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On the Road with Scotty Crowe
By: Nicole Roberge
It is amazing the amount of people who have emailed me wanting to see an interview with Scotty Crowe on Tuned In Music. What they didn’t know is that I was already familiar with this music industry sensation and had long been in the process of setting something up. The former tour manager of singer-songwriter John Mayer may in fact be able to rival his companion’s star status. Crowe has been a staple among the throngs of Mayer fans, prompting even the biggest John Mayer admirers to take the time to chat with him or even get an autograph while in the midst of Mayer himself. Pretty impressive. Not only has he served as tour manager for Mayer, he has also done merchandising and written the road journal. So how did he get started in tour management? Probably like many of you, he was in search of good music, and he found that in a little club in Georgia when he heard a little known musician named John Mayer.
Scotty
Crowe was kind enough to share with Tuned In Music his path through the music
industry, the riveting ride of tour management, and advice on how to get
involved in such a career:
Tuned In: When did you first know you wanted to have a job in music?
Scotty Crowe: I don't know that
it was necessarily that I consciously wanted a job in the music industry as much
as I loved bands that put on good live shows. I was truly passionate about that
and just had the desire to be close to people who toured. I never thought what
happened could be possible...it seemed like that'd be cheating for some reason:
taking your favorite interest and immersing yourself in it as your job? Weird.
To answer your question, I think I first thought it'd be cool to be around a
touring scene when I was 17 or so...a few years later, in college, I started to
be a little more vocal about doing it in my free time.
Tuned In: How did you hook up with John Mayer to become his Tour Manager?
Crowe :I was going to school at
Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and John was getting his career going. It was 2001,
and I think Inside Wants Out had been out for a little while. He would
play little clubs like Eddie's Attic and Smith's Olde Bar and my boy Francois
and I would stay after to stay hello. I was completely shocked by his
talent...the acoustic stuff, the songwriting, the electric playing - to me, he
was the best thing going. Anyway, towards the end of my 2nd year in college, I
was going to have the summer off and Room For Squares was about to come
out, so I sent John an email asking him if he'd need any help on the road to
promote the album. Amazingly, he was looking for a tour manager to do just
that. We worked it out over a few weeks. I was pumped.
Tuned In: And since then you've also held the positions of merchandising and
writing the road journal—which role has been your favorite?
Crowe: I think the tour management will always be my favorite. I love logistics and taking care of people, and that's what tour management is all about. It's different everyday, it’s overwhelming, it’s challenging, and you just get better the more and longer you do it. Seeing those guys smile and feel secure is the most rewarding and encouraging thing I ever experienced on the road.
Tuned In: What is the hardest thing about being on the road and having to
perform these responsibilities?
Crowe: Probably realizing that
you're at work all day, every day. You're responsible for the well-being of
everyone else on tour...everything else comes from that. Being tired, physical
labor, stressful schedules - all those things flow easy once you set your
priority, which is to set up and execute a smooth tour.
Tuned In: You've basically
watched John Mayer grow as an artist...from playing small clubs to selling out
arenas. What impact did that have on you?
Crowe: It was an amazing thing to observe.
With John, there has always been constantly-building momentum. Every day was a
little more exciting or newsworthy than the last, it seemed. I think it sort of
spoiled me a bit because it was a quick, natural progression for John and I know
a lot of bands play small clubs for years and that doesn't seem like the norm to
me. The coolest part about it is it’s an honor to have been so close to the
entire process, and I was able to make mental notes and observe how an artist
can grow to a huge success.
Tuned In: You've had to deal with a lot of fans at Meet and Greets, etc - what has been your most unique experience in those situations?
Crowe: I'll say that I was most
shocked when people wanted stuff from me when they were backstage to meet John.
No doubt John was the favorite, but I know nothing else would be on my mind if
I were backstage to meet my favorite artist. So I was kind of touched because
I'm like "hold up, that's John Mayer and you want me to sign your ticket too?
I'm just the guy who wakes everyone up in the morning!" People would come
through with cool shirts and stuff, all very, very cool and very humbling.
Tuned In: What is your most memorable experience of being out on the road?
Crowe: That's a really tough one...I was out there for almost 4 years. I think the overall nature of life in the van was ridiculous...John is such a funny, creative guy, and I think we knew how to make each other laugh like mad. It was all good, clean, fun: The Sock Drive, Pudding, Lounge Singer, Profanity Contests, Rodeo Radio...there are a ridiculous number of memories.
Tuned In: You're surrounded by music all the time...do you ever get sick of
it?
Crowe: Absolutely not. I never get sick of music and I never get sick of
John's stuff. I think if you're a music lover, you're always in search of your
next favorite thing and spreading the word of stuff you love. It’s the way it
should always be.
Tuned In: You've also been exposed to a lot of new
music - which bands are you most glad that you got introduced to?
Crowe: I loved David Ryan Harris long before I met him, and I think his
talent is so ridiculous he should be arrested. Through John and Dela's(Mayer’s
bassist) relationships with him and then eventually touring, I've been lucky to
get to know David and he's one of my best friends in the entire world.
I would have been much later on
the Maroon 5 bus had it not been for John's tour - not only are those guys a
bunch of sweethearts, but Songs About Jane is silly. It gets more play
in my car and on the iPod than anything else I own, going on like 3 years now?
The other is Marc Broussard and his crew of creoles. Big hearts, big fun, big
music. I can't get enough of them.
Tuned In: What are you up to now that you're not on tour - any other plans?
What are your hopes for the future? Would you like to continue touring with an
artist or perhaps venture into a different area of the music industry?
Crowe: I'm currently working at Incase Designs as their Brand Manager. I get to
work with designers on creating products, advertisement, and copy for the brand.
It's a fast paced company of a bunch of young, talented people.
I moved to Los Angeles last
year to write. So far, all I've written is email.
I'm inclined to say that I don't think I'll continue touring so that I can focus
on life in Los Angeles and figure out what I want to do with my life...but if
David or Low Millions were to hit the road, it'd be hard to resist going out on
a small tour and working to try to help it bust open.
Tuned In: What would be your advice to those who are interested in a position
in touring?
Crowe: Be persistent, and do as much as you can to understand the industry.
There are all kinds of opportunities for experience, with artist rep programs
and label rep programs, and management/agency internships. Bands will always
tour and always need help. Once you're out there, its all about organization,
communication, and level-headedness.