Jason “Zito” Zito is an award-winning Production Manager with over 20 years of experience as a touring professional. With almost eighty countries under his belt, extensive vendor relationships, an attention to detail and open communications amongst his crew and artists, he’s operating at the top of his game and able to juggle multiple artists at once.
Like so many of my guests, Rich Nesin started his career with a passion for music and a desire to learn everything he could about the industry. But as we know all too well, a successful career also comes down to right place, right time.
After starting out as a bass player in local New York bands, Rich quickly found himself working at S.I.R studios in midtown Manhattan, servicing clients like Todd Rundgren, The Dictators, Jim Carroll, and Blue Oyster Cult. His big break came at the start of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue, where Nesin got his first real taste of life as a touring professional, making $250 a week as the tour's backline tech.
It’s almost impossible to be a fan of music and not know the name Peter Shapiro. Chances are you’ve heard of places like Wetlands Preserve, The Capitol Theater, and Brooklyn Bowl. You may even be familiar with Relix Magazine, originally launched in 1974, which focuses on live music, festivals, artist interviews, etc. If the aforementioned still doesn’t ring a bell, I’m sure you know the names Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir. Peter Shapiro is at the center of all of those things and many more.
It’s the late 1970’s, you’ve stopped drumming in your local band because you realized you could be more effective behind the scenes, you cut your teeth in every major bar or club for the last few years after starting out in Cleveland, and as the 80’s fast approach you wonder where life on the road with rock bands will lead you.
Then the phone rings. It’s a band that’s on the verge of dominating the world several times over, but no one knows that yet. They need a Bass tech. You say yes, having never done the job.
For over forty years Norman Harris has been the go-to guy for vintage guitar enthusiasts the world over. His store in Tarzana, CA consistently has the greatest collection of player-friendly stringed instruments, while his dedicated and loyal staff cater to a wide range of guitar enthusiasts and players day after day.
Mary Broadbent’s path into the music industry started much like it does for most of us: on stage, in a band. After moving around for much of her childhood Mary finally ended up attending Emerson University in Boston, and followed a few classmates to the West Coast where her real education as a live touring professional would ultimately begin.
One could argue that if it were not for an unfortunate mishap at Joni Mitchell's home studio, Toni Fishman may never have had the opportunity to re-launch the Telefunken brand. By reverse-engineering the guts of a badly burned microphone from Mitchell's home studio, Toni was able to not only bring the mic back to life, but realized there was a market for people who owned the same microphones and needed them serviced. It all came down to one small plastic switch.
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