When the Planes Stood Still

At The Riviera Theater in Chicago - 1994

Some songs are instant hits on the radio, some take time to develop before they gain mass appeal and others seem to pop up out of nowhere.  These left field hits also fall into different categories.  Afroman had "I Want to get High" but it was labeled as a novelty track.  Cee-Lo Green released "Fuck You" - which I understand was never even slated to be released as a single to radio but was quickly edited and became the radio-friendly smash "Forget You."  But every once in a while through events that happen nationally or internationally, a song attaches itself organically that helps bring definition to what has happened.  It is as though the song was written for the event itself even though it was written under a completely different context. 

On Monday, September 10th, I was heading to Midway Airport in Chicago to pick up Ed Kowalcyzk from the band LIVE and Darren Eggleston, my VP of Modern Rock Promotion at MCA Records.  LIVE's new album V was being released the next day and Ed and Darren had been out on the road visiting radio stations as part of a promotional tour for the album's release.  "Simple Creed" was the first single released at Modern and Active Rock radio but it had been struggling to gain traction.  LIVE had charted 6 songs on the Modern Rock charts from its previous two releases including "Lakini's Juice" and "Turn My Head" from their 1997 release Secret Samadhi and "Dolphin's Cry" and "Run to the Water" from their 1999 release, The Distance to Here.   LIVE had a lot of friends at radio, so in anticipation of this release, MCA thought it was important to get up close and personal with radio again with the help of Ed - who was the band's lead singer and the band's most recognized personality.  This radio tour would hopefully keep the momentum moving forward on "Simple Creed" while also promoting the release of V.

Ed, Darren and I packed their luggage and Ed's guitar in the back of my Mini-Van and headed over to Q101 in Chicago.  The station had requested that Ed be on the air with Mancow but because of the travel itinerary, we were not able to get Ed to the station until mid-day.  Q101 was playing "Simple Creed" but they weren't really that excited about the track.  Ed settled in to record acoustic versions of a few songs from the album that would be re-played on Mancow the next morning.  He did a version of "Simple Creed" (which made sense since it was the current single) and a slower ballad called "Overcome."  Response at Q101 to both recordings was great and after Ed spent some time with the programming team, Darren, Ed and I headed out to grab lunch before taking them back to the airport for a flight to Minneapolis.  It was a quick trip in and out of Chicago, but one that seemed to be well-worth the time and effort. 

The next morning, after dropping off my daughter Kara off at day care, I stopped at 7-11 to fill up the car.  In order to listen to the playback of Ed's acoustic performance on Mancow, I left the car door open while I filled the tank.  I wasn't really paying much attention to what they were doing prior to Ed's performance, but I remember hearing Mancow say "Ed Kowalczyk from LIVE is here to play in studio but sorry Ed - we have a situation here in-studio.  Oh My God!  Oh My God!!  A plane has crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade Center in New York City."  Mancow could be very over-the-top and certainly pushes the envelope with his guests and morning show "bits," but this was different.  I could hear it in his voice and in the reaction of his team on the morning show.  I finished filling my car and headed back to the house instead of going into work.  When I walked in the back door, my wife was in the family room staring at the TV with our five week old daughter Carly in her arms.  "Have you seen this?!" she gasped.  She held Carly tightly as I gave them both a big hug.  We spent the next hour and a half following the events as they unfolded in front of us on TV.  We, collectively, were all there in some manner.  We remember where we were, what we did, who we called, how we felt and the incredible uncertainty of what would be next.

I finally left for the office around 11 a.m.  It wasn't long before I realized that I had no reason to be there.  A major portion of my job was to call on radio stations on behalf of my artists.  But radio was playing a different role today.  They were focused on updates, simulcasting their a.m. news stations and focusing on the local reaction of these events.  Was I really going to call them and ask about a song or talk about an upcoming release?  Not a chance.  As I drove home past O'Hare airport I noticed that nothing was taking off or landing.  This is an airport that averages a take-off or landing every four seconds and, at the time, was the busiest airport in the United States.  We live just north and east of O'Hare, so we are used to seeing planes take off or land every 90 seconds to 3 minutes.  It was almost too quiet in our neighborhood.  The skies were empty and it would be another four days before the majority of commercial airlines were approved to fly.

A good friend of mine, Jeff Murphy, was on the road in Stevens Point, WI the morning "the world changed."  He is a consultant for rock radio stations around the country and was in the middle of his fall Midwest trip.  I called him later in the afternoon to see what how he planned to get home.  "I haven't figured out yet how I am going to get back home to Texas" he told me.  Obviously there won't be any flights for the foreseeable future and there isn't a rental car in sight."  One of my radio clients, and a future client of his, was a group of stations in Appleton, WI - anchored by heritage rock station - WAPL.  Joe Calgaro was the Program Director and he had become a pretty good friend over the previous few years, as had his Music Director, Roxanne Steele and the Program Director of their Top 40 station, Dayton Kane.  "Murph, let me talk to Nancy and see how she is doing.  If it is OK with her, and you can get to Appleton, I can meet you up there tomorrow night, we can have dinner with Joe, Rox and Dayton and then head back to the house on Wednesday.  You can stay with us until this all gets figured out."  And that is exactly what we did. 

I quickly realized how different my job was from Jeff's as we were making our way back to Chicago.  "Nope - I would take Drowning Pool "Bodies" of the air" I heard him say.  "Yup - "Shoot to Thrill" too."  It had not occurred to me yet that there were a lot of songs that needed to come OFF the air too.  During one of his calls with a classic rock station, as they were discussing "Jet Airliner" by The Steve Miller Band, I got a call from Darren - who was driving back to LA with Ed and was somewhere in Colorado.  V had been mailed out to radio to arrive on Tuesday, September 11 but we weren't sure who had taken time to even open up the full CD to check it out.  As it turns out, a number of radio stations had.  "Paul - I've had a few stations call me about "Overcome."  It's track 10 I think.  It is the song Ed played at Q when we were there on Monday.  Ed mentioned it to me in the car and how much the lyrics fit for what is going on right now.  I don't want to come across like we're promoting it, but I want you to reach out to your guys and just let them know that stations are starting to address this song." 

As I hung up with Darren, Jeff got a call from his boss, Alex Demers.  "What do you know about this track from the new LIVE album - Overcome?" he asked.  Jeff relayed the question to me.  "Why?"  I could feel my adrenaline pick up.  "Alex has had two or three stations call him about it.  What is going on with it?  Is it something you guys started?"  Jeff replied.  "It's not us" I said defensively.  "Radio is pulling this track from the album.  My VP has had a bunch of calls this morning too and it seems that as radio is being sensitive to what they are playing on the air, they have also found some songs that speak to the gravity of how people feel.  

It all seemed to be happening so fast.  As we drove through Milwaukee, Jeff started punching through different radio stations to see what was on the air.  One station was playing "Free Fallin'" by  Tom Petty.  We looked at each other a bit dumbfounded.  "How can they be playing that?"  Clear Channel had started a list of songs that they wanted their stations - in all formats - to pull from on air rotation.  The list was 165 deep and included rock tracks like "Jump," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," Aeroplane," "Learn to Fly" and even "Stairway to Heaven."  As Jeff punched through the different stations, he landed on Rock 102.1.  There it was - "Overcome."  I quickly realized that as emotional as it was to hear Ed sing it at Q101 on September 10th, I was not prepared for hearing it again under these circumstances.  Jeff and I were silent.  He stared out the window as I blankly watched the road driving south on I94.  Tears started streaming down my face as I listened to the lyrics.  Even though the song had been written years earlier - it was like it had been written that day. 

Jeff ended up staying a few nights with us before he could get his hands on a rental car.  He left mid-day on Friday and got home to his wife and his eight and two year old boys late Saturday night.  Darren and Ed got to LA sometime on that Friday as I recall - having left Minneapolis as soon as they realized there were no other options.

In checking on a few details for this entry, I ran across a story about the video for "Overcome" and thought it was fitting to include it in this piece.  Steve Rosenbaum, the CEO of Camera Planet had been filming the emergency response at Ground Zero.  During the days following the attacks, he heard "Overcome" on the radio and told his crew that he had to use it as the "Soundtrack to the footage."  In a later interview, he would say “I guess it's true about any piece of art that you can find a story that fits your needs if you look hard enough. I have trouble imagining what else that song was put on the earth to do, except to be put on the radio so I could hear it.” 

With the airplay and spotlight on "Overcome," Ed was invited to appear and perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  The single never charted higher than #30 at Modern Rock radio but it really was never intended to be even there.  The focus on this song took the air out of any momentum we had on "Simple Creed."  So after an incomplete mission on that first track and with "Overcome" being the focus track from V, the album never did produce another hit at radio and eventually fell apart.  As much as the country seemed to associate with "Overcome," there also came a point when people just didn't want to hear it anymore.  It was time to move on.  And with it, Live ended up as a musical casualty in the fall of 2001.  I had not listened to the song in over 10 years but took it back out as I started to write this entry.  Maybe it still hurts too much and maybe it's still too much of a reminder of that period in time.  Time does heal wounds, but music has a way of bringing the emotions right back to the surface. 

"Overcome" was an extraordinary example where a song came from nowhere - found by radio - and became more than anyone ever intended.  It won't be the last of its kind but it certainly was very close to home for me and still leaves a pit in my stomach.

In the Midst of the Chaos...

I asked my wife to marry me in October of 1992.  She is four years younger than me - a bigger deal when I was 19 and met her at Band Camp (yes, band camp) - then it is now.  One of her favorite stories was about the first concert she ever attended.  It was a late September wholesome family outing.  Mom and Dad drove her and her two older brothers up from LaSalle / Peru, IL (a few hours Southwest of Chicago) to the International Amphitheater on the south side of Chicago to see...KISS.  Ken, my wife's oldest brother was 16 and fully inducted into the KISS army.  Calling Ken a mere follower of Team Gene, Ace, Peter and Paul would almost be a disservice to him.  The Amphitheater in Chicago was a concrete block of a building.  Any rock show was going to shake those walls, but KISS took it to a new level - or so I hear.  The line of the night, as my mother-in-law tells the story, is when my wife (her then eight year old daughter) looked up at her and said, "Mommy - they're playing in my stomach."  But despite the sound level and the "funny smelling smoke," the family marched on into a concert experience that still gets talked about during Thanksgiving dinner.  So, now that I was marrying into this family, how did I get on the good side of my future father and brother-in-law?  I took them to see KISS. 

KISS was on tour (sans make-up) in support of Revenge throughout the majority of 1992.  With supporting acts Great White and Trixter on the bill, they made their way back through the Midwest - with a stop at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago in late November.  Jeff McClusky and Associates, my first job in music promotion, had been hired to work the new Trixter single, "Road of a Thousand Dreams" to see if it could gain some traction at radio.  I reached out to the local MCA Records promotion rep to see if I could get three tickets to the show and some passes to meet the band.  Even though it was a business gesture, my ulterior motives were clearly in place - and I am sure that didn't go unnoticed with this request.  MCA Records came through for me and with tickets and backstage passes in hand, our night was set. 

Bands usually meet fans before or after a concert.  Some have done meet and greets while a support act is on stage, but I have found that to be pretty rare out of respect for their fellow touring brethren.  The tour manager usually scouts out a room backstage or in an adjacent hallway so that fans and winners can be lined up in an orderly fashion to say hello, take pictures and maybe - depending on the guidelines set up by the band and artist management - get something autographed.   For this particular show, the meet and greet was on the main level in a back hallway of the UIC Pavilion prior to the show.  Trixter was scheduled to be on first at 7:30 so we had to get to the venue when doors opened at 6 p.m. to make sure we had time to meet the label rep and say hello to the band.  We joined the already 40 or so fans on the main concourse that were lined up and ready to head downstairs to meet Trixter.  Security identified our meet and greet group by the rectangular, blue backstage passes that were stuck to our shirts.  After short wait, we started down the stairs to the main level.

Exiting the stairwell on the main level backstage was like playing an advanced game of Frogger.  There were so many people walking by the doorway, we weren't sure we would be able to break through the stream of fans.  With my future father-in-law leading the three of us, we were the end of the line as far as our meet and greet group was concerned.  I'm not sure how we missed sticking with the line, but instead of stepping through everyone, we watched as our excited and anxious Trixter meet and greeters disappeared into the crowd - leaving us on our own.  In my 20+ years in the music industry, I have still never experienced a more crowded and chaotic backstage area than that night at the UIC.  We edged out into the back hallway of the arena and stood up against the wall to survey to situation.  I asked a few different guys wearing venue security jackets where we needed to go for the Trixter meet and greet, but all I got was a blank stare from each of them.  I wasn't sure what to do next but I knew it wasn't going to include anything with Trixter.

I spotted the Mercury records rep trying to herd a small group of VIP's through the stream of fans and into a room off of the hallway.  He looked completely frazzled.  After having my share of nights directing meet and greets where you need to make sure the high level VIP's are happy and get the "full treatment," I can look back and sympathize with what he was going through.  We figured we would stay put for a little longer just in case we saw the MCA rep or someone from our group come back looking for us…even thought we knew it was a long shot.  But after a few minutes we decided that a beer and some open space would be the better option.  As we turned to head back into the stairwell, the Mercury rep came back out of the room followed by Gene Simmons and his bodyguard. 

"Sam.  Sam.  Sam!!" I yelled with increasing intensity over the noise.  He spotted me against the wall and held up his finger telling me to wait a minute.  I pointed to my group and then to Gene to see if he would let us say hello.  My brother-in-law Ken, always a cool customer, was just that….but I know his heart jumped and his stomach turned over.  Sam looked back over at me and shook his head "no" and pointed ahead.  I could barely make it out as he mouthed the word "interview."  This just wasn't our night.  Ken was a good sport about it but I could tell he was bummed.  My father-in-law looked a bit disappointed as well.  I think he had told some of his colleagues he was going to the KISS show and this would have made a great story.  Gene was now being recognized by everyone - which caused a rush toward Sam and Gene's bodyguard.  They pushed forward and carved a path through the crowd and into a secured area where Gene was scheduled to do a radio interview.

Ken asked if we could wait to see if Gene would have a chance to say "Hi" on the way back - assuming he was coming back - so we stayed put against our wall.  It was still pretty crowded but the three of us had been able to make our way into a bit of a corner and carve out some space against some backstage equipment and the wall.  We watched and commented on different fans backstage, empathized as Trixter's band crew tried to get through to the stage with equipment and generally amused ourselves while we waited.  Great White must have just finished their meet and greet because a long line of winners were being escorted back upstairs into the pavilion.  As the final few went by, someone in the group either tripped or got pushed from behind, and ended up poking me in the right eye.  I covered my eye but the pain wasn't too bad.  My bigger concern at that point was my contact lens.  I lifted my head and slowly moved my hand from in front of my eye.  I opened it to blurred vision.  I had a lens in my left eye but nothing in my right eye.  I immediately dropped down to one knee and felt around on the concrete floor.  I had a pit in my stomach.  Crowded, hot, busy and no one had seen what had happened.  In the midst of the chaos, as I frantically looked around for any sign of the lens, I heard a voice say "It's near your foot."  I looked and felt around for a second, but I didn't find it.  There wasn't a lot of light and I was now half blind.  "Your right foot - it is right next to your right foot" the voice said again.  I lightly brushed my hand over the floor and it caught my thumb.  Holy Crap - there it is!!  Totally relieved, I stood up - right into the face of Gene Simmons. 

"Holy shit.  I mean, uh, thanks.  How in the hell did you see that?  You must have been six feet away?!" I said to him. 

"I'm not sure - I just did" Gene said back to me.

No one had seen me get poked in the eye or drop to the floor because they were all looking at Gene Simmons coming back down the hall.  I thanked him again and asked if he would take a few quick pictures with us.  Sam, the Mercury Records Rep, who was still with him and the bodyguard, snapped that they weren't taking any pictures and that they just didn't have time.  He was definitely having a bad night.  Gene gave Sam a look like "Don't fuckin' tell me what I can or can't do" and then very politely (almost as if to stick it to Sam) looked back at the three of us and said "I would be happy to."

After a few very quick off-center pictures, Sam, Gene and the bodyguard slipped back into the room down the hallway.  We stood there a bit dumbfounded not really sure what to say.  We had started the night in line to meet Trixter and ended having Gene Simmons save me a couple hundred bucks and assure that I would still be able to (literally) see the show.  After re-telling the story to each other right after it had happened - like none of us had actually been there, we made our way back up the stairs to the concourse to grab a beer.  By this time, Trixter was already on stage and Great white would be up next.  We made our way to our seats and watched the show while waiting for KISS to hit the stage.  They ripped through a massive set list closing out the night with "Love Gun" and the Star Spangled Banner…as the on stage replica of the Statue of Liberty crumbled giving way to a skeleton hand giving the crowd the finger.  I thought the place was going to implode as everyone erupted in approval.  Rock and Roll - KISS style. 

That was the only time I saw KISS in concert but it was a damn memorable one for me.  When the KISS conversation comes up at Thanksgiving, the 1992 concert, failed Trixter meet and greet or the contact lens don't come up…"Mommy, they're playing in my stomach" is always the line that wins the night.  My take-away?  As much fun as we had, nothing beats a wholesome family outing to see KISS.

I'm Pretty Sure I'm Not Coming Back

When promoting a new artist or a new song, record companies set aside marketing dollars to help get the project "off the ground."  One marketing avenue might be to support a radio promotion that ties into the song title, the name of the artist or maybe as part of a larger, overall, station promotion.  In some cases, record labels offer up the artist to perform at a radio or retail event - if it will get the song on the air, help overall exposure and ultimately help get other stations around the country on board.  Sometimes the artist will be offered to multiple stations in the same market (in this case) on the same day.  

Blair MacKichan was fronting the house band for Channel 5's "The Jack Docherty Show," a nightly "chat" show recorded at the Whitehall Theatre in London.  But he also wrote his own music and fronted several of his own bands.  Blair landed a single called "Have Fun., Go Mad" on the soundtrack for the movie "Sliding Doors" - starring Gwyneth Paltrow.  The soundtrack also featured the singles "Turn Back Time" by Aqua and "Thank You" by Dido which was sampled by Eminem in his hit single "Stan."  MCA Records signed Blair to a singles deal, which basically gave MCA the option of signing Blair to a longer contract depending on the success of the single.  Based on some early buzz from music directors around the country and some early radio airplay, MCA Records brought Blair to the U.S. to help promote "Have Fun, Go Mad," try and launch a career and see if the single would catch fire at retail.

"Have Fun, Go Mad" was doing pretty well for me regionally and I had three stations in the Green Bay / Appleton area playing it which also meant that I had three stations requesting Blair to do something on their behalf.  WIXX, the long time heritage Top 40 station in the market requested Blair to perform as a part of a county festival on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  WKSZ, the other Top 40 in the market (whose Program Director was a close friend of mine), requested to have Blair come in and perform at the station for a small group of contest winners.  And then there was WQLH, the Hot AC / Mix station in the market, who wanted Blair to perform on site at an event they had planned with one of their advertising clients.  Oh - and they all requested their performances on the same day…and they all fell between Noon and 7:30 p.m.  In hindsight, I should have pushed back and spread them out over two days, but this is the hand we were dealt and I just kept telling myself that the market exposure and airplay would be worth it.  I made sure to remind my boss that the Green Bay / Appleton market had more airplay than any other market in the country.  If the song wasn't going to "take off" there - then it wasn't going to take off anywhere.

I left Chicago at 6 a.m. that Saturday morning and drove up to Austin Straubel International Airport (which is now up to 2 runways and 12 gates) in Green Bay to pick up Blair who was arriving on a 9:30 a.m. flight from some other market where he had done a radio performance the night before.  I had gotten performance and rider requirements from my record label to make sure he had what he needed at each of our stops, but I certainly didn't realize it was going to be just him when he landed.  I met Blair at the gate (which was still possible at the time) and took him and his (one) duffel bag to the car.

"You want to head to the Radisson hotel first to drop off your stuff?" I asked as we pulled out of the airport parking lot. 

"Neh - but I could use a bite to eat.  Any place we can get some crisps?  Or maybe some fish fingers?"

I thought the accent and some of the terms used in Wisconsin were entertaining…this experience should give me a whole new dictionary of words and definitions. 

Over breakfast at a local diner I gave Blair the run down for the day.  It all sounded good to him…the more to do - the better.  His perspective was that he wasn't sure what would happen with the single, so whatever he could do - and as many places as he could visit - he was game.  "Listen, I know this is a singles deal - and I don't think they will pick up the album, so I get to travel all over America, sing this bloody song over and over and have a blast.  I have nothing to lose."  Blair certainly had the right attitude going into our Saturday event-a-palooza.

On the way to the first station, 96.9 Kiss FM - I had Blair call the radio station request line.  They did a quick on-air interview and he made a big deal about how excited he was to be coming performing and that he would be arriving soon.  When we arrived just after Noon, there were 20 or so people in the conference room.  The station had set up a small mic and DAT machine and had cleared out the conference table and chairs.  He did another on air interview, took questions on the air from the in-house audience, performed a few songs, took pictures and signed autographs.  It went very smoothly and even though the Program Director was not happy we were going to be with two other stations that day, they were playing the single more than anyone and had really done a great job promoting his appearance.  Before we made our way back out to the car, I saw Blair talking to a younger contest winner.  I saw him writing on a piece of paper on her back while she beamed and bounced up and down…making it hard for him to write.  Blair and I were both in our early 30s at the time - so this did not thrill me to say the least.  This wasn't just an autograph he was signing...and I am not sure she was a day older than 16 either.  It really wasn’t my business, but when we got in the car I pointed out how excited the girl was to meet him. 

"Oh yes - she was proper" he said somewhat sarcastically. 

"So you gave her the hotel info?" I had to ask.

"Sure - I wrote down that I was at the Holiday Inn in Green Bay - room 223."

"But you're at the Radisson and you haven't checked in yet" I countered.

"Exactly! What - You think I'm a wanker?"

I breathed.  He laughed.  Point taken.

WQLH was next.  I had directions to the entertainment complex where we needed to be at 3 p.m. up in Green Bay - about a 35 - 40 minute drive.  It was already after 1 p.m. so there wouldn’t be a lot of downtime once we arrived.  This time Blair called WQLH and did another on air interview and made a big deal about how excited he was to be performing for them and that he would be arriving soon.  Sounded familiar.  I pulled into the not-so-full parking lot and parked next to the station van.  I told Blair to hang for a bit while I made sure everything was set up and to make sure he had a place to warm up for his performance.  The Program Director came over and I asked where he was going to be performing.  He pointed behind me.  I looked back over my shoulder and saw batting cages, a putt putt course and a Go-Kart track.  "You want him to sing on a Go-Kart track?!" 

To this day I laugh every time I picture Blair, complete professional that he was, singing his hit song to a group of, maybe, 17 people while dancing around - and even sitting IN - a Go-Kart.  I was hoping it would never end for two reasons:  One - I didn't want to have to face him after what I had just put him through and Two……you just can't make this stuff up!!

Our last stop of the day was for the WIXX festival show.  It was unseasonably warm that weekend and, even with the sun going down soon, it had to be in the lower 70's.  Three bands were performing that night and Blair was opening the show.  It was a massive stage, full lighting rig - the real deal.  Blair called in to WIXX and did a quick on-air interview and made-a-big-deal-about-how-excited-he was-to-be-performing-for-WIXX-and-that-he-would-be-arriving-soon.  (He had this part down solid.)  As we pulled up to the backstage entrance, Blair's eyes lit up.  "Wow - big crowd tonight - this is going to fun." 

Blair got settled in the backstage area while I went to take a look at the set-up and the crowd.  As I looked out front past the backstage barricades, I wondered if we were at the right event.  Tight jeans, belt buckles and cowboy hats flooded the area making me question what was going on. But I looked up and there was the WIXX banner hanging from the stage.  I had heard that the festival had paid something like $50K for the headliner and that WIXX was just sponsoring the event while agreeing to  secure two opening acts.  Maybe I have blocked it out of my memory but I can't recall who headlined the show - though Southern Rock does come to mind.  How was I going to go back and break this to Blair.  Ask him if he knows the words to "Rawhide?"  A British pop song singer in America's heartland opening for a southern rock band on Memorial Weekend.  Yes - Fun!

"So they have you scheduled for 20 minutes.  I will be out at the soundboard and you should be good to go.  Just make the best of it" I said to Blair as he waited at the bottom of the steps leading up to the stage.  As I walked away, I turned my head and said  "Oh - and by the way - this is really more of a rock crowd."  Blair cocked his head to the side like he couldn't hear me…which was fine with me.  I went out front as he started his first song and watched as Blair ran around the stage, reached out to the fans in the front row and did his best to get this crowd going.  But no one knew either of the first few songs and I'm not sure the crowd cared either.  This wasn't a teen crowd, it was more like a 25-54 crowd and It wasn’t until he started to sing "Have Fun, Go Mad" that the crowd even started to buzz.  It was good to see them respond to the song but I think Blair wanted it would be memorable for them.  When I asked him later why he did it, Blair matter-of-factly stated - "I had to do something for myself today.  I am pretty sure I'm not coming back."

Early on in "Have Fun, Go Mad, after his usual stage moves and choreography, Blair started climbing part of the rigging on stage left.  He got about three quarters of the way up and yelled "Are you having fun?!  Are you going mad?!"  Anyone not paying attention - was now.  He climbed a bit higher and the rig started to sway.  He was hanging off the side of the rig like Gene Kelly on the light post in "Singing in the Rain."  The Music Director at the station yelped "What is he doing?!  Security is going to kick his ass…and mine of he doesn't stop that."  But the crowd was totally into it now and you could tell he was feeding off of the energy.  As the song was coming to an end- Blair was almost back down from the rig.  He got a huge roar from the crowd.  He took a bow - from the rig - and  jumped the last 6 feet or so back to the stage.  As the Music Director and I went to meet him at the steps, two uniformed policeman were already waiting for him.  The crowd response was just starting to die down.

"That was just plain stupid" the officer said.

"Officer," I interjected, "He and I are heading straight to his hotel.  He has a flight in the morning and I am sure you have other things you would rather be doing tonight."

"That's probably a good idea" said the officer as a smirk crossed over his face.

I dropped Blair at the airport the next morning and never did get to work with or see him again.  "Have Fun, Go Mad" was never a huge hit - peaking near the Top 10 (but not really driving any sales) and MCA did not pick up his album deal.  But it did well regionally and Green Bay lead the way nationally in sales of the single.  And not to be forgotten is that it was a hit for my daughter's 4th grade soccer team and still gets a spin in the Swanson house when things get a little bit crazy.  Blair is still writing music has had recent credits writing for Will Young and is credited with co-writing Lily Allen's 2007 hit "Shame for You."

To this day, I can't pass a Go-Kart track without thinking of Blair.

The Road Home

Red Ant Entertainment was a small label I worked for early in 1997.  Besides being the home for a few bands that had experienced major success in the past (Cheap Trick, Salt N Pepa) they were the home to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Love and Rockets, The Brand New Heavies, Mexico 70 and a newly signed band called Naked.  Red Ant was formed in 1996 with some major industry heavies leading the charge - Al Teller (former Chairman of MCA Records), Randy Phillips (current CEO of AEG Live) and Randy Miller (former executive at MCA Records).  I was looking to get back into record promotion when I was given the chance to join Red Ant that April and with a team like that at the top - what a great opportunity.

My wife and I were living in Grand Rapids where I was doing sales at WGRD - an alternative rock station - and my wife was working locally as a Music Therapist.  We loved the town, but we missed family and had been talking about getting back to Chicago.  So besides having an opportunity to return to the record business, this would allow us to move back home.  As we were packing the last bags in the car and the movers were closing up the truck, the phone rang.  (I think it was the only thing left on the kitchen counter.)  It was my boss.

"I don't want to alarm you, I just didn't want you to hear anything before you heard it from me.  There are rumors that Red Ant is filing Chapter 11 but all it really means is that they are securing another round of financing so Red Ant can continue the momentum of what we have been building here." 

Great.  I haven't sold this house yet, I am closing on another house tomorrow (lesson learned by the way), the truck is packed and at any moment, I may not have a job.  My wife asked who was on the phone.  "It was just Margaret with a few updates on Naked and "The Road Home."  as I write this now - I do see the irony.

As a record promotion representative (whether for a small independent label, or a major record label) my job was to promote our roster of bands.  This includes getting airplay on radio stations in my territory, making sure stations know when the band will be playing a concert in town and any other general marketing that will support the goals of the band and the label.  Whatever the case, I always focused on finding ways to get the decision-makers at the radio station to come to my shows so that they could see how "incredibly great and awesome my band is and why you should be playing it on your radio station."

The lead single for Naked was a track called "Mann's Chinese."  It had just poked its head into the Top 10 at Rock Radio and the band was going to be touring small clubs in support of their self-titled release and to keep momentum going for the second single, "The Road Home."  Naked was comprised of four guys - Jonathan, Jeremy, Damon and Petur.  The guys were good to work with, and outside of sometimes wanting to buy equipment and spend money they didn't really have yet, they were hard working and willing to do whatever was needed to become a hit band. 

Playing to small crowds must be a rite of passage for almost every band when they start out.  Maybe they start as a high school band, play locally on the college scene or maybe they even book a show opening for a few other bands.  Whatever the case - it has got to be a rush getting on stage - no matter how big the audience.  This is that start to an undeniably exciting career where you get to take your (potentially small but dedicated) fan base along for a ride.  Naked had been out on the road for only a short time and with no other exposure but the first single, "Mann's Chinese," crowds were small but enthusiastic.  Before heading to Detroit for a Thursday show, the band had a show in Grand Rapids at the Intersection.  WGRD was playing the new single and there was a buzz surrounding the show…and the attendance showed it.  Naked brought in a few hundred kids on a Wednesday night and the band sold about $1000 in merch.  Not a bad way to head to Detroit.

WRIF was (and still is) the monster rock station in Detroit.  They didn't play the first single and "The Road Home" was a bit too poppy for them.  WRIF leans more to the classic rock sound as well as music with a bit more of an edge (Halestorm, Foo Fighters, Magadeath, etc.).  Naked was rock - but with pop undertones.  I tried to get the Music Director to come out to the show, but I just didn't know him well enough yet and the band just didn't quite fit their sound.  But I was told "We are promoting the show down at the Shelter and we will have our station vehicle down there, the red light going on top and we will be giving away some tickets.  We are talking about it on the air."  Keep in mind…band on the road, no website, no FaceBook, no Twitter.  Outside of radio mentions, an ad in the paper and maybe some flyers around town - there wasn't a lot of other promotional support.

The band was really excited for the show and Jeremy's aunt and uncle were coming out that night.  A good friend of mine, Alex Tear, was the Music Director at another station in Detroit and I asked him if he would head out with me to see the show.  There was a song on the album we hoped would go to Top 40 radio at some point and this could help lay ground work for future airplay in Detroit.  It was going to be an early show (9 p.m. start) so we decided to go grab a bite to eat and then head to the club.  What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was about to experience a show like no other I had ever seen.  Maybe a good way to clarify that statement would be to ask this question.  If a band plays a concert and no one is there to hear it - did they make any sound?

As we walked up to The Shelter, we noticed that there was no radio station vehicle out front, no red light on top - nothing.  Alex and I walked through the front door to….no one.  Well, not exactly no one.  Jeremy's aunt and uncle sat toward the back at a small table and there was a bartender and a waitress, but otherwise it was an empty floor and a half dozen empty tables decorated with little candles.  I wasn't sure how the band would handle it.

The band hit the stage right at 9 p.m. and ripped into a track called "Love Supreme" off their album.  Jonathan, who was the lead singer and played guitar, talked between songs, acknowledge (with some humor) the atmosphere, but he never played it off as anything but a regular show.  "Mann's Chinese" and "The Road Home" sounded great and Alex seemed to really enjoy the band…as well as the unique circumstances in which it was played.  I tried to sell it to him as his own personal showcase…but he wasn’t buying that.  Maybe Naked really did have what it takes.  I thought this was a big hurdle for them and it actually gave a good story to take to radio stations.  They treated an empty room as a dress rehearsal and put as much into it as any other show.  Rite of passage to play to an empty room?  Well they passed.

The rumors were heavy around Red Ant closing its doors and Nancy Levin, the head of the promotion department was also rumored to be leaving.   A week after that Detroit show she called and told me that she couldn't share any news with me specifically, but that I would be "OK."  Being that I currently owned two homes - in two states, that was a big relief.  Two weeks later I joined MCA Records under the direction of Jay Boberg, Abby Konowitch and the Sr. VP of Promotion, Nancy Levin.  I went from working on developing bands like Naked and Mexico 70 to a new band named Blink 182, promoting a future #1 hit called "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, a Sammy Hagar release and a major alternative rock band called Sublime. 

I saw Naked only one more time after that Detroit show.  They only recorded the one album and eventually broke up.  I was at Red Ant for 13 weeks before moving over to MCA records, but the things I learned in that short time I still carry with me…and I have Naked, in part, to thank for that.  Treat everything like a dress rehearsal, a little luck never hurt and no matter how good a band or their music may be - it is never a guarantee.  For every band I have promoted in my career that had a hit at radio - I could name five that just never made it through.  But I will save that for another day.  For now - just enjoy "The Road Home."

Another Level

I have always felt lucky that the majority of the musicians I have either met or worked with have been respectful, kind and have extended themselves even if they weren't having their best day.  I guess it is to be expected though, right?  Marketing yourself to your fans, to radio, to retail (I know, what retail?!), the press, through social media and even to those who are promoting or working on your behalf should be part of building a career.  - not much different than what any business professional needs to do to continue to learn, grow and get to the next level.  But the process (and in some cases the constant spotlight) has to be tiring.  There have got to be days where any musician just wants to hide and blow it all off.  But there are definitely exceptions - musicians that seem to always be "on."  They have a personality that thrives on other people - on their energy and their presence.  What is even more remarkable though is to encounter a musician that makes everyone around them feel like they are a part of their success.  Leadership books will tell you that strong leaders have strong teams around them. Behind the scenes some musicians may be more demanding than others, some a bit more calculating or protective, but each situation is going to be different and the reasons for each musician will vary.  But at the end of the day, besides talent, the qualities I have seen that keep musicians relevant over time include a mind for marketing, respect in how they treat the people around them, listening skills, common sense and an insatiable appetite for their day (or night) job.

I decided to write about this after someone recently asked me who I most enjoyed working with in the entertainment industry.  I have had a blast working with a lot of good people but the criteria above came to mind because it said more about who they were as a person - not just as a musician and public figure to a (sometimes) massive fan base.  Keith Urban, Andrew McMahon (Jack's Mannequin), Semisonic and Blink 182 come to mind as being near the top of that list, but one person always seems to jump front-of-mind for me.  Sammy Hagar.

The Red Rocker.  Montrose, Van Halen, Chickenfoot, "Where Eagles Fly," "I Can't Drive 55," "Heavy Metal," "Dreams," "Right Now."  The list goes on.  Sammy Hagar - (as I would soon experience) the guy who holds up banners on stage or puts on customized t-shirts that fans bring to the show all while belting out hit after hit.  For the night - it is the biggest rock party in town - and he has invited everyone to come and join in.  If you have ever been to a Sammy Hagar show, you know what I am talking about.  But outside of Van Halen, I had not yet seen Sammy solo.

The week before I joined MCA Records back in August of 1997, my (new) boss asked if I would go to see Sammy Hagar at The Rosemont Theater here outside Chicago.  He was out on the "Marching to Mars" Tour.  And boy did they tour.  As Sammy writes in his book My Uncensored Life in Rock, "I played three thousand-seat theaters and did every city in the country, 142 shows that year and 138 the next year.  We went door-to-door.  Everywhere we went, I was saying, 'I am back.  I am back.'"  I stood around in the hallway back stage before the show.  Having not yet started for MCA, not knowing anyone involved in this production and watching the MCA rep I was replacing pass me by carrying autographed posters and merch, I felt a bit out of place.  After a good 20 minutes, I hooked up the tour manager and he immediately brought me in to meet Sammy.  Even though he was scheduled to be on stage on 20 minutes, he told me to come in, sit down and grab a drink.

Sammy was full of energy and seemed to be moving non-stop.  He dove right in.  Sammy started peppering me with question…about me.  But not like an inquisition, but like he wanted to get a crash course on the new guy.  Where I was from, if I brought anyone to the show and when I was officially starting with MCA Records.  He wanted my opinion on what single I thought should be released next to radio, if I liked the album and which sunglasses he should wear on stage.  He then called in Vic (his lead guitarist) and Mona (his bass player) and introduced me to them.  Vic suggested I watch from side stage and went to find the tour manager to make sure I had a pass.  I was sold.  I had not even worked a day yet for MCA but it made me want get on the phone that evening and call anyone who would listen and tell them that they needed to play "Marching to Mars" more - just…just because.

Early in 1999, MCA was getting ready to release Red Voodoo - the follow-up to Marching to Mars.  The lead single was a track called "Mas Tequila."  Sammy was also getting ready to launch his new brand of tequila, Cabo Wabo, and rock radio was playing "Mas Tequila" all the way to #1 on the rock charts.  MCA scheduled a 14 city promotional tour for the album - which also served as a jumping point for the introduction of Cabo Wabo.  Hard Rock was the partner venue nationally and Chicago was on the schedule.  I set up radio interviews with The Loop (WLUP radio) here in Chicago (they even did a billboard campaign around it) and on the day of the show, Sammy was (as usual) in a great mood.  While he sat in the hotel room doing phone interviews to other stations around the country, I set up bottles of tequila for him to autograph, guitars to sign and CDs to personalize.  After signing all of the items, he asked if there was anyone else I needed him to call.  Believe me, I thought about having him call my mom - because I know he would have - but he already knew she and my dad were coming to the show and I felt like I still needed to keep a line between personal and professional.  Some may argue that is a very blurred line with Sammy - especially after a few shots of Cabo Wabo - but I think that is also what has added to his success.

I went to every Sammy Hagar show I could when he toured through my territory.  I always felt welcome, the band and tour management did everything they could to help me out with last minute requests, and frankly - Sammy made my job easy.  Everyone loved Sammy.  What I didn't realize, was that was still another level with Sammy.  In a business of egos, thin skin and a general feeling of self-entitlement, there are moments that can leave a person dumbfounded and humbled.

On September 9, 1999 Sammy had a show in Indianapolis at the Murat Theater.  Why list the show date?  Because it was my daughter's first birthday.  After discussing it with my wife, I decided to head down to the show.  We decided that my daughter wouldn't remember that I wasn't there and since we were having a big family party in a few days - that she wouldn’t hold it against me.  I also had Q95 presenting the show, the Music Director, Ace Cosby, introducing Sammy and Marie McCallister from WTTS driving in from Bloomington - and she loved Sammy!  Before the show, Marie and I were talking about my daughter's birthday when Sammy came in to do his meet n' greet.  I introduced them and took off to make sure that all the radio winners were set.  30 minutes later, Ace took the stage, Sammy played a killer show and Marie got to watch from the front row - courtesy of Sammy who swapped out her tickets. 

At the end of the night, the band was sitting in a back room when I popped my head in to thank them and tell them I was heading out.  Sammy whispered something to his tour manager and gave me a high five as he headed out the door.  I grabbed some snacks and a water from what was left from the food rider, put on my coat, said goodbye to the band and was walking out when the tour manager stopped me. 

"Sammy wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and for covering this show.  Family is important and he wants you to know this didn't go unnoticed."

He shook my hand and in the same motion slipped something into my hand - three crisply folded $100 bills. 

"No, no, no.  This is totally unnecessary" I told him as I tried to give it back to him.

"That's from Sammy.  Go home and buy your daughter something for her birthday.  We will see you in a few weeks."

Another level.