Tag: Concerts

Posted in career, entertainment, Music, Travel, Uncategorized, Work

Australia Part 3: Sydney

Posted on by Jaimee T

I’ll be completely honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to writing this blog post. I love Sydney and I miss it all the time. Bringing up memories of living there makes me miss it more and more each day. Writing this blog makes me very nostalgic and happy but it also makes me sad. Because the life I had in Sydney is the life that helped me create the life that I had for myself today. It’s a big part of who I am today. It’s a good thing, but remembering Sydney really makes me miss it.

It’s also a big reason why I work in the music industry today. I moved to Australia because the recession hit the midwest so bad people weren’t hiring interns. I decided to do something about it and move away. I ended up working for the Willoughby City Council as a public relations/events intern which led to the start of my career. Eleven years later, here I am, working in the music industry. Living on a tour bus, writing to you amazing people.

Living in Australia and then coming back for work was very surreal. It was a full circle of my career and it made me realize I accomplished more than I give myself credit for. I’ve worked very hard for my live events career, and I never take any part of my travels or any part of my job as just “another day”.

I’ve heard a lot of people over the years talk about Sydney and say “it’s not that great of a city”. I always ask “why” because I’m genuinely curious. Most people don’t think it has a lot of culture, it’s just another big city, and it’s not that wow factor. The list goes on, you get what I’m saying. I don’t think people really appreciate the beauty of Sydney. There is culture, food, wildlife, and everyone from everywhere in all sorts of walks of life.

There are famous beaches surrounding the East coast of Sydney, there’s a lot of Eastern and Western culture embedded all around Sydney, and I’m sorry, maybe you have been to the wrong places but I’ve had some of the best food there.

Sydney is also famous for the Sydney Opera House and the Blue Mountains. Sydney has everything that any big city should have. Did I mention they have pretty decent weather year round?

I could on and on about Sydney. The wonderfully nice people, open-mindedness, and beautifulness of seeing everyone for what and who they are. Don’t get me wrong, every big city has its problems. But I have never heard people complain about the dating or job shortages in that city.

The best part about working and touring in Sydney is experiencing my work in the city that started my career. It was probably one of the largest crowds we had through out the tour. The venue is extremely well laid out and it’s very easy to navigate and get from the CBD to the west side of the city. I loved working and touring there, I would do it all over again if I could.

Posted in Uncategorized

The End of 2021

Posted on by Jaimee T

Well, it is almost the end of 2021, we made it somehow. I know a lot of people went back out on tour. But there are still a lot of venues being extra cautious of covid-19. What the future will hold who knows. We also have other bigger fish to fry including Astroworld.

Without a doubt, I truly felt that the situation could have been handled better at Astroworld. No lives should ever be lost during a concert. Concerts are suppose to be happy and joyous times. It’s one of the main reasons why I do my job after ten years. I’m lost for words for the devastating events.

With that being said, I hope 2022 is better for everyone. For me personally, while I’m very happy work picked back up. I’m still worried about covid-19, shootings, and large gatherings that can suffocate people. It is my responsibility and duty as someone in industry to look after the concert goers.

Posted in entertainment, Music

2021: The Hope for Concerts

Posted on by Jaimee T

As most of you are aware, the world is opening back up. Which is great, as long as people get their vaccinations. If you truly don’t believe in it, you do you, but just remember the world will be harder to open back up if people don’t. There’s a reason why “The Plague” hasn’t truly come back to life. Science and vaccinations have come a long way.

What does that mean for live music. Well, things are still up in the air. In a lot of ways, people are booking tours and concerts for this summer and fall, but every state, city, and county are doing it differently. So be prepared for some of the following:

Covid Passports: Whether you agree with it or not, Covid Passports might actually become a thing. Meaning, like you carry around your license, same way you carry around your wallet.

Less lights, sound and action: A lot of vendors took a big hit, and it cost A LOT of money to put on these concert. Expect possibly smaller “action” shows… or maybe not I could totally be wrong. I guess we shall see what the vendors do and how much they will charge for equipment.

Venue capacity: This will be tricky, I’m not exactly sure what venues are going to do. I’ve heard several rumors we are supposed to be up in running at full capacity by July. Does that mean it will happen… I don’t know. Everything is so up in the air, I’m not exactly sure, I just know that people want to get back to work and people are doing whatever they can to go back to work.

Different protocol: I do not expect things to go back to normal. It would be very strange if they just went straight back to normal. Just be prepared when you go to a show, that some things may be different.

Posted in entertainment, Life, Music, Uncategorized

So It Begins- 2021

Posted on by Jaimee T

It’s the year 2021… and nothing has changed. I’m not surprised and neither should you.
I’m not exactly sure why, but I’m still hesitant about this year.
Is this year really going to be better than 2020? Typing 2020 just gave me chills…

Everyone had this whole idea about the pandemic being over and life would be back to normal. Hard reality check, my job still doesn’t exist and neither do concerts at this moment.

Rumor has it, most entertainment won’t start until May 2021, but it’s just a rumor.

If I were you, I would walk into this year slowly and guarded. You did your good deeds and you have walked the fine line of not getting Covid-19. How about we count our blessings, shut up, listen to science, and actually start caring about people.

You want concerts back, care about my job and the thousands of other jobs behind the scenes. Wear a mask and don’t discredit people who are still wearing masks because this pandemic “is not over.”

This is me not trying to be mean, I am your reality check. I am one of 12 million people out of
work in live entertainment. From the bottom of my heart, start caring about people. That’s all I’m asking for in 2021.

Posted in entertainment, Music, Uncategorized

Are Concerts Too Soon?

Posted on by Jaimee T

With the music and entertainment world at a halt, the big question is when the next big show will be? The answer is we don’t know.

And if you have been hiding around a rock because the media is driving you nuts, you probably don’t know there have been a couple of concerts that have recently happened.

Two country artists this past weekend did have a concert. One was about a 4,000 person concert and the other about 2,000.

One artist posted very publicly on Instagram about how rowdy the show was. No social distancing and no one in the video was wearing a mask. Needless to say, it had a lot of backlash on the subject. And for good reason, because as one person posted in the comments,( This is paraphrased because I couldn’t find it in the sea of comments) what about the rest of the industry? What standard are you setting? Don’t you think it will set us back?

After having several conversations with people about it, yes a lot of people are pissed. A lot. The recklessness and how everyone else is being put in the risk of COVID-19 with no proper restrictions. People in the industry are pissed.

And as much as I want to go back to work, I have a feeling it is too soon for concerts to go back to normal. So until we figure out a way, concerts won’t be happening for a while.

 

 

Posted in Music, Uncategorized

Event Safety Alliance

Posted on by Jaimee T

Have you ever been to a show and you were afraid because of the number of people that were there? Or the fact that the crowd was really wild and you couldn’t get to the door?

I have.

My very first mosh pit, I was 15. I almost remember to the minute the lie I told my mom to go to a concert at The Rave on Wisconsin Ave. She didn’t allow me there, she thought the area is too dangerous and I wasn’t ready for it. Which of course, as the saying goes, my mother was always right. But I still went anyways.

I went with a close friend of mine from high school. She knew what she was doing because she went to a lot of shows here… or so I thought.

I remember it was a line up of five bands and Fall Out Boy was the headliner. By the third act, I was accidentally caught in a mosh pit. It was about 50 or so people that were in it. But, I was terrified, I had been pushed around and almost ended up on the ground. I almost lost my breath and became weak very fast. I somehow got out and made my way to the back to catch some air. As my friend made her way out, I remember she went home with one shoe. She didn’t think anything of it. I, on the other hand, should have listened to my mother. Long story short, I haven’t been a big crowd person since.

That was my first and last mosh pit. Big or small crowds of people can be a really dangerous situation very quickly.

Why am I talking about this?

Last week, I attended the Event Saftey Alliance (ESA) seminar, and it was about the physics and math about crowds. I wasn’t able to attend the psychology part, but I do know this. Small or large amounts of people can be ruthless, and we all need to be careful.

Without crowds, we wouldn’t have a show. That’s a fact.  But there needs to be a happy medium for the artist, promoters but most importantly the fans when it comes to crowd safety. Because there could be a 15-year-old in the crowd who could be trampled.

You can check out their website here for more information:

http://eventsafetyalliance.org/

Posted in Music, Uncategorized

#RIPChristina

Posted on by Jaimee T

I’ve been working in the industry for about four to five years now. I’ve seen the good and the bad. The great and the worst. But this, I will never understand.

At the end of the day, if you make in the industry. You’ve earned because it is not easy to get into the industry.

Christina Grimmie was a very talented artist. I don’t recall her being on The Voice (because I really don’t watch the show) But I remember and still watch her YouTube videos. She was an incredibly gifted person and her life ended way too soon.

Why someone would do something like this? It is not just awful, it’s  despicable. I don’t care what happened, in the end, no one should die over it.

And because of recent events, now I’m on high alert with my artist. She too likes to sign after her performances… what if something were to happen… I can’t think about it.

We need to stop doing this to each other. We need to come together and be one. Because at the end of the day, we are all here for the same reason. To live our dreams.

And to Christina’s family and friends, I’m so sorry for your loss. It is not fair and I hope you get the respect and privacy you deserve.

 

This is one of my favorite videos of her. RIP Christina.