
shows. A company called TBA opened in
Nashville about that time, and they helped
bridge corporate sponsorship with live en-
tertainment. They had a lot of divisions, and
I found myself called on for lots of their proj-
ects.
How did your current company start up?
I opened The Production Dept., LLC in
1995. We handle a wide array of productions,
including large music festivals, corporate con-
cert events, record label promotional events,
Farm Aid, and most recently, the Dailey and
Vincent show with Travis TV for RFD TV.
Does that mean you are off the road your-
self?
Not sure that will ever happen, because I
still love touring. Last year, I helped my friend
(country star) Jamey Johnson transition after
leaving his record label. This included every-
thing from helping him with the selection of a
new agent, tour managing, production man-
aging, and more for six months.
What has the Production Department
been up to in Nashville this month?
This month we’re deep into Hockey down
here in Nashville. The NHL is holding its an-
nual All-Star game here. Our Arena is right
downtown, and we have an Exhibition Hall
at the Music City Center that will feature the
Honda Concert Stage. I am serving as the pro-
duction manager for that stage.
The Production Department seems to have
their fingers in a lot of pies.
I like to think there’s no event we can’t
handle with the support of our many produc-
tion partners. In addition, we are fortunate
to work on a variety of projects. We produce
fundraisers and charity shows. A big part of
my job is consulting with band managers and
agents on every facet of the live event busi-
ness on behalf of their artists. If there’s one
thing I’m known for it’s using my skills, experi-
ence and relationships to keep an eye on the
bottom line and cut the best deals, minimiz-
ing costs and reducing stress for my clients.
That’s kept me gainfully employed for over 40
years.
Stephen and his wife, Beth Anne Musiker, reside
in Nashville. You can reach the Production De-
partment, LLC. at proddept@gmail.com.
NASHVILLEINTERVIEW
ILLUSTRATIONBYANDYAU
Nook Chats with The Production Department’s Man About Town
By NookSchoenfeld](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)