In the Beginning…
In the beginning….
Dean, the man behind the machine, has worn many hats of the music industry. From musician, talent buyer, booking agent, manager, promoter, and consultant, Dean has a firm foundational understanding of what makes the music industry machine tick.
The first wave…
Dean began his career while attending UW, filling the position of Social Chairman and hiring bands for the Greek system and WSU. As a booking agent, the bands he hired included national acts such as Quiet Riot and Sweet Water, and the top bands of the 90s Seattle music scene. Having been in bands in high school and college, Dean had a bird’s eye view, seeing the three different perspectives: Musician, Buyer, and Booking Agent- and through these different lenses, reached a comprehensive understanding of the three aspects and their unique needs, with the one common need of all: success on all levels.
The second wave…
The 1990 Goodwill Games afforded Dean the opportunity to try his hand as an exclusive booking agent. He booked all of the bands for the event and packed the house every day in the venue known as the popular Lock, Stock & Bagle on the Ave. Through this, Dean began the trend of live music at Lock, stock and Bagle- and soon his role morphed to include Promoter.
Through his success as exclusive booking agent and promoter for Lock, Stock & Bagle, Dean soon became the exclusive booking agent for The Attic (Madison Park) booking a variety of bands playing different genres. Later, Dean began booking the University Sports Bar, booking primarily original bands of the early 90s. Again, he was the exclusive booking agent for the venue.
1990 was also the year Dean picked up the ever-popular Seattle-based cover band, the Beatniks. As Tom Phalen from the Seattle Times wrote in an article about the band, “In terms of earnings and gross (meaning body count) popularity, (the Beatniks) are the biggest band in town…(The band) has a winning formula that other bands would kill for.” As time has proven, this formula has garnered the band amazing success right into today, without a blink.
In 1994, Dean picked up the band, Hit Exposion, having them open up for Silly Rabbit at the Fenix Underground. Later, Hit Explosion began headlining events such as Bumbershoot, a post-Mariners game at Kingdome, and at actor Bruce Willis’ clun The Mint in Haley, Idaho. The band is known for captivating an audience of all-ages, as written up in numerous papers.
Acting as band manager, exclusive booking agent, and promoter, Dean moved his talents into Pioneer Square, booking ninety-five percent of the bands on weekends at venues such as the Fenix Above/Underground and Doc Maynards. Dean learned how to utilize bands of every genre to build clubs’ draw by maximizing their drawing potentialities. In other words, creating a buzz in the scene using proprietary strategies proving repeat success, resulting in venues becoming hot spots; the most recognized and well-known venues in the area. Pioneer Square is a prime example as the hot Seattle destination spot in the 90s.
Dean also developed strategies for bar, club, venue, and casino development by exclusively booking rooms to maximize draws; understanding each venue’s own clientele while also generating new ones.
The third wave…
Dean expanded into managing, booking, and promoting original bands., including Popsicle (C-Z Records), Black Happy (Macola Records), Blind Tribe (Miramar Records), The Lemons, The Distractions, Silly Rabbit, and Medicine Hat. Medicine Hat was on the Indie-label Collective Fruit, owned by Nabil Ayers, who later founded Sonic Boom Records.
Dean worked closely as a team with super-producer Don Gilmore, while Don was under Shankman, DeBlasio, & Melina Management. Don Gilmore has produced the likes of Linkin Park (WB), Avril Lavigne (Arista), Eve 6 (RCA), and Duran Duran (Sony.) Through Don’s management company, Dean was given his first five-city tour as promoter for the band X (Infidelity), with members John Doe and Excene Cervenka (Rhyno Records). Dean also began booking original bands at Under the Rail, another well-known Seattle venue. He promoted Cheap Trick’s first come-back show in this room, as well as promoting Nina Hagen and Second Coming as opening act for the show, with special guest Layne Staley (Alice in Chains). Later, Dean would become the exclusive booking agent and promoter for national acts and weekend acts at the Ballard Firehouse.
While Dean managed, booked and promoted his bands, Don Gilmore produced their records. This successful liason led to Don’s first meeting with Bennet Kaufman, then Vice President of RCA records. When Dean and Don went down to South by Southwest, Don reconnected with Bennet, who was managing producers at the time, and joined Bennet’s team at BK Entertainment Group.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts…..
Through his experience in management, booking, promotions and talent buying, Dean is able to see the various facets and interconnectedness of the music industry. This panoramic view allows Dean a deeper understanding of every role in order to empower and facilitate each function, thereby maximizing and bringing forth the highest potentiality of all aspects. Bringing people together working toward the same goal, through implementing successful, results-driven strategies, Dean believes in setting up a solid foundation. With this solid foundation, all of the components come together, creating not only an efficient machine, but one of excellence; one which raises the bar of capabilities and expectations.
