Be persistent and honest. Be ready to take a chance. Know who to ask for an emergency snare drum.
Those are at least some of the secrets to being a good talent booker in Amarillo, according to two of the current stars of the field and one absolute legend.
Bookers and promoters either find bands to perform at their own venues, or work on behalf of bands to find an available stage.
“Really, it’s about taking care of the band,” says Wade Tosh, who has secured shows for the Golden Light Cantina for nearly eight years. “So, we offer a free meal, some free drinks, and then we collect cover at the door and pay them with that so that they get paid that night.”
And, should they ask, you help them find instruments. “There was a private party, and they hired a band that they liked from Austin, but they didn’t really know what they were doing,” Tosh laughs. “So I get in touch with the band … and find out that the band is flying in and they’re only bringing their guitars—no drum kit, no amps, no nothing. So I had to scramble and put together gear for them.”
Unfortunately, so did the person who initially contacted the band in the first place. “So there was too much gear here the night of the show,” Tosh recalls. “It was like they were in Guitar Center—just pick whatever instrument you want.”
For Kris Miller, who managed the Amarillo Civic Center for nearly 25 years, the secret was knowing when to bend the rules.
Early in his career, he learned that pop band Huey Lewis & The News were playing in Lubbock, but they weren’t booked the night before—perfect timing for an Amarillo show. Except the band’s agent had already reached out to the Civic Center and been told the night wasn’t available. Turns out, the former boss had a policy of not booking dates that were tentatively held for another show, even if that show had fallen through.
“Well, I said, we lose shows that way,” Miller recalls. “His philosophy was that he could save money by not doing them.”
He pauses. “It’s a strange philosophy.”
Miller got the date cleared, Huey Lewis & The News sold out the coliseum, and Miller—who had only been on the job for three months—was suddenly a rock star himself.
Grant Fithen, an Amarillo musician who founded Loud & Heavy Booking about two years ago, says his greatest lesson on the job has been learning how to balance his roster’s different needs.
“Every artist would love to play 100 shows a year,” Fithen says. “I try to help and support them all I can, but it’s not possible to get them all 100 shows a year … In Amarillo, we have a lot of amazing musicians, and a lot of them play in multiple bands. So if you book one band, that makes the other bands unavailable.”
Essentially, Fithen says, “you have to meet the artist where they’re at: How can I help this guy? What are the places that would love this music and this style? Every artist is so different, and you have to treat them very differently.”
Fithen also had to learn the importance of a to-do list. “One of my nightmares was one of the first shows I put on, a benefit show for the family of a friend who passed away,” Fithen says.
He found a stage, a sound system, even food trucks. “I thought I had covered all the bases, but then a few ladies came up to me and asked where the restrooms were,” Fithen laughs. “I had to run them all to the gas station in my own car. Now, that’s the first thing I take care of … I have checklists. I make sure that Portapotty is there.”
One of Miller’s favorite parts of the job, before he retired to the country outside Trinidad, Colorado, was pairing local acts with touring giants.
“I booked Andy Chase to open for Chicago,” Miller says. “They were so impressed with him that they invited him to come and open for them in Lubbock.”
Tosh loves it when a touring band enjoys their time at the Golden Light so much that they beg to come back, like indie singer-songwriter Ben Kweller. “He was just coming through town on his way to the West Coast and called the cafe and said, hey, I’m in town. Can I come play at the bar?” Tosh recalls. “The line was around the block. And then he did it again a couple of years later. And then he just recently started touring again and was like, hey, can I come play on a Tuesday?”
Kweller’s such a fan that he doesn’t even mind when the venue can’t quite live up to the requirements in his rider. “Ben Kweller’s (rider) was pretty crazy to me. They wanted showers and laundry. I’m guessing they just use a template for most things, but there’s a weekly list of food—coconut water, organic hummus … a jar of pickles, local artisan pickles,” Tosh says. “I’m like, I can’t do it. We’ve got burgers, you know that.”
Pleasing the artist can be paramount, Miller says. “Jerry Seinfeld insisted on being able to smoke in his dressing room,” Miller says. “And we didn’t allow smoking there for obvious reasons, but it was because he always smoked a Cuban cigar before he went on stage. It was some ritual for him … We told him he could, and I wound up getting a Cuban cigar out of it.”
Ultimately, the three agree: The job is rather simple. Well, if you’ve got the skills.
“It’s just being good at communicating,” Tosh says.
“Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call them,” Miller says.
“Ask the right questions,” Fithen says, “and be honest with people.
