A Question for Lance

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z3BTh56Pxyk&list=RDz3BTh56Pxyk&start_radio...

Wow, a random question greets me.

So big surprise, this turned into a manifesto, but as I started to answer the question it turned into a trip down memory lane that I haven't visited in quite a while. It's ridiculously longer and more detailed than you were likely figuring on Mike, but it turned into something more for me and was a fun way to pass some time. Read on at your own risk...

From my earliest memories I have been fascinated with anything to do with an event and venues where events happen. I can remember like it was yesterday how I was affected the first time I walked through the tunnel at Candlestick Park when I was 6 and saw the amazing green expanse of the field, the perfect glory of the players and the roar of the crowd. I was hooked immediately.

I put on little shows in my backyard as a kid, I was involved in shows in school, I played (badly) in bands, but what I ALWAYS loved was the energy of an assembled crowd and being a part of it.

Then in '77 I started going to concerts, Cow Palace, Winterland, Oakland Coliseum, etc. and despite having never been exposed to ANYthing like that I felt completely comfortable and at home in that crazy environment right away, once again deeply loving the energy and being fascinated by the venues.

Then along came the Grateful Dead, which exposed me to Bill Graham & his company and all the special ways they would enhance the shows, starting with the final Winterland show. He was larger than life to me and I became glamorized by him and his company and thought it would be so cool to work for him, but I had no idea how to do that and never seriously considered it.

When they built Shoreline in 1986, it was in the South Bay where I lived and I figured it would be fun to get a part-time summer job there, so I applied and became an usher instead of security (Bluecoats) because that would have me in the middle of things every night.

Not understanding the culture of BGP at the time, I didn't realize that being an usher at Shoreline was two strikes against me because ushers were considered one notch above custodial and Shoreline was considered a measly third cousin. The hallowed Bluecoats were what BGP staff was all about, but at that point I didn't care because I was teaching and had no aspirations to get deep into the company, I just thought it would be fun to be a part of it and see shows for free.

Well, it turned out I was good at it and I began getting little promotions, eventually becoming the guy who would handle any ticketing problem or wheelchair issues, which were many because oops, when they designed the place they forgot to put in any wheelchair accessible areas.

I began occasionally working as a Bluecoat around the BA in '87 and made some friends but I was still considered an outsider. My big break happened in 1990, when the house manager at Shoreline got tired of dealing with multiple pissed off patrons at every show and multiple complaint letters after shows and decided to start a Guest Services department to troubleshoot and solve issues before they got to her, and she asked me to run it.

God love her, she gave me complete control of how to set it up and operate it, and away I went. Once again, the veteran BGP staff sneered at the idea... what the hell was GUEST SERVICES??? But once again, I was good at it and after a short time they discovered that the new department was making their lives much easier.

This all coincided with the "return" of Bill Graham, who for a few years had fallen into a general depression and hadn't been directly connected to the day-to-day operations of his company. In the first five years of Shoreline I don't think I saw him there more than a handful of times, but in '90 and especially '91 he became re-energized and was suddenly at every show and prowling everywhere in the building, the classic Bill Graham was back to barking about cold hot dogs and a cup on the ground.

The Shoreline house manager was old-school BGP and along with other company insiders who had discovered that I wasn't "just" a glorified usher had told him about me and the GSR crew, and he began observing me and then meeting with me at shows, and because what I & my crew were doing was exactly what he believed in and we were good at it he was talking to me about becoming much more involved everywhere; I was on the rise and for the first time began seriously planning on BGP as a full-time career.

Then he got in that damned helicopter.

That changed a lot of things in the company. I had made my mark with the insiders who took over BGP and I continued moving up at Shoreline and in general, working at mid-management positions in pretty much every front-of-house department pretty much full time through most of the '90s, but when the company was sold in '98 it was obvious that things were going to seriously change.

But I kept at and in the early 2000s I was offered a few full time management positions, including House Manager of Shoreline, which could have led to General Manager, also General Manager of the Mountain Winery and then assistant General Manager of the Fillmore & Warfield, but by then Live Nation was overlord of all of it and the thrill was gone.

The only position that I regret turning down is the Fillmore/Warfield job, but that would have started as "part-time", would have been tons of late nights and I had just gotten my credential to teach special needs high schoolers and was about five feet over my head with that so I turned it down. In retrospect that would have been fun and really satisfying, but was probably still the right decision.

After that I continued to work at Shoreline and in 2003 became Guest Experience Manager (glorified staff director) but scaled way back on everything else (except starting in 2012 working at this little place in San Rafael that was just a blast). In 2015 the crap LN managers eliminated my position at Shoreline but I continued to work there in basically the same capacity but without the title and at a lower salary until the pandemic.

Because I still loved the original feeling of being a part of an event (and because after all those years I couldn't figure out how to stop) I worked a handful of shows in '21 and one show in '22, but at the end of that night I had this weird sensation in my chest that turned out to be a small heart attack. I took that as a sign (hey stupid, knock it off!!!) and after 37 years that was my final working event.

I miss parts of it, especially helping some poor sap, but overall I feel like I got what I wanted in full measure, and the best decision I ever made was turning my back on Live Nation and staying in education.

Teaching was my profession and I was involved in that in some capacity for 40 years. I was good at it and enjoyed it, but concerts will always be my passion and first love. If Bill Graham had listened to multiple people that stormy night and not gotten into that helicopter my life almost certainly would have been dramatically different. Better or worse? Ultimately I'm pretty sure it worked out much better, but who knows? It would have been a hell of a ride. Ah, the strange vicissitudes of life.

So there you go, and that's the short version. If anyone has read this far I'm wondering what the hell is wrong with you, but thanks for asking. Even if no one reads all this, I enjoyed writing it.

On it goes.

Oh, and by the way...

GO TO THE SHOW!!!!!

Tom, I read it. I loved it and I love you.

Good stuff, yo...

I enjoyed reading that 

Vicissitudes.  Well done.  

Thanks Tom, for sharing with us a little about who you are. Enjoyable read. 

what the hell is wrong with you?

good read for sure!

Very interesting read indeed.
I always thought you were an important individual.

Now i know .
Hope your heart is doing well.
Thx for sharing.

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

Aw, thanks Judit.

And important? Please, the only remotely important things I've ever done were as a teacher, and in my case even that's debatable.

I did help out quite a few people over the years who may have been overlooked or refused otherwise, and I sure did (mostly) have a good time, but it was only rock 'n roll.

But I liked it.

Great read! It's cool to find out things you only had an inkling of about someone you've know for a long time.  

Thanks for taking the time, Tom, hope you're doing well and still enjoying going to shows and games.

Great story. Great experience!

I loved reading this short version bio a lot!  More evidence you are a top-notch fellow, Mr. Lancy Fancy-pants. 

Thanks jamjuice.

You and your lesser half (only by degree, he's simply top-drawer comparatively) are the best, so your kind words mean a lot.

I miss my good times with Pete and I miss you as well, I hope all is well up on the river.

Carry on.

Probably should go to NYE with us Tom. One night room in Gurneville. Pre-party close by. 

High Jammy!

Thank you, Lance. What an interesting and worthwhile life you made for yourself, although personally, what i admire about you most is your dedication to the children you taught, in so many ways. To me, that said everything about your heart. They were blessed to have someone like you in their young lives. 

On you go....  :)

Yes, good work with the kiddos, Lance.

Also, let us acknowledge the essential contributions you have long made, and continue to make, here on the Zone. We are all richer for them.

What they said.

Damn. If I knew people would say such nice things about me I'd have started this thread myself.

I very much appreciate the kind words folks, but I was/am just a guy doing a thing.

I'd say most everyone is more or less, or more, doing the same.

Still, thanks.

Oh, and Mark, that sure would be fun but is way too much effort for me these days. I now live vicariously through all of you....

So, WHOOP IT UP!!!

Nice read, Lance. I would not be surprised if our paths crossed somewhere in the late 70s/early 80s.
Between my IATSE stints at Dead shows and working for Fillmore Fingers (only Dead shows), I'm sure we were at least in the same place and the same time at some point.
I never worked a Shoreline show, though. Except for the US Festival, most of my jobs with BGP/FF were in Sacramento, SF, Berkeley, and Oakland.
I was never on the regular payroll, either. The Barsottis and Nick Nicora usually paid me cash. For FF, I did everything from bar back work, catering for the band, and slinging It's Its.
Mostly, I worked for them so I could be sure I could "go to the show". 

Hey do you know who was that curly haired brunette  that always worked the isle between the thrones and the tapers..,she used to always let me Dance in that isle, at the Greeks , 84,85,86,88,89..in 85 she pulled me aside and said " Hey just keep it moving,  and take that mushroom outta your ear.. I felt like she was an angel watching over me, I was 20, she was probably 35.I had the biggest crush on her.  OHH i popped the shroom into my mouth...as the band jumped into..Gimmie Some Lovin. But yeah saw her at most Bay area shoes, Thanks for your story.. I had an interview with Fillmore fingers, but the commute didn’t entice me We sure did have Fun though