I asked Brian to tell us a little about himself for those that do not know him here it goes.

Hello! I’m Brian. I live in Portland, OR by way of Charlottesville, VA with my lovely fiancée, our two cats, and my ridiculous record collection. I’ve been touring for about 5 1/2 years now and currently work for Josh Ritter, handling merch (both tour and webstore), his websites and social networks, creative marketing, photography, some day-to-day management, and kicking ass all around. Previously I’ve worked with Robert Randolph & The Family Band, The Decemberists, G Love & Special Sauce, Ziggy Marley, Swans, and more. I’m extremely lucky to make a living doing something I love and to work with the group of people that I do.

So now that you official know Brian here are his 5 questions with Themerchdude:

1) You’re not only a Merch guy you are also a great photographer, how did you discover you had an eye for it? And do you sell your photos?

Thank you! I picked up my first and only (to date) camera in the summer of 2008 before heading off to Warped Tour. I had been touring off and on for a couple years at that point and figured I should start trying to remember all the cool stuff I get to see and do. Then I figured: I’ve got access to the stage, why not shoot the shows? 3 years later, here I am. Still clutching my well worn Canon Rebel XT in the crowd of almost every Josh Ritter show. I don’t always get the convenience of a photo pit. Sometimes you gotta mingle with the fans. Sometimes that’s where the best photos are taken.

I don’t currently sell my photos. I’ve looked into a couple options for selling prints, but haven’t decided on one and committed to it. Anyone out there have any recommendations? I have happily traded photos for records though!

2) As an artsy type of guy have you had the opportunity to design any of the merch for any of the artist you work with?

Yes and no. I come up with a lot of ideas for Josh Ritter’s merchline. Unfortunately, I’m not skilled when it comes to fleshing out designs so I ask my friends to take care of that. The concepts behind Josh Ritter’s scarf and tote bag were ideas I had and I’m pretty proud of them. Props for to Matt Fleming for his wonderful execution on both of those. I also make a lot of decisions regarding colors, fabrics and unique items, which are just as important as the designs themselves.

Did you know that buying concert tickets and records can be written off on your taxes as “research”? My CPA rules.

3) We all have had the bad experience with deliveries not arriving or out door shows in the heat or rain, what has been your worst experience?

Last fall, in the middle of Josh Ritter’s US/Canadian tour we played jump rope with the Canadian border for a few days. Which meant shipping merch between dates to avoid headaches, hold ups, and taxes at border crossings. FedEx Canada apparently doesn’t have a “standard overnight” option - you either send priority overnight (expensive) or you wait it out. Their waybill forms don’t make this clear enough. We arrive at the venue in Winnipeg, MB for a sold out show and merch is nowhere to be found. I make many calls to FedEx and the problem presents itself: I won’t have merch for the show. I have to redirect it to the next show. Thankfully I had some used drumheads from earlier on the tour and the promoter hooked us up with a bunch of leftover 11”x17” posters he used to advertise the show. I had the band sign everything and sold what I could. It was a bad day to be me.

http://brianstowell.tumblr.com/post/1429521297/dear-fedex-go-choke-on-some-dicks-seriously

4) If you could change one thing about dealing with Merch what would it be and why?

I dream of developing a system that integrates and streamlines tour and webstore merchandise. I could view stock for both worlds in one place, make adjustments and orders and drop ships, view sales statistics, save and view tour reports, compare tour sales data along timelines and geographic regions, save designs, everything. I know it can be done, but the man hours to build and debug it would be astounding. It’s scary to think that the entire sales history and organization for Josh’s merch empire is built on a foundation of my own memory. I’d like to make it web-based and searchable. GMerch! Patent pending.

5) You have to kiss one of these guys little wayne or little bowow?

Lil’ Wayne. Carter II is one my most frequently played albums. Plus, he’s most likely grape flavored.

When themerchdude was a young lad his Dad pulled him aside, with two eggs in his hand. Themerchdude’s Dad told him he was going to smash one of the eggs on his head. Themerchdude freaks as his Dad chases him around the house, grabs him, smashes the egg on his head. There is no mess, it doesn’t even really come apart, just cracks. His Dad shows him its just a gag; it’s been hard boiled.

He hands themerchdude the other egg, and says, “go get Mom.” 30 seconds later she is covered in raw egg and shouting.

So if you like music, touring, Merch, photography or just to follow one handsome looking dude go follow Brain Stowell here:
http://brianstowell.tumblr.com
http://www.twitter.com/brianstowell

Here is Tom one of the nicest and more efficient Tour managers I have had the pleasure to meet and work with, not only is he is good at his job but is discreet so discreet that bands have no problem being themselves around him (biggest trade of a Tour Manager).

Some of the many bands he works for is Good Charlotte, Butch Walker just to name a few, which are some of the nicest guys in the music business and have been around long enough to know that being a Rockstar is all about working hard, being nice to fans and crew so all bands take a note on that!

It’s called a marathon and not a sprint!

So I am flattered that Tom took time out of his busy schedule to do this so please pay attention and reblog the shit out if this because guys like Tom don’t like the spot light unless he is behind it!

1) I have had the pleasure to meet you while back on a tour and I noticed no matter how stressful any situation was you were always super calm, have you ever lost your cool?

Part of being an effective TM is keeping your cool under pressure. My clientele play the full range of venues from small clubs to sold out arenas. I’ve found that the bigger the production, the more pro the crew.
At the gig, I can only think of a couple rare times that I actually lost my cool and they were both on tour with newbie crew who didn’t know their heads from their ass. Part of my job is to educate and elevate and support the crew. Because of that, I consider myself a failure in those instances.
Sometimes the best we can do is to hope to learn from our mistakes.

Outside of the gig, there was the time, on the Cobra Starship tour, that our substitute bus driver high sided the tour bus and got us stuck on train tracks …………with a train eminently rolling around the bend. At 8 am, I had to evacuate the band/crew from their bunks. I feel like I remember keeping my cool pretty well, but the band may have another story to tell. :-)

2) You’re old school (not saying old) but you have been touring for awhile, what’s your take on these bands bantering other bands?

To quote Radiohead, that kind of stuff sounds, to me, like the buzzing hum of a refrigerator. You only notice it when you have nothing else important to pay attention to.

3) It seems that everyone that you have TM’ed for always wants to have you back and from what I remember I can see why, has there ever been a band you wouldn’t work for?

Hmmm. It is really hard to NOT name names here. HA! Unfortunately, one of the things that is important for a TM is that he keeps the dumb stuff confidential: TM Privilege, if you will. I will say this….As Courtney Love’s steady TM, it takes a LOT to get me to say that I am not interested in touring with your band any more, and it has only happened once.

4) You live alone on an island and have to choose one to marry one to kill one to have sweet sex with Benji Madden Joel Madden and Josh Madden.

The Madden brothers are all so suuuuper sweet and genuine and real and………..good looking.
I don’t know what to do here. I suppose that I would marry all three of them, have sweet sex with all of them, and then kill off their girlfriends/wives so that I could keep them all to myself!!!! Sorry Nicole :-)

5) Hardest thing about being a Tour Manager?

The hardest part of being a TM is that your job never stops. For everyone else on the tour, when their job is done, they can kick it and let loose. Even on days off, or long after the show is over, the work/questions keep rolling in for the TM. Let us not forget also, that SOMEONE needs to stay sober enough to bail a band member out of jail, if necessary!!
Some bands make it easy. Good Charlotte band and crew have all been doing this long enough that they hit a tour rhythm super fast. Once everyone is in their groove, the ship almost steers itself.

Funny story about the MerchDude:
ON my first tour with MerchDude I was impressed by his skills and attitude behind the merch booth. Well, I was impressed, at least, with his skills.
At no point did I consider him a ‘looker’ or a ladies man.
Towards the end of the tour, he told me that I was going to meet his wife today. To be honest, I was surprised that he had convinced anyone to marry him. “Wife?” Really?
Later that night, I was walking by the merch booth and he called out, “Tom! Meet my wife (name).”
I was completely taken back.
Not only was there actually a real life wife…….but she is SUUUUUUPER HOTT!!
I remember thinking. Damn MerchDude. Nice work!!

Follow Tom on twitter @TmTomAddison and learn how you can make a living why touring and not be an Asshole!

Thank you so much Tom tell @butchwalker his band and the Madden brothers they are next on 5 questions with Themerchdude!

Ever wonder what the music business would be like if it wasn’t superficial? If only music was judged by the ears and not the eyes?

I’m pretty sure that there wouldn’t be so many acts on the radio it would be less music but more substance.
I know I am being naive and I know sex sells, I mean people buy the ugliest shit because some beautiful person says “buy it” but look at Snooki she is butt fuck ugly and still manages to sell stupidity like no other! It’s about having a good salesman/woman behind the product!

Clearly we see that labels push the product using the fans eyes not their ears and yes I know its not entirely the labels fault, its also the people that buy with their eyes! But then every so often you will find a musician that is all pure talent musically and not so much visually and still manage to sell a lot of records. Ever wonder why is that?! It’s having a great salesman/woman behind the product having a great marketing team but that also means that the label would have to work harder to move and sell it, which we all know it’s easier to just have a picture of a beautiful person that sells it all on its own and not have to put any thought or work into it.

I enjoy great music like everyone else and hopefully all those out there that say “Music is my life” prove it by buying music using their ears and not their eyes.

This is my opinion and I only an opinion.

Tonight we have Sean “Big Daddy” Porter. He is 23 years old and has been touring for 6 years. He is a tour manager and has toured with artists such as Kris Allen from American Idol, Cage the Elephant, Sherwood, This Providence, Mat Kearney and many others. Not only is he an adult babysitter he was also a merch person and will occasionally step back behind the table for local shows for kicks and giggles. His beard has a VIP pass to all shows so keep your eyes open for Big Daddy.

Now here we go with Sean Big Daddy on 5 questions with Themerchdude

1) You have tour with many bands and have many band/crew and merch peeps as friends, if touring wasnt in your blood what do you feel you would be doing instead?

Well touring isn’t something I want to do forever. I think it is a stepping stone for other things, at least for me. As some people know I am on a quest to get on the Ellen Show, which I will hope lead to new exciting things! But, with that being said, if I never started touring I would probably be a bum working as a mechanic or contractor. I wasn’t much of the schooling type so college was out of the question for me.

2) Tour managing is one of the toughest jobs to do on the road, long hours prepping for a tour and while on tour you’re looking out for the band, crew, catering, label reps, settling shows, fans, meet and greets and baby sitting adults, Which one of these is your least favorite?

It is a tough job. There is always a balance you have to have between fun and work. I have been fortunate enough to not work with very many divas but that is always a pain in the ass. Radio can also be a pain as well because most of the time some idiot label rep will be trying to undermine you the whole time and then if you get off track with your schedule your whole day is messed up.

3) I know you’re a big Ellen fan (the TV show) and one of your goals is to sit with her as one of her as a guest, What made you such a huge fan? And what can the readers do to help you get to this goal?

I started watching her show about 3 years ago and about a year into it some friends and I were joking about how cool it would be to be a guest on her show. Thats what sparked the idea and about 6 months ago I decided to hit it hard and fully launched my campaign. There are many different ways to get the word out! Even if it is just a tweet. But you can always write into her show, get a t-shirt and if you are in the business and are on the Ellen show then I expect you to tell her all about me and the quest.

4) As a person that works on tour for a living that travels via plane, bus, van and cars, Have you join the mile high club yet? and what airline was it?

ha! Lets just say I am a member of Virgin Air. haha

5) What is the one thing Big daddy does not put up with while on the road?

Stupid People. I cannot stand when people don’t use common sense. I am normally a very calm and collected person but if you are an idiot or get on my bad side I am not afraid to put you in your place and make you look like a complete moron. I also cannot stand when promoters try to surprise you the day of show. That pisses me off as well.

The merch dude once disappeared for a sold 74 hours once on a quest for a lost New Buffalo box of hoodies. No one could find him. I wasnt until I washed my beard that we found him. He had gotten lost in the depths of my face-forrest where there is no cell reception. he did however find the missing merch and all was right again at the merch table.

Sean can be followed on Twitter- @bigdaddysays and if you really want to help a fellow touring peep to make his dream come true please hit up this site www.bigdaddyonellen.com or Sean Facebook, maybe someday you can see a guy with an awesome beard jumping up and down on the Ellen show with a huge smile.

I have been very opinionated on the concept of “Autotunes” and I have to be honest sometimes you can barely notice it and other times artist sound like a vibrator with a voice, a dude with a keyboard in his throat, a baby with a harmonica in his butt, a… you get the point. Autotunes has change the music, people that cant sing or write are now are called “musicians”.

People are divided on this mostly on the hating it, but I always get a few people that say it’s not that bad (maybe they use it?). So for those that believe in it I ask them WHAT IF…

WHAT IF… Cd’s had labels like foods do, “This cd contains artificial singing” or “This cd contain 10% real singing” would people still respect those artist? Maybe? I forgot people don’t like read.

WHAT IF… no one used autotunes don’t you think we would still have so many shitty artist and bands taking deals away from bands with talent?

WHAT IF… when Milli Vanilli was recording instead of using other singers that could sing they used Autotunes wouldn’t they still own a grammy? Wouldn’t both of them still be alive?

As always I dont expect everyone to agree with me, this is just a place to express myself, but feel free to leave your opinion and please take the time to think about this.

This is my opinion and only an opinion