Good evening everyone.

Grab your coffees and settle in because we have a great show for you tonight.

I'm Valerie, that's David and this is our Gen X Pittsburgh podcast.

Tonight's guest didnt witness the scene, he built it.

Our guest tonight is Ed Travesari.

He is a former music promoter, and he's now teaching music business classes at Point Park.

Woo!

I bet he's go some good stories, but he does.

I know, I really like that.

Didn't witness the scene, built the scene.

Yes he did Clever use of language, Valerie.

I like that a lot.

What was your favorite concert in the 90s?

Oh, Lala Palooza.

Yeah, yeah.

Because that was backstage.

I wasn't out there with you, and I was backstage hanging out with bands.

I was the cool girl back then.

I was drinking more than dancing.

Just.

Just to be clear, I think we should.

We should say that.

What was your first concert?

Oh, boy.

Even like, as a child, you know, my first concert was Roberta Flack.

Wow.

In New Hampshire, at a lake.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was a free concert.

Roberta Flack, the first concert that I actively chose to go to was.

Was Van Halen with Alice in Chains opening.

Wow.

Starlake Amphitheater.

I think it was the first year Starlakes first year.

And that would have been.

I think that was in my first year of college.

Wow.

Yeah, I, I've, I've seen a lot of concerts.

I know you have.

A lot of concerts.

I saw your.

Yeah.

Collection of tickets stubs, there.

And many of them have, have, have in some way influenced my life.

What do I mean by that?

I'll tell you a funny story.

Probably doesn't sound funny.

It sounds more tragic and funny, but you have to believe me.

It's funny.

When I was in college, it's 1990, and I was making the transitio from sort of hard rock and metal into alternative music, and there was a band called Queensrche, who was a progressive metal band, and they were playing in West Virginia with my favorite band of all time at the time called Warrior Soul was opening.

And so it was a blazing snowstorm.

You couldn't see three feet in front of you.

Right.

And so I called my mother from the college and I said, you know, go to the show tonight.

And she said, absolutely not.

She said, you've never been to West Virginia.

There' no if you go to West Virginia, don't bother coming home.

And so I didn't.

I went to West Virginia, and I saw Warrior Soul and I saw Queensrche, and then I didn't go home that night.

And the next day, my mother actually showed up the college, and she was like, what the heck are you doing?

I was like, look I told you I wasn't coming home.

I got an apartment right after that.

I wasn't going to say the end of it.

Right.

So that was influenced my life that way.

But the the, your love of music, the side part of that story is we picked up a guy, I went with a couple other people we had no ide how to get to, to West Virginia.

Right?

But somebody had said, oh, I know how to get there.

So we drive to McKeesport t pick him up, and then we drove.

We get in the road.

It's a like I said, can't see two feet in front of you.

We turn to him, we go, wher do we go now that we're on 22?

He went, oh, I don't know.

I just figured it'd be signs that I could tell you.

So we did eventually make it there?

Yes.

So young.

Yeah.

But I, you know, so many of the shows that I saw were disease and it had a huge part in those shows, obviously.

So I'm really anxious.

I'm kind of embarrassed to tell you what my first concert was.

My dad made me go with him.

It was Sha Na Na.

That's awesome.

I would be proud of that.

Oh, yeah, yeah I would.

My first big concert tha I remember was Michael Jackson.

Wow.

Thriller tour.

Thriller tour.

Wow.

That was pretty cool.

You spent some money?

My dad did.

Yeah.

Like, I don't know how old I was then, but that was pretty.

That was pretty amazing.

Wow.

Yeah.

And what artists have you seen the most?

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl jam, that kind of stuff.

Yeah.

What about you?

Unfortunately, the band that I've seen the most is a band I never paid for, but was on the ticket with a bunch of other bands that I was so Pantera.

I've probably seen Pantera like eight times, and I have no respect for Pantera's music at all.

I don't like I don't like it at all, but I've seen them more than any other band.

Wow.

Yes.

And I don't mind saying that I think Pantera is a horrible, horrible, horrible band that should have never made it and they should have never got back together.

And I can't believe people spend money to see Pantera.

That's right.

And if Pantera has a problem, they should come to the Gen X Pittsburgh Podcast.

He's so.

He's joking.

Welcome back to Gen X Pittsburgh.

We are back at Potomac Station Coffee house, where the coffee kick in faster than dial up ever did.

Right Ed?

I like that.

Yeah.

Do you remember dial up days?

Not really.

Before digital, there was analog.

Of course.

Yeah.

Yeah I know.

So you were just sayin that you booked a lot of shows with Sha Na Na?

Yeah.

We did.

I mean, it's, like, not the coolest thing to say, but, you know, they played the Syrian mosqu one time in the Stanley Theater, probably back in the late 70s.

And we did.

We started out with two shows on a Friday night, and I was working with WPXI Ill never forget they were on the TV show, and it was so strong that we kept adding shows.

So we booked five shows that weekend two Friday, two Saturday, Sunday matinee.

Well, when it was over, manager of Sha Na Na, came to Rich Hagler and I said, whatever you guys do, you must know something because we haven't been known how many shows they go.

Would you be interested in taking us on tour?

We had never done a tour.

Yeah, because most promoters are territorial.

Right.

And they said, we'll give you everything from, like around Biloxi, Jackson, down that way, all the way up north.

And we took about 30 cities.

So it would be my jo to go in advance all the shows.

And then Rich and I, he would come down when it was time to promote the show.

But we had fun with them.

We got to know the guys real well.

We're all great guys.

I mean, you know, they were all great.

So we did well.

We did about 30 show for about three years in a row.

Oh my gosh.

We would do shows.

You can't get over this.

One of the first shows we did was at the LS Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.

Oh my 17,000 people.

Wow.

Really?

Yeah.

Now that's hard to believe.

That is hard.

But in the South particularly, I can't explain it.

They were into Bowzer and Sha Na Na so much.

I had mayors, and I had governors who would come before the show and say, do you think I can meet that Sha Na Na?

Why are you kidding me?

And I would say, oh, I think I could work it out.

Wow.

My dad is going to be so excited to hear this.

Dad was that of his time because they were super big.

And what happened was soon as Bowzer left, and then this Johnny Contardo, right, they all started splitting up.

We did them for years afterwards, but it was not, you know, i just wasn't the same right now.

Anyways, that's my Sha Na Na.

I love it.

I got pictures I could send you galore.

Oh I was.

Well I started sort of in the middle.

But you've had four decades in the music business.

I think everyone knows you a long time.

It sure does, doesn't it?

Everyone knows you as part of the.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We started in 75, so.

Yeah, I got to start in 70.

Yeah.

Went to school and Robert Morris from 70 to 74.

Business.

Yeah.

It was it was a business.

You know, the thing was I always wanted to be i the music business, but in 1970, I was like, I'm a drummer.

I've been playing in bands forever.

And I thought, where can I go?

And the only school I ever knew was Berkeley.

And at that time it was all about playing.

Yeah, and there was no business part of it.

And so anyways, long and short of it, as I said, you know, I'm going to go to Robert Morris because I knew had a good business program and I don't know what I'm going to do.

But I told somebody today that what changed my life to get to be a promoter, I was probably the second year at school, and me and my roommates and my college friends, we thought we knew everything about music.

Sure.

Long hair back there, you know, it was a mid 70s and there was a lot of shows on campuses back then because there wasn't nearly the venues that we had now.

And I would drive to Cal you to go see the James Gang.

I was going everywhere to see bands, and Robert Morris was having very little, and I was a little bit concerne about that as my roommates were.

So one day we said, not only are you not doing very many shows but who's booking these shows?

So let's say they said, you know, John Franklin.

I go, well, listen, John's probably a nice guy, but nobody ever shows up, so he must not know what the heck he's doing.

And the guy goes, my, it was the advisor.

He goes, why don't you do something about it?

And I said, oh, I just wanted to complain.

I don't want to do.

Im a college student.

I just want to complain tha nobody's doing the right thing.

He goes, no you got to get on a committee.

I go out on like committees.

He goes, well, you got to get on the student activities committee.

I go, what is that?

You know, and he goes, well you got to change the way we do movies and concerts.

Anyways.

I get my roommate who als didn't want to be on committee.

We do it the first year.

At the end of the year, I had run the spotlight for Muddy Waters and different shows.

So I was yeah, it was kind of cool and I was really getting a feel of this and none of my classes were music.

It was all business, right?

I thought, you know what, I'm going to run for president, and I get my buddy to run for vice president.

He goes, who heck is going to vote for us?

Nobody likes us.

I said, what are you talking about?

I win.

He wins.

And everything started changing because we now had the powe of booking the shows on campus.

So back then, I don't know if you'll remember this guy, but he was a phenomenal guitar player named Roy Buchanan.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I know.

And so Roy was on the WQED.

They had a special on him.

There was a national show and we saw it and we'd like, oh my God, this guy was asked to play with the stones, Eric Clapton.

Clapton used to say things about, but he was a very quiet guy.

When we found out that his manager was from Pittsburgh, so we went down PPG, his office was there.

Anyways, we booked him and we had a sold out show in our gymnasium.

Got the bug, I thought I have a budget.

I had to go pick him up at the airport.

Yeah, go work security.

And you would say like, what do I do?

I don't know, put that security shirt on.

Anybody else on stage I don't know what to tell you.

But now being in a band, I kind of knew something, you know?

And then after that, it was just interesting.

I just sent some pictures out.

We just had Sills and Crofts Remember them?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dash just passed away this week and we had a good picture we took back at the school.

And after that we did this band spirit.

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

So those three shows were wha started my whole thinking, like, this is a business.

Like who?

If I always say to my students, if I couldn't be on stage because I basically knew tha I wasn't going to make it big.

Big, how close to the stage can I be?

Yeah.

And it was being a promoter.

I thought, now, some 5000 shows later I know what I was talking about.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But that's how I got started, right?

And then I worked six months at a retail store on McKnight road and I hated every second of it.

Sure.

And I got married to my wife, who we've been dating since ninth grade.

Wow.

So I said, why don't we just.

Wow.

It's okay.

But I said why don't we just get married?

So I got married.

But here's the reason why I'm telling you that.

Because I went in to this guy at the retail store and I go, hey, I'm getting married.

He goes, well, that's very nice.

I said, d I get a week off for honeymoon?

He goes, no, you've only been here like six months or yeah, six months.

I'll give you a weekend.

I go, well that's not very long.

So I couldn't go anywhere.

But I believe in fate now I do, because I went to a place called Mountain View inn which was in the area.

Yeah, yeah.

And on that weekend, I was still going through the newspaper back in the day looking for jobs.

DiCesare-Engler is looking for a runner.

Oh my God, what the heck is that?

I don't know, but whatever it is I want to be.

Yeah, right.

And then my wife goes, who's the DiCesare-Engler?

I says, don't you ever look at our tickets?

Yeah.

They're going I didn't know who they were.

Right.

And so it says calm me on Monday.

So I'm at my retail stor on Monday, and I called him up and he was a little bit different back then.

You know, it was the 70s.

He was like, hey, yeah.

He goes, you know, I just fired a bunch of college kids in th last couple of months, he said.

I says, really?

Why?

He says, because nobody wants to work.

He says, everybody thinks it' so cool to be in this business.

And I get a girl.

The other day she got hired.

I put her in the back.

She started getting autographs from our band.

Yeah.

And I said, well, I'd fire him too.

He goes, really?

And he goes, yeah.

And those guy, he was tryin to get autographs from somebody.

And I said, well, I get rid of all of them.

And he goes, why would you do that?

I said, well, aren't we here to protect, you know, the band from the crowd?

And he goes, you know what?

I love what you're saying, man, he says, I told him I was a drummer.

He was a drummer.

I didn't know all this.

I proposed shows, he says, call me tomorrow.

I said, I went home that night.

I was so hig because I thought this was it.

Yeah.

I had no connections.

I mean, I was from a little town and I didnt know anybody.

Right?

First thing he says is I changed my mind.

I go, oh, wow, what do you mean?

He goes, I'm just going to do it myself.

You sound like a great guy.

But I do all this by myself now, so I'm just going to I he loves this story.

I mean, I still deal with Rich every day.

And I said, well, that's not possible.

He goes, I mean, it's not possible.

I just told you I'm gonna do it myself.

I said, no, Rich, you don't understand.

I'll never have a connection like this in my life.

And I really want to be in whatever this is when those lights go down.

All that got real quiet on the phone, and I. You know what got him?

I says I'll work for free.

Oh, wow.

He goes, you're hired.

Yeah.

Wow.

And I got hired and he says, I don't want to go on too long.

But he goes, you ever driver Rolls-Royce?

I says, I've never seen him one.

When I was in my little town where I grew up, he says, well, I own a Rolls-Royce.

And you're going to pick the band America up tomorrow at the airport?

Oh, yeah.

And America happened to be one of my favorite bands, because when I went to college, I put my drums away, started playing acoustic, and I played all the America songs.

Sure.

But I said I was the rudest driver he had because I wasn't going to talk and get my butt fired.

Right.

So I drove them from the airport to the mosque for their show and paid me 50 bucks.

A couple days later, he calls me and says, you're still available.

I go, yeah, because I quit my job.

He goes, you got to pick Jeff Beck up.

Wow.

And I was such a big fan and trying to keep it calm, like, oh, okay, I'll pick up Mr.

Beck, right?

Yes.

Where would wha part of the airport will he be?

And he will have a sign.

Back in the day, we used to all the signs, you know, looking for Jeff Beck.

And then a week went by and he didn't call.

And my wife goes, what about your friend, Rich Engler?

Are you going to give you any work?

And I go, well I'm sure something will come up, but if not, I'll go get a regular job.

I just had to get him the door.

That's why I said I work for free.

And he says about a week late he goes, he's still available.

Yeah.

I want you to go pick up Jefferson Airplane.

Oh my God, this is when it's like Papa John Creech was in the band and you know, everybody was in the band And I said, yes, I can do that.

And it was after that day I brought his Rolls back to his office and he says, you know what?

You did pretty good.

I go, well, that's good.

I didn't think I was going to be a limo driver all my life.

He says, come in the offic and I'll teach you everything.

Wow, that was 1975 and I still do shows for 50 years later.

That's incredible.

It really is.

You know, it's been fun because he just gave me that chance.

And, you know, and I just.

I tell him reason I can teach at Point Park was he taught me everything.

And he literally taught me everything.

He said, I'm going to teach you how to settle shows.

I'm going to teach you how to market.

I'm going to teach you how to buy.

I mean, I didn't know anything except playing drums.

You know, I mean, I knew I wanted to do it, you know.

It really was at a time when this was all brand new.

I mean, I you had Richard here, maybe in Pittsburgh.

You had Billy Bill Graham, you know, in San Francisco.

Right.

But everything was regional.

Yeah.

Everything was one step up from Carnival, right?

Like it's all brand new, right?

It really was.

Well, that's exactly.

They joined each other in 73 and made the DiCesare-Engler partnership.

So I was coming along just two years later.

But the deal was that Pa see Pat brought the Beatles in.

He did everybody.

Yeah I mean he had Pat DiCesare presents.

We all kind of knew who he was.

I knew his name.

And I know what happened was that Rich, who was a young startup drummer and he wanted to start doing shows, and they started hitting heads because Rich wanted to bring shows to the arena and all these other venues.

And Pat was like, who is this young guy?

Because he, you know, Rich is about 7 or 8 years younger than Pat.

And so the story goes that Pat called Rich up and said we should form a partnership.

Pat takes a hiatu and jumps out of the business, but stays with u and then asked Rich to run it.

And so I come along.

Two years later when I think he needed help.

And then we bought the Stanley in 77.

And then we just never stopped from now real quick, where did you grow up?

Charleroi.

Mon valley.

Yeah.

So you know why I never saw any Rolls Royce?

They don't come around town, but not too many of those out there.

I didnt even know how to spell Rolls and Royce.

He said you ever drive when I go, what are you.

What are you?

I don't even know what I. Well, when he told me, he said he threw these keys and he goes practice driving.

It goes tomorrow youre going to pick up America.

I go, what's this practice driving?

Well, it was like a cockpit of an airplane.

And, I mean, I have a long story you don't want to know about, but we almost broke dow on the first day with America.

America guy hits me in the head says, you're going to kill us.

And it was all my God.

But it all worked out right?

No, it was all good, you know?

And I tell kids, if you ever have a bad first day, think of my American story because I tell them all the details at least.

At least you were getting.

You got a car.

I remember picking up.

I used to pick up artists for the Shady Side Arts and Jazz Festival, and we would pick up people and have to use our cars.

I was going to say I did that a little bit back in my day and sometimes he had the Rolls.

Yeah, I cant remember.

I can't remember what artist it was, but we picked them up an they said, where are we going?

And we said, well, we'r going to Duane Dolphins house.

That's where you're staying.

And he said, no, I need my check and I need a bank.

And so we did drive to th Shadyside Summer jazz Festival.

So he got a check and then he went to the bank.

He didn't deposit the check, cashed it.

Didn't want to pay for.

Right.

Yeah.

You know, and I took them I took people many places even on those, those three times.

I mean, I, you know, because that's what we use people for, to take them you know, places and all that.

But that was a good experience because driving the band, getting to know how they were and everything, you know, and everything that I did for Rich, I learned.

So I knew how to tell somebody else.

So, you know, I started of where I was a production manager and, you know, and he says, I'm going to teach you how to work backstage and do all the production.

I go, okay, great.

You know, and I'll never forget one of my first big shows was Queen.

Is this the Kansas show?

No, no, I know what you mean.

You know, this was when they went to the arena and they were the headliner.

And I'll just tell you this quick story was I was still about 25, probably 26.

So I was really unsure of what I was doing.

And back then we had no, I, you know, emails.

We couldn't communicat like I was just taking my notes.

And as a production manager, you're dealing with the size of the stage and catering and, you know, all the behind the scenes with their production guy.

Well, the da the show comes in the morning, I'm there about 8:0 for our rigging and everything.

And the guy that was the tour manager for Queen, he wasn't very happy.

He was an English chap and I'm sur he was all on drugs at the time, but they all wer and everything I did was wrong.

Everything, he say the stage is not the right size.

It steps are on the wrong side.

The food is like dog food.

I mean, he gave me everything you can imagine.

That's the wa they talk, everything, you know.

And I was like, okay, you know?

And I said, I'm Italian.

And and my blood does star to boil every once in a while.

And it was starting to boil and I didn't I don't want to blow this whole operation.

So I was going.

So about 12:0 Rick shows up always, you know, and you know, everything going, okay.

And I go, not very well.

He goes, why?

What's wrong?

I go, well, I told him the guy's name.

I said, I know I'm not perfect.

I said, but there's no way I could be wrong on all these things.

He goes, listen, I'm sure he's wrong.

I have your back.

Believe me, however, do not.

I'll never forget this.

Do not burn any bridges.

You go in there and tell that guy what you really think.

We're going to be completely screwed?

We're going to lose the band.

He's going to come back and see you many years later.

And that was a valuable lesson.

I went to another room and I blew my steam off.

I went back and I said, you know, maybe it was wrong.

You know, maybe I wrote it down wrong.

What size do you want?

It's the same thing I had done.

Where'd you want the steps All stagehands put it on stage.

Left at the end of the day was, you know, Ed.

Very nice working with you, you know.

And then we became good friends.

But that lesson was invaluable.

Yeah, because I knew that, you know, when you're a tour manager, you don't work with these bands forever.

So, you know, they're going to come back with Supertramp or any of those English bands we had, you know, and then they would be like, oh, you're the guy in Pittsburgh that I can't stand.

So that was a valuable lesson.

But I don't know why I told you that, but I know oh, well, it was one of my first big shows, the Kansas Story later with Queen down at the Stanley, because having somebody back out of a sho probably gives everybody that.

Yeah, that's the only reason I can't really talk to that story is because that was right before I started.

Oh, was it right there?

It was right at that time.

Yeah.

No, I started May 1st.

That was like I don't know, February, March.

They said, well no, it was right right before me.

And Richard's told them all to me a hundred times.

But you know, I didn't have those, you know, his big thing back when Kansas used to come all the time, you know like, for instance, he was like Kansas and sticks with Queen one time.

Queen.

I mean, I know the situation with that one.

I don't kno Queen Freddie Mercury got sick.

And normally when a band gets sick, you know, we postponed the show.

Typically in this case, it was so early on in life, rich goes back to the dressing room and talks to both Kansas personally and Styx and says, look, they're not playing.

Can you guys play a little longer?

You guys get play on DVE, the big rock station.

And they were like, I don't even know if he gave me any more money.

You know?

He said, sure.

And Kansas will tell you today, Phil, Ehart tells us every time we do them that that's why Pittsburgh is their biggest market ever.

Yeah.

And when they did their anniversary here just 40 years they picked one place to do it.

And they called Rich and said can we do in Pittsburgh?

And it's because the relationship, he said, you know, we're bigger here than in Topeka, which is where they're from.

Wow.

Yeah.

Because that started and I shouldn't say we're not taking the credit.

DVE needs the credit.

They are the ones that made them who they are because they played every single song you can imagine.

Right.

Well, it's so interesting though.

I saw Kansas, I paid to see Kansas.

I seen them at the rib festival for free.

I mean, yeah, they've really run the gamut here.

Oh my God, yeah, they're still out and about.

We just had them a couple of months ago.

Yeah.

I mean, unfortunately, you know, you're not going to get too many of the original members, but Phil still plays a few songs on drums.

You know, the bass player still there.

We had a for a couple anniversaries.

It was great.

Carrie Livgren came in.

Dave Hope the bass player, who was a minister, came in and played.

You know, they really appreciate th Pittsburgh so much when we said, hey, will you guys all come in?

They go, we'll try to get there.

And you know, they're hobblin in, but they're getting there.

Yeah.

So I have a list here of a bunch of venues.

Yeah.

Syria mosque, Stanley Theater, A.J.

Palumbo, Mellon, Three Rivers, Heinz Field, PNC Park, Star Lake.

You've done them all.

Yeah.

What was your favorite?

That's a good one, you know.

You know, probably because we owned the Stanley.

Yeah, yeah, our office were in there for seven years.

I basically, you know, lived there almost.

I would say it was my favorit because my experiences were just we knew the whole building, you know, we knew everything about it.

The mosque was also a grea I mean, it was a great building.

And we we were up there.

But I just probably say, but I loved them all.

I mean, I managed I.C.

Light for nine years and I knew every little creek about that place too.

You know, the old arena.

And I mean, they were all great venues, you know, but I would say the Stanley, because when I look back at the Stanley history and I think Pittsburgh i the same, I see so many stories.

Everybody wants to talk about the history.

They want to tell you what their favorite show was there and what they were doing.

And we just had everybody you know, when I say we booked, you know, one night it could have been Sha Na N and next night it was Ozzfest.

I mean, because they were coming up, you know.

So one thing Pat and Rich said years ago when I first was there and we first bought the building, we said, look, we're not just going to be rock promoters like so many of our counterparts were in other states.

We said, we're going to try to run this plac and do as long as it's something that's going to sell, we're not.

So I booked Jazz Forever, Crusaders and Weather Report and all those guys, and then we put country in back in the day.

But we would do rock and we would do, you know Rodney Dangerfield I mean we just did them all.

We haven't we had Red Skelton I mean I can't even tell you how many shows we had.

I used to say we had like a board.

We just throw a, you know boom, boom book, that band book, that one.

Because, I mean there was no semblance of order.

But I'm not saying everything sold very well.

And w we lost money on a lot of shows, but that's the way the promoter business works.

Yeah.

You know how many people want to be you like, that is the coolest job Like, yeah, well, you know what?

My niece, for example, she's graduating from Kent State University in a couple of weeks, and she's looking for a job.

Yeah.

Promoting concerts.

And you see, that's why I went back.

That's why I went to Point Park to teach it.

Yeah, because, I mean, I had no clue to teaching.

Right.

Can't.

Nothing was in my mind about teaching, although I think in retrospect, I was teaching interns all my life.

But I was the manager of Station Square for about nine years.

I.C.

Light did all the shows, and we had we had sold the Live Nation and I was still on board.

But, you know, because even though we gave up our personal interest in the company, they said, you can stay on board.

So I said, okay, I'll stay here.

One day.

I had a girl come up in my office and she goes, yeah, I'm your intern.

I said, oh, good.

What's your name?

She told me, you know, Mary, where do you go to school?

She said, Point Park.

I said, well, I can see it across the river from where I'm at.

And I said to her, what's your major?

I'm always asking, like what?

The major sports, arts and entertainment management.

I said, what the hell was that?

She goes, well, it's sports, arts and entertainment management.

I go, I hop they teach you more than that, because that's not a good answer.

And she said, well, it's a bunch of sports guys, but they have the wherewithal to think, let's put arts and entertainment.

And I said, well, who's teaching your entertainment?

They said, I don't think they have anybody yet.

I go, well, that's not good.

So I had lunch with somebod that I was offering to teach one year went by for whatever reasons, and I ha about 36 years at DiCesare-Engle And I thought, you know what?

I was 55.

I know what it was like My own kids are in the business.

My one son runs the Petersen Events Center, one lives in Nashville, working.

And, you know, they're into it.

Yeah.

So I thought, you know, we got to give back to these kids because, I mean, it's hard, right?

So I called Point Park and they said, you know what?

It's interesting.

You're here.

We have nobody to do this.

Why don't you become full time?

I said, I'm not a professor.

And they said you'd be great to run it.

And I said, what's your education?

I go, well, I got a bachelor's degree from Robert Morris.

They go, what else?

I go about 36 years of doing everything you can possibly imagine.

And the guy goes, what else?

I go, what else is there?

He goes, you got to have at least a masters.

I go, well, I don't have one.

He goes, well, you ought to get one.

I go, where am I going to get it?

He goes, you get it here.

And I said did I tell you I was 55, right.

He goes, yeah, what's the big deal?

I go, I'm not into going back to school at 55, but I did for 19 months and got that darn paper on my good for you.

Well, because I wanted to teach that bad, right?

Yeah.

And I'm fine with it now.

That's 19 years ago, you know, but.

Well, it's funny because we when I say we, I mean, most of the people that work on this show, except Valerie went to Poin Park.

I did I went to Point Park Okay.

What was your major?

I was communications.

Oh, yeah.

Everybody else.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But when we went it was Point Park College.

Yes.

And we went in the waning days of Point Park College when there they were dropping majors like crazy.

You know, I mean, by the time we left, I think there were like three majors.

Seriously.

And they were thinking about merging with Duquesne.

Oh, okay.

And then so, you know, I'm working I'm way.

And then I met some guy that I had gone to high school with or something, and I said, so what are you doing now?

He said, I'm teaching at Point Park.

And I said, really what?

And he said, and I guess they have some sort of medical program.

And I was like, well, what are you doing?

He's like, why teach about this muscle?

And he went like this, like, and I'm like, no, you're not teaching a Point Park.

I mean, come on, maybe your.

And he's like, no, I'm telling you, we are.

And I was like, that's unbelievable.

Right?

So it's come a long way.

Yeah.

That's reall I can see that in my 20 years.

I mean we've ha a couple different presidents, but they are especially the guy right now.

I mean, we're buying things up from town and.

Right.

It owns half the town.

It's amazing that area over by there.

And and als they're just into entertainment.

Well, you know, they love our label.

They support us.

The president was at our VIP party at Stage AE.

He's going to be on in a few weeks.

Chris.

Yeah, he's a great guy.

Yeah, I know he's he's really good.

I really like him.

And he, you know, he he's really big on supporting me in my Nashville tri because I take kids to Nashville about 8 or 10 to work a a music conference every year.

And he came dow a couple of times and said, no, I got to come down to meet everybody because he said, we need to make this connection in Nashville.

And I said, well, I'm with you, and I'm gla whenever the president shows it.

Yeah.

And we also had our number two guy come down.

I told the kids that were there.

I said, the president's here.

And they go, what?

I mean, you know, some people will roll their eyes when you say that.

But to me, that's pretty amazing that, you know, there's a lot of other things that got president of a university could be doing right and not going down to hang out with some kids in the music place, right?

I see him everywhere.

So I'm the senior staff, senio staff writer at the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, and he's almost every journalism even there is supposed to get around.

Yeah, he really does anyway, so he's done a good job.

And so that's where I'm at.

So yeah you know that's it.

Yeah that's my Point Park.

That's very cool.

Yeah.

We're going to take a quick break.

We're going to let you have some water.

We've been doing a lot of talking.

We'll be right back.

Everything I can tell you everything.

We'll be right back after this break.

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Welcome back to the Gen X Pittsburgh podcast.

We're here with Ed Traversari.

And he is telling us all about the music business.

Right.

And I'm really interested in learning a little bit about how the busines changed over the years.

Right.

I know that in the 70s it was sort of the Wild West.

Right.

And it was a manager that would show up and say, you put in ten extra seats you owe us, right?

And now it's it's so business and it's such a so regimented and so systematic.

And and over the years, independent promoters have given way to live Nation and, and radio stations are consolidated to become iHeart Radio or or Odyssey.

What's it been like to be there in the concer side of this overall this year?

Yeah, you just said pretty much the whole thing right there, you know.

Well I feel bad.

I don't have to answer it all.

You just made a darn good answer.

Next question please.

No, it really was.

It's exactly what it was.

I mean, you know, when I, when I was doing it with Rich back in the 70s, it's exactly that.

It was very territorial.

And that's how it got started.

So in Pittsburgh, it was the DiCesare-Engler, and in Philadelphia it was another company, Cleveland, another company, New York and other company, Bill Graham, West Coast.

Every major city had a promoter that the agents would know that they could work with these people.

And it was like that forever You didn't go out of your area.

Like, in other words, if we got a call from somebody and they would say, do you want to play this show in Cleveland?

We'd say, no, we don't do Cleveland.

Right.

Somebody else's territory.

I would respect them if they would be called in Cleveland.

And they go, we're not going to Pittsburgh.

We tried to protect our territories because that's how the business should work.

You get somebody coming in and they do.

And we did get that once in a while.

But then, you know, in the late 90s we got a A or an email, whatever, social media one day.

And there was a guy named Silverma who owned a company called SFX.

Right.

And he bought Ron Delsener, who was the biggest promoter in New York, for some ungodly amount of money, which sent shockwaves up through the music industry.

Business-wise and we thought, well, okay, I can't believe he sold.

About a two days later, Bill Graham sold his company and we never thought he would.

Right Oh boy.

I guess the money got to him.

He wanted to get out of it.

A few days later, another company.

Another company.

Before you know it, you saw it like this.

Right.

And it took about a year.

We got our call in Pittsburgh and they said, you know, we want to meet.

And so we sold.

And he eventually became Live Nation.

You know, it was it was that whole type thing.

But yeah.

So the independents are still there.

But now it's more conglomerated.

So that when Live Nation books a show, they might book the whole tour and then they'll call Star Lakes president here locally and they'll say you don't have to do anything.

We booked the show already.

It's, you know, this show Tedeschi Trucks, you're doing it that night.

Here's the dollar amount and just make sure it works.

Then you get somebody like Brian Druski who used to work for us for years.

You know, Stage AE there's some independents out there and they go after it.

But what I tell our students is it's just a little more business like, yeah, you know, it was wild, wild West, right?

I tell them about the riders we used to get.

Yeah.

I mean, the riders for some of those bands like the Allman Brothers and, you know, Lynyrd Skynyrd were just crazy because back then, the way the deals were cut, the promoter was pretty much paying for everything, right?

Meaning you pay the guarantee, you paid for the sound, the lights you paid for the rent, the advertising and you paid for their catering.

So if they wanted six bottles of Dom Perignon and they wanted to throw five out the window, that's up to them.

We didn't pay for it.

We don't even like it.

It's like going to an all inclusive place, like in sandals or something.

And that's what they did for years.

And so the riders were crazy.

Richmond buzzed me many times and say, don't buy that.

Don't buy.

Go.

Well you're not in the dressing room when you walk in and the guy calls me in.

And where is our Dom Perignon?

You know and so the deals have changed.

Now bands are participating in more money, but they also participate in the expenses.

So by doing that, how quickly the riders start to condense.

Right.

You know, and that's that's where you see it.

And so I have to teach that to these kids all the time.

And also the other thing that's different is the riders are muc people want to they want to be they want to eat better.

They want to they don't want to drink as much.

Right?

I think they want to live.

They don't want to di like so many of our people died because, you know, it's the way it was.

You'll get your ones in a while still out there.

But, you know, there's vegetarian.

I mean, the riders are completely different.

Did you ever have an experience like this?

A friend of mine used to work for the cultural district, and they bring in.

I don't want to say it but they bring in somebody who used to be in a big rock band Now he's an individual.

Right.

And so my buddy's going through the contract and everything needs to do fo the rider, and he does it all.

And so now we're two before the show starts, and he's sitting in his office and there's a bang.

I don't want to say knock.

There's a bang on his door.

Right.

And he opens it up and it's the guy.

And the guy says to him, what the hell's going on?

And he says, what do you mean?

He goes, my rider says, they're supposed to be massage woman.

And he said, yeah we got you a massage therapist.

She got you, idiot.

A massage therapist doesn't mean massage therapist.

Well, yeah Like so did you have a lot of.

There was all kind of.

Yeah.

Yeah, I yeah, it just that's what I'm saying.

It was I tell these kids now you don't even.

I can't even tell you the stories and people you know with with Rich and I, it was funny.

It just kind of rolled off our backs.

I learned from him.

That's like I don't know, lets just get it.

And we never made a big deal about it.

We just kind of let it go.

I mean, we would we still talk about them today, but, you know, we never let it bother us, even though it was so ridiculous or so silly or, you know, I remember one time I had to get a limo fo every member of Fleetwood Mac.

I'm like, why can't they just car?

I mean, how many people in that band wanted a limo sitting outside at Chatham Cente and each wanted to have there?

So when they wanted to go for a ride, they could jump in there.

And I thought, you know, that's a waste of money.

But, you know, after a while you go, you know what?

Just get it.

So I would when I had runner coming to me afterwards and go, should I get this?

First thing I would do is I check the ticket sales.

I'd say, hold on, let me check ticket sales.

And if ticket sales wer at a certain point where I know they were in the percentage, I go and they're paying $0.85 on the dollar, get them whatever they want.

Only putting 15.

Now, if we're losing money, let's have a conversation.

And that's not easy, but I'd have to reach out to them and say, look, you know, I need to cut back.

And a lot of times they would say, we could cut three cases this out, maybe just get us, you know, no they've got menus for every day.

See, in the old days, the riders for food ways you get them what you want for dinners and lunches.

But what happened was they were getting maybe spaghetti every night in Chicago.

In Pittsburgh?

Yeah.

We're tired of chicken, you know.

Right.

So now they got a Monday through Sunday menu.

And when you get your rider for most bands, you open it up and you say, okay, let's see our days on a Wednesday.

Oh, we're going to have Chinese food.

Wow.

And this way they know they're going to be in Chinese food in Pittsburgh, but they're not going to get it in Cleveland last night.

Right.

Right now that's just for the main courses which is really sensible.

Yeah.

And then the other thing that the bands do is they many of the bring their own caterers.

Right.

It's called Tour Catering.

And I used to love that because, you know, the caterers were phenomenal.

And we had.

My cousin does that.

Oh is that right?

Yeah.

That's a good business for a lot of people.

They they sometimes quit their regular businesses and just travel with bands have they have trucks that have refrigeration.

Oh we've used them in you know, Erie, Johnstown.

I take them from Pittsburgh that come out because I didn't like the cater out there.

And they would g our runners would shop locally and buy all the products we need.

But then they'd be backstag cooking it and chopping it up.

And I knew that the band would like it because I knew what our caterer could do.

Right?

And they do it.

The national ones will pick one because like McCartney, you know, he's very special, what he likes to eat.

So.

And Matt, Dave Matthews, he's the same way.

They'll do their own and they'll say listen, don't take it personal.

We'll go, no I'm not.

Our catering won't be mad.

They just, you know, they're losing some money.

But they said, well, we're going to bring our own person.

Right.

And then, you know you knew you were going to get a really great dinner though, because this tour caterer is phenomenal.

As the music business has changed, so has the touring business for for these artists.

So many of the artists make money now doing meet and greets where they charge.

You know, a lot of money, right?

I remember looking at one artist where it was, I let's just say it was $100 for, you know, a ticket.

But they had another package where it was like 250 with a meet and greet.

Yeah, it was labeled a meet and greet, but you didn't even get to meet the artist.

Right.

That's also kind of a. So do you.

Does the promoter make money off of that?

No, no, no, they make all of that.

Wow.

Yeah.

Because, you know, somebody did that years ago.

I tell students I remember this is speaking of that.

I remember the first one I was affiliated with.

We had the Rolling Stones at Mellon Arena after doing stadium shows and everything with them.

And this was had to be 30 years ago, way before VIP even came up.

And the tour people that were doing the show said, oh, by the way, we're going to have a kind of a VIP for $500 a ticket way back when.

And I said, even the stones, who's going to pay for that?

Right.

Well, we put 500 tickets above, you know, beyond and no problem.

They sold them in no time.

So the night of the show came, and the only affiliation we have to the promoter is helping them coordinate a room where they're going to have the people come in and put their little signs up and maybe get their food and drinks.

So it was about ten minutes before the show started, when they should be having it.

And my friend and I was working and said, you know what, you should go up to that meet and greet.

And I said, yeah you know what I took up to see Keith Richards and Mick Jagger just like everybody else.

We have lanyards.

Let's go up.

So we go up, we go in the room and I look around.

don't see no Keith Richards.

I see no Jagger, I don't see anybody.

It looks like a rolling Stone.

And the kids, you know people were eating and drinking and they're picking up their little bag of stuff.

And I said to a roadie, I go, I guess we must have missed them.

He goes, Miss Who?

I go miss the Rolling Stones $500 a ticket.

He goes, oh, they don't come for 500.

They don't.

So I mean, people paid to get it was an autograph lithograph, right?

They got some swag and all that.

But there are times, bu they're trying to be more clear.

You don't want to go in there like that.

That was.

And that was too confusing because people will get really mad.

But there are ones that maybe, like Beyonce might meet people for 500, but there's others that they'll maybe just do a swa and that for like 125, you know?

Well, I met the new kids o the block for a couple hundred.

Yeah, couple years ago.

Hey, look at that.

Jeez.

New Kids on the Block.

We did so many of their shows too.

My sister and I are going out to Vegas in June to see them.

Is that right?

Now?

Do they do a show with anybody else?

I mean, it's like the Backstreet Boys or anything.

I don't I don't think so.

I think it's yeah.

MGM yeah, it's going to be big.

Yeah.

I mean, because I know they're out there doing all those.

It's a residency, I'm assuming.

Yeah, yeah yeah yeah, yeah.

I was just out there with my husband.

We saw Dead and Company a the Sphere a couple of years ago Now, see, I've not been out yet, but see, I've got a couple you've got I know, I know, and I got a couple of kids that live in Nashville that work there.

And don't tell me all the time how great it is.

They're out there selling merch for like, the Eagles.

Yeah, yeah, I got one.

Here's a story a little bit of history.

I don't know if you'll remember this, but you said NKOTB.

So Three Rivers Stadium was coming down right okay.

They were going to tear it down to build the stadium.

So we had the last concert ever in Three Rivers.

I'll tell you who it is.

But we had the last show ever about 1999, you know, because and they started building Heinz Field.

Right So they're going to open it up.

And we know the GM real well because he used to be over at the other stadium.

And he says, look, can you guys bring a show in here because we'd like to do a concert befor we have our first football game to make sure the bathroom work is, you know, we said, sure.

Now you have to imagine this is back in 2000.

There was no Chesney, there was no Taylor Swift, there was nobody.

It was hard to find a good stadium show.

Right.

So Rich is looking around, looking around.

And this same band that we ha just had, we did 55,000 people basically a year before was open to do the stadium.

And so we said to the guy at the stadium, you know, I don't know if I would suggest this because they just did.

I don't know if we could do another 60,000 over here.

And they said, I don't know man, this band is really strong.

So we Pittsburgh did the last show at Three Rivers, and the first band that ever played at Heinz Field was the same band.

Wow.

Sold them both out NSYNC.

Wow, wow.

A lot of people don't know that.

Wow.

It's part of history.

Well, I'm giving you some.

Yeah but isn't that something that's.

I mean, you would never think he would go.

Oh, you know, who was it?

It was it, you know, whoever Genesis was a Billy Joe and that it was NSYNC.

Yeah.

And we sold out both places.

There was over 110,000 people between those two shows.

What was your favorite performance of all the ones you've seen?

Do you have any?

That's always hard to say, but, you know, I like to, you know, Bob Marley meant a lot to me.

Yeah, Springsteen's probabl one of my favorite performers, but I like everybody, you know, that I've learned to like a lot of people because I was never into one.

But Marley meant a lot because he did his very last show with us.

You know, that's all in the books.

I mean if you look up any Marley book, you go right to the end.

It'll say he finished his.

Yeah.

You know, because he got cancer eight months later, he passes away.

So it's monumental.

You know, when you think about the Wailers, you know, and we didn't know that we had played him 2 or 3 times at the Stanley.

September 23rd, 1980 was the last show.

So about a week before the show, Rich gets a call from the agent.

He says, hey, we just want to let you know that Bob's not feeling well.

What's wrong?

He's exhausted, which a lot of bands, they use that excuse for a lot of people.

Okay, well he's exhausted.

How exhausted is he?

We said it's sold out, and we really.

We knew we were going to make money.

Yeah, but we also just personally really liked him.

Right.

And they said, well, he's not sure, but you know, we're going to try to see if he can do it.

Well anyways, a couple of days before the show, they called and said, oh, he's going, he's going to come.

So he comes in plays.

And it was a phenomenal show, as I remember as I was a production manager, 3 or 4 encores where he couldn't leave the stage, people wouldn't let him leave.

After the show was over, we went upstairs, took a picture with him gave his plaque and everything.

But it was really the next day when his agent called Richardson.

How was the show last night?

We said unbelievable.

He couldn't get off the stage of people, wouldn't let him leave.

We had a he had a two hour soundchec which not normally do an hour.

He said, well, he's very sick, he's got cancer and we're canceling the tour from this day on and then we're going to get him treatment and then we're going to pick the tour back up.

So eight months later, he dies.

So that becomes the very last show that Bob ever played with the Wailers.

Ever.

And little did I know until I started reading the Marley books because I was so interested in knowing.

Here's the rest of it He was in playing Madison Square Garden two days before us opening for the Commodores.

Yeah, because they wanted him to get a more black audience and nothing but a white audience into smaller venues.

So he was open in there and the Commodores had, you know, black and white.

He passed out in Central Park day before the show.

His tour manager called the manager, who was not usually at the show, and manager said, that's it.

I know Bob's not feeling well.

We're getting into a doctor.

He never wanted to go to the doctor, so the books will tell yo that he sends the family on the.

There was a day off before Stanley and Rita was in the band.

His wife and I threes and Marcia Griffiths and the Wailers to Pittsburgh.

He goes to the doctor, he gets the bad news and he's.

They got the cancer.

So he comes in on the day of the show.

We're told now we don't know any of this today up because none of the band can talk about it back there.

So we don't know anything.

But I was told that Rita went absolutely crazy and said, we're not playing tonight.

You should have been seeing the doctor.

She went crazy and he says, no, the band needs the money.

We're going to play the show because it was not like it's now, right?

I mean, there were, you know, right, multi-millionaire.

But back then it wasn't.

We don't know any of this.

So now I think back and I go to our soundcheck.

That's not normal.

When I was there all that time and he was up in here and up in here, then when he came out, he couldn't leave the stage.

I mean, that you can get any of this online because all the all that music is on there and it makes sense now.

Yeah.

So that was pretty monumental for Pittsburgh in general, not just for us but I mean, and a lot of people don't know that he played the last show at the Stanley.

Right.

You know, it's not something that you're reading the paper every day.

So I used to produce commercials for Star Lake and for some other.

Right.

And I remember Journey was coming and Journey was did not have Steve Perry obviously.

Right.

But they had said t in the instructions, you know, you get these instructions right.

We want you to use all of Journey's hits, but you can't use Steve Perry's vocals at all.

Right?

But we just want to give the idea that maybe Perry will be there, right?

Yeah.

So were there are a lot of things that happen like that for these shows.

You know it got to be more of that later, you know, because durin our period everybody was there.

Sure.

You know, and thankfully, probably for me, the last 20 year when all these have been going on, I'm not doin all those shows in the park yet.

You know, for us, it was still all the bands.

We didn't have too much of that.

I do get that now with some bands like we do Kansas obviously.

Right.

They're very fair about it.

They don't want to mislead anybody but it's hard for me sometimes, and I think even Rich, when we're putting on a show and we know that, you know, the lead singer is not there and we don't lie, we don't see anybody coming.

But people still want to b close to the band and Journeys the same way.

You know, some people do.

I personally feel, you know, if I was a fan, I want to see the lead singer for sure.

And when he's not in the band, I probably don't want to go because even though I'm a drummer, is a drummer, bass player is a bass player.

Yeah.

Guitar players.

Okay, I'm going to put you up here and I'm going to put the singer really up there.

And if they're goin to give me another singer, yeah, I, don't take it personally, but I'm probably not going.

And that's the way that's just a personal thing.

But I think we're jaded too, because a lot of my friends, they'll go to these shows and they'll say, wait.

Kansas sounded so good for old.

There I go.

Well, nobody in the band is even any of the original.

They go, really?

I don't want to tell them.

They thin it's still the same band, right?

I go, where you been for the last 30 years?

I remember Doctor Hook, seeing Doctor Hook.

And there was like you know, I had to get his name.

The guy with the patch, right?

Yeah, that was it.

Everyone else.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And he probably turned over 3 or 4 times.

Yeah.

You know.

Did you notic anybody didn't have gray hair.

And they go yeah they look right, right, right.

Anyways.

What do you want your legacy to be?

Oh geez.

I don't have a legacy, but I, I just really I like, just, you know, I think the people should just really go to a lot of concerts and go to music.

And I'm glad that a little guy that's coming from this little small town, no really had the chance.

And I it's rich and Pat.

I mean, Richard Engler and Pat DiCesare, you know.

Of course I had to tell him I work for free and I did give me the door.

But you know, without that, I have no idea what I'd done.

I'd have probably still play my.

I'm in a band right now.

I play in a good karma band, which is my own little band.

Yeah.

Yep.

We got about 23 shows this summer.

I do tons of wineries.

You can book yourself, right?

I book myself all the time, I really do, and I didn't even want to do it, but people called it.

I know you played drums.

Like, why didn't tell anybody, you know, all those years DiCesare-Engler, I couldn't play because I couldn't tell Rich I got a gig this weekend.

We got U2.

The hell with U2.

I got a gig over here at the brewery.

Well, I bet everything on the rider gets filled.

But, you know, it's right.

It's been fun, you know, becaus now I got more time, so I can.

So it's really fun.

So I have something that I wanted to do.

I was thinking about you being here, and I thought, I have.

Yeah.

I'm not making it up.

Probably a thousand tickets, at least.

Ticket stubs at home.

Right.

And so I went and I grabbed a whole bunch of them and I don' I think I tried to get the ones that were just DiCesare-Engler.

Right.

But so I'm just going to grab, you know, 3 or 4 of the and let's just see if you have any stories about them or, or you can say, you know, this wasn't DiCesare-Engler show, right?

It wasn't it doesn't matter.

There's a lot of star lake shows like.

Yeah.

So right here, here's the ball, Bon Jovi and I don't know, at some point in the 90s, probably 92.

Well I'll tell you the Bon Jovi one, which was great.

How should I say this?

We had Bon Jovi.

This was back in the arena days when Slippery When Wet was a big yeah, yeah, right.

So DVE you know once agai I got to get them so much credit because they were our bread and butter for years.

So we sold one show out before he got to Pittsburgh.

So we did the show.

And that night the manager says do you think we can come back and do a second show, like maybe in three months?

And nobody had done that before.

So, because normally if you were to do two shows, you'd put them back to back.

Sure.

But we said, you know, maybe we could.

So we told DVE, can you sell us another show out?

They go.

It was pretty big, man.

I don't know.

We think we can.

Now you got to pay the band another big round of money, right?

So that's a big risk.

When we sold out there darn they come in and a manager that night goes this was fun.

Do you think we can do a third show?

Wow.

Honestly.

And we thought about that album was so big.

Right when we go back at it and sold a third show out.

So we did about 50,000 people that year for Bon Jovi.

And but the funny part was we used to give plaques to all the bands when they would sell out, and I had the plaque place I'd go in and all that.

So Richie goes, listen, no plaque for Bon Jovi.

I want you to get him a big like trophy.

And I said, okay, so I go into the store that I usually work with and I go, now, I knew the guy real well.

And I says, hey, we got Bon Jovi coming.

We got three shows sold out.

I want to get a nice trophy so I can put something to describe DiCesare-Engler, you know, congratulates Jon Bon Jovi for whatever he goes.

We dont have any music things that go like that.

I go, no, I know you don't I says, but I you got something?

I'm looking around the store and I says, and he doesn't want a small one.

He wants about five feet high so we can hold it up like thi when we go in the dressing room.

Right.

So I see one in the corner and I go over and I go, that's really nice.

He goes, well, the only thing it's a gymnastics one.

There's a girl on the hands up like thi and I go, he won't look at it.

So I was so nervous to the day of the show because I had the little thing that went on.

It says DiCesare-Engler congratulates.

I got a picture.

It's really great because we walk in the dressing room.

He was so excited, right.

He's holding it up because back then in the 80s, they weren't getting stuff right.

But I now fast forwar when I'm talking to my students because when I teach in my basement I got all my pictures behind me and they'll say something about Bon Jovi.

I go, let me tell you the story.

I said, could you imagine if he kept it in somewhere, in some place he has them and one of his daughters one's days downstairs and goes, dad, what is what this gymnastics.

When you got he goes, what the heck is that?

That DiCesare-Engler, they gave me a gymnastics trophy.

Well, that's so funny.

How about so?

This one isn't rock.

Let's do Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Stanley Clarke.

Oh, jeez.

Yeah, well, we did a lot of.

Look at that, man.

IC Light concert series.

We did so much 1975 ticket price.

Amazing.

We did so much.

$19.75.

Yeah I was looking for the.

Oh it's a 1995.

Yeah.

You know, we did so much jazz.

You know, you can't do jazz anymore, right.

You know, between you know, what we were talking about earlier and there was a show called Jazz Impressions that used to be on WYDD.

I used to use him all the time.

We did Al Di Meola.

We did weather Report, Crusaders.

I was just booking the like crazy and promoting them.

And we were selling out, including at the Stanley back in those late 70s.

But I looked now and I think, you know, except for Manchester Craftsmen's Guild.

I mean you really can't get much jazz because times have changed, especially with radio playing it.

Right.

But we did a great Pittsburgh really was into their jazz.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

That was a that was a big show and they were all great.

A lot of like how about oh sorr I'm like vineyards and brewery.

Yeah yeah yeah they'll do that much smaller.

But the real theater is where you could put the money into i and have a real performing show.

It's just going to be.

It's really Nashville, you know, those places.

What about the first Ozzfest?

Jeez.

Well, they were always crazy, because, you know, one thing about Ozzfest was that Sharon.

Yeah, she was in charge because she managed him and she kept it together.

Well, I mean you know, all the jokes and I. And I don't know Ozzy like anybody else, but the jokes that you have between his TV show and all that, I mean, he really seemed like that was him as that character but she had a totally together.

So she ran a tight ship.

And so, you know, she put the acts on the thought it was a success, you know, in everything else.

We just booked into everything But she really was in control.

And I always gave her a lot of, you know, you're the one.

I mean, we did them in Johnstown.

We had Ozzy in so many towns, I think about, you know going to a town like Johnstown in doing some of the shows we did.

Those people thought we were out of our minds up there because Johnstown was just a little bit different than Pittsburgh, you know, and Erie, we did see as a promoter we could do those secondary markets like State College, Harrisburg, Wheeling, and so we can do Pittsburgh.

But you could kind of do those too.

Right, right.

But you just didn't go into like Akron.

That was Ohios, you know.

But we did Ozzy in a lot of places.

Yeah.

I was surprised that Queensryche show wa talking about in West Virginia.

That was a DiCesare-Engler show.

Yeah, I was very surprised.

Yeah.

Yes.

Well, because we those weren't see, there's not a major promoter, right.

As long as there's not a major promoter, the agent would say, do you want to take somebody to Harrisburg?

Is there anybody else doing it?

I go, not really.

Good.

We'll take it.

Right.

You know.

So that's how they.

So this is the last one will do.

Dylan, do you have any stories with Dylan?

Like Bob for anybody doesn't know.

There is Jacob Dylan.

Yeah.

We were lucky enough to d a lot of shows with Bob Dylan.

Both at the Stanley, Syrian Mosque, oh, state College, Mellon Arena.

I mean, we just did.

We were very lucky.

And the thing about Bob Dylan is that he he just kept wanting to tour, you know, he was he was he was getting older.

It seemed like he wante to tour more coming back again.

And yeah, we had I always joke a little bit because I just saw he was coming and I think right away to the production manager for Bob Dylan, who I've known for a long time, he he goes back so long.

He used to be the production manager for Frank Zappa.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

And yeah.

And he got with Bob for years.

And he was, you know, I, I liked the guy, but he had a little bit of a weird sense of humor.

Sure.

Nothing was right.

You know, it's kind of like this English guy for Queen.

He comes in you know, and the dog food stuff you're bringing for dinner, that's not good.

You know, I go, that's not nice.

I said, this caterer did a heck of a job.

I eat it and he goes, well, you know, you shouldn't.

So anyways, one day and IC Light amphitheater, you know, which we were already a little shaky down there.

We had Bob Dylan and you know Bob doesn't you don't even get to meet Bob very much or say anything.

But the guy I'm talking about walks up to his first thing.

Traversari.

I go, we don't say hello, how are you doing?

Or anything goes.

Who would put a set of goddamn train tracks going, through an amphitheater?

I can't answer that one.

I said, well, I don't know, I said, but if he doesn't make a big deal about it.

Nobody else will.

Yeah, well, I saw that show and he did make a big deal about it.

He every time he would stop playing, every time the T went.

Yeah, he did, you know.

And it's one last thing.

When I saw him again at Heinz Hall, I didn't do the show, but I saw Bob and I saw this guy comes out.

I hadn't seen him for about 4 or 5 years.

He comes out again.

No how you've been, what's going he goes.

Where have you been?

I go and I joke about this with him.

I go, I'm a professor.

He goes what the hell could you teach?

I go music business.

He goes, like I said, what could you teach?

Well, that's not nice.

I said, you know, I'm giving back, you know?

And I go, why don't you give back?

Give back to what?

I said to young kids.

He goes, you know who I work for?

I says, yeah, Bob Dylan.

He goes the guy is 83 or 84.

He says he's going to work until he dies and I'm going to keep working for him.

I got time to give back to anybody.

Okay?

Never mind.

Go to the next person.

Well, we do the last.

The last thing we do is the same thing we do with every single guest.

It sounds serious.

We got some rapid fire question Something could happen to them.

Yeah, we just got some reall quick rapid fire questions here.

You want me to go first?

All right.

So.

Iron City are Rolling Rock?

Rolling Rock.

Three Rivers or Heinz Field?

Heinz Field.

Okay.

So usually we ask thes questions and a lot of people go but I'm confident you're gonna have this one.

Your favorite 80 or 90s band.

Can I say Pearl jam?

You can say Pearl jam.

Although he might want to reserve that for later on.

Oh, okay.

It's okay.

Turner's or Schneider's?

Oh, probably Turners.

Isn't it grea that every single person knows?

Yes, there was one person that didn't.

Right I think maybe Dan Rothschild.

Right.

But yeah yeah yeah, yeah.

It's like two big bands o something.

That's exactly right.

Well what's your favorite 80 or 90s movie?

Oh, boy Now, you might have me on that.

You didn't spend a lot of time the movie theater.

I really didnt, you know, you'll tell me something that was in that time period.

I'll say I went but I don't really have anything I could say, though.

I'm out on that one.

We understand.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Donzis and Chaunceys or Metropol and Rosebud?

Definitely Metropol and Rosebud.

Yeah.

Okay.

You're going to not know the answer to this is Die Hard a Christmas movie You probably didn't even see it.

No, no, I could tell by your face.

Not that I'm really bad when it comes to something, like that you know.

Nirvana or Pearl jam?

Oh, jeez.

Well, I'm a Pearl Jam person.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I mean, you know, what can you say?

It's hard when I cant say one or the other, but Pearl Jam.

So you still listen to them.

Oh my God.

Yeah.

You know.

And.

Right.

Yeah.

And Eddie Vedder, you know, I'm going to ask you this next questio because you're not going to know what did we ask the Three Rivers Stadium question?

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Did we.

All right.

I mean, I loved them both.

I was had so many things at both of them, you know what I mean?

It's so hard.

But, Yeah, I can both.

My last question.

Southside Beehive or Oakland Beehive?

Well, I would say Southside.

Yeah.

Cool.

Yeah.

Me too.

I worked there.

Those were good questions.

Yeah, yeah, there's so much history.

It's good to you guys do all this history.

I think it's cool.

Somebody's keeping it alive.

Well.

Thank you.

Seriously.

I mean, like, you know, its out there for peo you know, and people should continue to talk more about it.

We have such a productive scene here in Pittsburgh.

We do.

Through all the years.

And somebody just bring this out and talk.

And I think it's good.

Well thank you.

Thank you.

Giving back to your students and for coming here tonight.

We really appreciate it.

This was a lot of fun.

Yeah.

Thank you so much.

Yes.

Ed Traversari, everybody, thank you again.

The Gen X Pittsburgh Podcast hosts are Davild Brulloand Valeri Christofel.

Executive producer, David Brullo.

Producer and graphic designer, Kim Rullo.

producer, Valerie Christofel.

Video production and editor, Brent Isaac.

Music by NeoStem.