How did you get started?

I met a girl at a super young age and we were trying to find something to do, she suggested “my cousin plays guitar, maybe we could go hang out with him. We then proceeded to hang out with her cousin and immediately I fell in love with the sound of a live instrument. I then began to hang out with him continuously. One day we we’re hanging out and he told me “hey, I met a guy from work and he’s gonna come over to jam” I was there and immediately became hooked on the sounds of live guitars… one thing lead to another and they formed a band and I was at every single practice. One day the side that came over to jam suggest d “hey, since you’re just gonna hang around why don’t you make yourself useful and make sure our guitar amps are all level and even” and then it dawned on me, there’s more to this and I decided from that moment on I’m going to work with music.

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

Wow… so many shows I’ve fallen in love with. Some of the music community knows this but a lot of them doesn’t, I’m a big Theater nerd, I love musicals, Broadway and Odd Broadway.. you ask for my favorite show I would have to say Rocky Horror Picture Show was my all time favorite to work with, Les Miserables is my ultimate favorite musical show. If you’re wanting a favorite live concert show that’s going to be a difficult one. I’ve done so many great gigs nationally and locally.. wow!! I love running monitors for Love And Hate,
Disturbed was cool umm… locally I would have to say I love everyone that comes through my Coors Tent at the Illinois State Fair and ones that haven’t. Wow.. that’s a question I could go on forever. So many talented artists, musicians and actors and actresses here in central Illinois.. very hard to say which is my favorite. SOHO was a favorite, Jerry Fest, Indian Summer Festival, Kenney Fall Festival, Illinois State Fair, Black Flag, Dr. Chud from The Misfits, Grim, Novacaine, KFD, Broken Stone, Fun DMC (although rare since they do their own production).

Ya know what’s my favorite gig/act to do? The ones that gives me goosebumps, the ones that are selling their performance, the ones that speak to my soul at that moment, I’d have to say at least every single group that I’ve ran through my rig was my favorite. I love you all!!

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

Be consistent, always be consistent in everything you do. Always do your homework at HOME not at the gig. If you get a new piece of gear play with it a home, learn it, use it a lot BEFORE you take it out to a performance. Oh most importantly, listen to the sound guy you hired, he knows what’s going on in the venue and you did hire him use him don’t fight him or her.

What is your essential piece of gear?

I’m a little confused on this question. Every piece of gear is essential, their my tools of my trade, there is no one piece of gear that is more important the another.. if I had to choose which is more important I’d have to say my ears are the biggest and mosey essential and also the love of the profession.

I absolutely LOVE being a sound operator, sound guy, sound dood… I mix from my soul first and I always mix for the genre. Each genre has a different sound and you should always mix for that genre. Example: if you’re doing a jazz gig then the kick drum is not the most important sound, it’s the snare, the ride, the vocals. Etc. etc..

What’s your biggest challenge at every gig?

Each venue, bar owner, act, show have their own set of challenges. There are so many different factors and challenges it’s hard to just name a single challenge. Size of the venue, amount of power available, size of the crowns, the humidity, the weather… so many different challenges. I guess my biggest challenge would be keeping the audience member, band members and gear safe.. soo safety is my biggest challenge? I never want to mix to hurt people’s heads, I want everyone to go home happy and feeling great. If I mix too Loud and the mix is super bright and hurts then. I one is going to appreciate or enjoy the gig. Making sure everyone is receiving what they need to perform and also making sure the crowd isn’t unhappy because the mix is rough and hurting their ears.

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

Umm… there is always an eminent “emergency” or “catastrophe” waiting to happen at an event but I find that planning and maintenance can avoid a lot of horrific accidents from happening. With that said I’ve had an entire stack of speakers come crashing down at a metal show, well because of my planning and pre-maintenance nothing and no one was hurt or damaged. We restacked the pa, plugged it back in and away we went again.. that was definitely one of the scariest moments I can recall off the top of my head.

What song are you sick to death of hearing?

Really?? This question?? Lol

Umm.. Jessie’s Girl, Brown Eye Girl, 867-5309, Welcome To The Jungle, Man In The Box… shall I continue?? Lol

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

I love Deftones version of No Ordinary Love. I also use Fleetwood Mac Dreams, Pothead I’m A Sinner Too, Gojira Born In Winter. I also have a few others but those are my main ones