Here’s the factoid that sums up Nashville nicely: When we started putting this sponsored section together in November, Nashville ranked 20th on the list of fastest growing cities. Today, in February, as we went to print, it rates fifth. Any one calling Nashville home there will not be surprised by this meteoric rise, pointing to the good (opportunity) and the bad (occasional L.A.-like traffic snarls). And who is living there? Why, production companies and live event personal, of course. Among the dreamers and those in our business seeking a piece of the explosive growth, plus an affordable place to live and raise a family. It’s not just country music propelling this growth – rock, metal, pop, and everything else imaginable is increasingly based or starting tours out of the Music City. In addition to that, there’s this: 70 percent of the North American population is within a 12 hour drive, making it extremely advantageous to warehouse here.
Sound Image: A Music City Institution
One of Barbara Mandrell’s biggest hits is “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” Well, Sound Image can say the same, and owner Dave Shadoan gives a lot of credit to Mandrell because of it. See, the Southern California-based pro audio company opened a Nashville office at Mandrell’s request back in 1991, and while at the time it seemed a dubious proposition, it turned out to be one of the wisest moves the company would ever make.
Shadoan grew up six hours north of Nashville, in Sidney, OH and struck out for California in 1975. There he met Ross Ritto, who came from Rochester, NY, and went to work for his Silverfish Audio Company. Shadoan became a full partner, and they changed the name to Sound Image in 1981. (Ritto passed away in 2009). Before Mandrell, they provided sound for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffet, Jackson Brown, Robert Cray, John Denver and others. But Mandrell is special to Shadoan. “God bless Barbara, because she is the reason we got to the party early,” he says. “Nowadays, you can move there, but it’s going to take at least two years to get ‘in.’ Nashville people are naturally guarded and protective, so we were lucky to have [Mandrell] invite us to open an office there.”
Right Place, Right Time
Key to this chapter is Nashville GM Everett Lybolt, who started handling cable and pushing faders in 1979. He spent time on the road as an audio engineer and production manager, and during those earlier years he went out with a wide array of acts including Teddy Pendergrass, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, Billy Squier and was even was tour manager for Tiffany during this period. During a brief stint as the “house guy” for the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, CA, he met Shadoan. “My first impression of Dave was that he was a really nice guy and very casual,” he says, making a bit of an understatement of a guy known for always wearing flip flops and Hawaiian shirts.
“We had been supporting Barbara since 1988, and people forget what a huge star she was during that time,” he says. “She is one of the greatest acts of all time and a beautiful human being. I could walk into a room full of people and she’d stop what she was doing to say hi and give me a hug.” But Mandrell wanted all aspects of her touring local, specifically on her land, which included a helicopter pad and today is lodge for tourists. “So she flew me and someone from Vari*Lite out there. We left with a guarantee on the account, so we jumped in.”
In 1991, Sound Image moved employee Rick Stanley out there to start it up. After it was established and he had a child on the way, he wanted to return to Southern California. “I had known and worked with Everett, and I got the proverbial light bulb to ask him to come to Nashville. When I asked him when he could start the job, he said, “Monday!” The year was 1993. It would work out well because in addition to being able to take care of Mandrell, Lybolt showed up in town with a few connections himself. Working out of a modest office in a multi-tenant industrial park, he would turn his relationships into accounts. “It actually wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be, but I exercised some rock and roll relationships my first year here.” One of his other early accounts was Heart. Coming shortly after that, Brooks & Dunn was an early country catch, as was Clint Black.
Shadoan was impressed when Lybolt snagged Black as an account. But in retrospect, overall, the timing was right: “Country was really starting to percolate,” he says. “They were starting to do big rock tours… I mean, look at them today: Brad Paisley has more video out on one of his tours than the Rolling Stones.”
If there were any doubts that Sound Image had fully and completely integrated itself into a Nashville institution, they were put to rest when they took on some new kids who went by the moniker Brooks & Dunn. “What basically happened is Brooks & Dunn became the foundation that this office was built on,” Lybolt says of the 20-year relationship with the superstars. As they rose, so did the Nashville scene, and “things just started getting busier, and I spent more time with groups and their management.” Sound Image does seem to have collected all the biggest acts along the way. Vince Gill was another early client, followed by Brad Paisley, Toby Keith and Rascal Flatts, who all also grew into important long-time clients, among many others.
Nashville Culture
“When I got here, I quickly discovered the Nashville culture is totally different in many ways, including having its own business model, and that model hasn’t really changed,” Lybolt says. “Companies had to adapt to that model if they wanted to do business here.” A big aspect of that model was how they tour, spurning the idea of being on the road nonstop for a year or two and just going out Thursday through Sunday so band and crew can be home and have a life with their family. Thrown into that is typically a two or three week tour of the West Coast, but otherwise, this is a town of people who want to stay close to home. “This is so much better because it fosters long-term career relationships,” he says. “People here want to like the people they surround themselves with. And they are loyal — almost to a fault! They will overlook some things and even sacrifice a little if they like you.”
“The Nashville artist wants to build a family — and they don’t like change once they have their people in place,” Shadoan adds. “Nashville is more personal, and it’s more about relationships. People are more upfront, which is refreshing. Also, once you start doing business with them, you become part of their family. We love it.” But it does come with challenges, especially the last few years as more lighting and video companies move in. “There’s an influx of people and its stirring the pot again.” But Shadoan also lists plenty who couldn’t make Nashville stick, again emphasizing the unwritten “two year” rule.
All of this must fit into the economics of it all, though, and a production company has to keep within those guidelines. “This is especially true with the young artist playing clubs, where it’s tough to find consistency,” Lybolt says, adding that taking a “chance” on providing small systems for these up-and-comers can pay off big later. Related is trust. “When you make promises, you’ve got to keep your word. That’s how we keep these great artists. It’s always about the promise of service, whatever the cost. We’ve also had some new technology to offer over the years, like our carbon fiber speakers, but equipment is equipment and it becomes about the service. We still consider ourselves a boutique company.” Today, Sound Image is no longer in an industrial complex; in fact, in keeping with their Southern California heritage, visitors to their facilities are greeted with palm trees, sand and a moat. These days, Lybolt is kept company with over 70 employees.
“I got to say, these Nashville people are all high-tech rednecks, and I mean that in the best possible way!” Shadoan says. “It doesn’t matter where they are in their career, they want the latest and greatest, and they are always pushing production people to give it to them. From a business standpoint, it’s challenging.” But worth it.
Shadoan says that the vast majority of these artists step right out of one of their typical “hard workin’ man/woman” songs. They know to get ahead they have to work hard, and that’s what they do. “Superstars come and go, but look at an act like Rascal Flatts — they are top earners year in and year out, and while those guys are starting to knock at 50 [years old], they aren’t slowing and keep doing great work.” The same could be said of Sound Image.
Sound Image
- Owner: Dave Shadoan
- In Biz Since: 1971 (Originally as Silverfish Audio)
- Divisions: Touring and Integration
- Offices: Escondido, CA; Nashville and Tempe, AZ
- Awards: Several Parnelli Awards for “Sound Company of the Year” including in 2015; Shadoan and co-founder Ross Ritto received Parnelli Award’s Audio Innovator Honor in 2012. Also Polestar and Top Dog.
- What They Say about Shadoan: In a 2012 tribute video to Dave Shadoan, Brad Paisley said: “All I know, this guy shows up at our show in a Hawaiian shirt and flip flops, and then he just eats our catering and drinks a lot of whatever is back stage… sometimes he brings me Cuban Cigars, which is really cool… if this award is for a guy who brings Cuban Cigars to a show, then he is really deserving …” For the whole clip, go to www.parnelliawards.com/movie_shadoan.html
- More Info: www.sound-image.com
Mid Coast Performance Audio Builds on History, Looks to Expand
“As a musician, studio engineer and producer in the 1980s, I was always asked by the artist I was working with to mix their live shows,” explains Mid-Coast Sound owner Bruce Bossert. From there, he thought there was room in the Nashville market for a “boutique” sound company that was “not large in size, but with a high quality inventory.” He achieved that and then some, though, “we will always be a boutique company,” Bossert explains. “And while not the biggest, we maintain a high quality inventory of the best pro audio products.”
Over the years, they’ve come to serve that market and everything else from Americana to EDM. “It’s not unusual for us to send additional subwoofer support out for a Bassnectar show on Friday and use those same speakers for an International Bluegrass Music Association Convention on Saturday,” Bossert says. “And we give everybody the same level of detail and service.” He notes that the concentration of production personnel in Nashville is a big advantage, and he points to his Rolodex of several hundred premium engineers available to him which allows him to match the perfect engineer to the perfect event as opposed to a “one-size-fits-all” approach that happens when you have a few engineers on staff.
While Mid-Coast never wanted the biggest inventory, what they have is substantial, as there are 100-plus Meyer boxes and a dozen or more digital desks from several manufacturers in the warehouse. “We do have a commitment to Meyer, as we try to support suppliers that build to the highest audio standard, not to a price point.” Last year, Mid-Coast invested in the new Meyer LEOPARD line array system and the new PRO-X. The consoles they carry are from , Yamaha, Avid and Soundcraft. There’s also JBL, Motion Labs and Stagemaker gear in their toolbox, and they just added Shure 1000 Series in-ear systems to an ever-growing inventory.
Having 100 Meyer boxes is not the kind of thing one associates with a “small” pro audio company. However, a good portion of Mid-Coast’s business is supporting the other bigger companies in town including Blackhawk Audio, Clair Global, Sound Image and Solotech, something that having premium gear allows them to do. As far as all that competition, he says there is mutual respect and understanding between the vast majority of them, all of them sharing in a “let’s get it done” attitude.
Bossert speaks of that creative spirit that saturates Nashville. This, combined with the friendliness of the town, makes it an exceptional place to live and work. “I’ve never felt that in New York or L.A., and also just doing business here is so much more appealing. Here, you can walk into a bank as a member of the entertainment industry and get a loan, where in other places they would laugh at you. From a touring, geography aspect, we’re 12 hours from 70 percent of the North American population. Then there is the deep history that is Nashville, a deep musical history.”
Finally, there’s a quality of life that Nashville offers, which is a magnet for touring professionals. “I was one of the ‘early adapters’ who moved here from L.A., and I picked up a real estate magazine, and found a house I could afford that even had a bit of land! Our industry is a high-stress one, and when you come in off the road, having a good quality of life that allows you to kick back is important.”
Looking forward, Bossert says Mid-Coast will build on their success in the touring division. Last month he sent out a rig going out with Scott Stapp (formerly of Creed) going to the East Coast, and the EDM act Boombox is taking out a significant touring package to the West Coast. He’s also supporting the explosion in festivals, and looks for that area to be a growing one for Mid-Coast. They are looking at expanding their warehouse by several thousand square feet.
“We’re small enough that you can get the owner on the phone at midnight, and that’s a big deal,” Bossert asserts. “Yet we’re large enough to have cutting edge gear available at competitive prices.”
Mid Coast Performance Audio
- Founded: 1987
- Owner: Bruce Bossert
- Awards: Parnelli Awards “Hometown Hero” Winne, “Southeastern Sound Company of the Year”
- Services: Sound systems for all live events; Turn-Key Even Productions; Installations.
- Owner’s Quote: “We’re small enough that you can get the owner on the phone at midnight, and big enough to deliver world class gear and personnel.”
- More Info: www.midcoastsound.com
Supplier Focus: Four Star Wire Cable/MyStar Sound
For Paul Snyder, he’s not just selling wire and cable — he’s selling service. Since 1999, he’s built Four Star Wire and Cable into a powerhouse wire and cable and connectivity distributor serving the security and sound, coaxial, fiber optics, fire alarm, voice and data, and industrial wire and cable industries. But he’s a musician at heart who spent plenty of time playing drums, guitar and singing. So he saw a need to bring his approach to the most basic — but most important — part of the pro audio chain to this industry.
Snyder had been in the wire and cable business 13 years when he founded Four Star Wire and Cable in Michigan in 1999. A year later, he introduced the MyStar Sound brand of audio, stage, lighting and video cables to service the live event industry (audio, lighting, video), opening an office in Nashville. “I’ve been in the wire and cable business a long time and my passion for music and understanding of the products and electronics made me really want to contribute,” he says. “Also a lot of those in the music industry were saying, ‘I am buying bulk wire and connectors — can I get a snake and a mic cable built too?’” (MyStarSound Pro Audio Cables is a product line manufactured by Four Star Wire and Cable, and there are a total of 28 people working at the two locations.)
“You don’t just get that cable from us, you get our people,” Snyder says. “I feel like people in this industry get that. The tour is leaving on Friday and you can’t wait for the cable — it has to be there the Wednesday before. It’s just how that world works and we understand it.” Also appealing is that all of MyStar Sound’s product are built in America, and come with a lifetime guarantee. It’s this mentality that created the kind of relationship that touring and production people appreciate.” Key is feedback from the live event industry — Snyder and team listen to everything that is said of their product, which allows them to create products containing quality components that meet or exceed industry standards. Another advantage is the ability to have the plate and panel works handled in-house, whether it be laser etching and cutting to CNC processes.
Since opening their Nashville location, they have grown with the boom that has made Music City a live event juggernaut. It’s not just been from the sound company side either, but from staging and lighting, voice and data, and security companies as well. Nelson Alsup heads up that office, and Rodney Martin is the account rep. “Just being able to ship from Nashville is a huge advantage,” On a personal level, he enjoys the culture of Nashville. “There is a southern mentality with so many companies there — they are down-to-earth and appreciate the personal touch in every deal. You’ll have a great relationship in Nashville if you say what you do and do what you say.”
He stresses that Four Star Wire and Cable is about everything that involves wires and connectivity, not just the live event industry. The company is also busy doing custom work. One recent example of their “if you can think it we can build it” mantra is that Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain had a drum set made up of all gold hardware, and wanted all the cabling to match it. With Neutrik Connectors, he accomplished that task. Snyder enjoys working with many leaders in the industry, including frequent Parnelli Award nominee Kevin “Tater” McCarthy. “I’ve known Tater for a long time — and we have a great working relationship.” On McCarthy’s Parnelli win for Monitor Engineer of the Year, he gave a shout out to Snyder and his team. But he’s far from the only fan.
“When I was 15 years old, a record producer told me, ‘the sound comes from the source,’ and I have lived by that motto ever since,” says Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. “We depend on the signal from that source, and recently I asked Four Star Wire and Cable to make a couple of patch cables for me just to try. Within a week, I replaced every cable in my studio with MyStarSound cables and looms!”
Four Star Wire/MyStar Sound
- Founded: 1999
- Locations: Sterling Heights, MI (877.789.1626); Nashville, 877.853.8106.
- Web: fourstarwire.com; mystarsound.com
- Mission Statement: To provide a service standard that’s unmatched in the industry and continually improve our processes to maintain our “Customer First” philosophy with pride and integrity.
- Quote: “Our accomplishments of yesterday will become our challenges today. We will strive each day to maintain our customer’s loyalty and respect.” —Paul Snyder
