How did you get started?

When I was 17 I formed my own band and bought my first sound system, a 12 channel Peavey MC12 mixer. Self taught.

What’s your favorite show you’ve run sound for?

Boat Drunks in Key West October 31, 2009. Me and 4,200 of my closest friends on a beautiful day on Duval Street.

What piece of advice would you give to a new band to make the night go easier?

Organize everything and have a plan for what you are going to do.

What is your essential piece of gear?

iPod mini to review and see how the sound system reacts.

What’s your biggest challenge at every gig?

Organization

What’s the biggest unexpected catastrophe you have successfully overcome during an event?

My wing-man Robert Reynolds and I were doing a show in 2008 in Champaign about 2000 or so expected. The generator that was rented by the client for the event died about 2 hours prior to the show. They brought in a new generator about 45 minutes prior to the show. The electrician said that he had measured the voltage and that it was a steady 240 volts. It was actually 480 volts. It took out an $11,000 mixing console, a full rack of outboard equipment and half of the lights. Fortunately, we had a back-up console and a couple of outboard effects and an eq. The show went off on time.

What song are you sick to death of hearing?

Old Time Rock & Roll, Sorry Bob Seger

What is your go-to song to crank for testing a system?

Hysteria – Def Leppard