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At that time, Rascal Flatts wasn’t just big.They were one of the biggest country bands in America.Arena-level draw. Major production. Real money on the line.And here’s the situation.We’re in Oklahoma. No long résumé of massive shows behind us. No built-in credibility. When that contract comes in for a band that size, it’s not automatic.You don’t just get handed that show.You have to talk. You have to explain the vision. You have to convince them you can actually produce it. Because they’re not giving that kind of act to just anyone.And the numbers?High.Production rider? Serious. Stage specs? Real. Expectations? No room for error.If a band that big believes in you enough to send the contract and say, “Produce it,” you better be ready.There are no second chances at that level.You’re either one and done.Or you’re one… and the door opens for many more.So what do you do?You surround yourself with the best crew you trust. You build the stage. You meet the rider. You execute.Because when you land a show like Rascal Flatts at their peak, it’s not just a concert.It’s a test.And if you pass it, your credibility changes overnight.  #HeresTheDealPodcast #RascalFlatts #CountryMusicHistory #ConcertProduction #LiveMusicBusiness #OklahomaShows #ArenaLevel #BehindTheScenes #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

August 2, 2003.Bile Nocturne Blunt Force Trauma LowlifeOn paper, it looked aggressive. Underground. Heavy.In reality?It had loss written all over it.Twenty years later you can laugh about it. Back then, it wasn’t funny. It was one of those nights where you could hear your dad’s voice in your head saying, “I told you so. Don’t do it.”And there goes the savings.The only reason Bile got booked was history. They were the band blowing fire at Foundation Forum when we were first crossing paths with GWAR and hanging around James and Forte. There was nostalgia. There was belief. There was loyalty.But belief doesn’t always equal ticket sales.The local bands were solid. Blunt Force Trauma. Lowlife. The scene was there.The crowd wasn’t.If you had to guess? Maybe under 250 people. And in a room like the Diamond Ballroom, when it’s that light, you feel every empty square foot.That’s part of the business nobody glamorizes.You win big. You lose bigger. And if you stay in long enough, you collect both stories.Some shows build your name.Some shows cost you.This one cost.  #HeresTheDealPodcast #ConcertLoss #DiamondBallroom #Bile #IndustrialMetal #LiveMusicBusiness #PromoterLife #RockStories #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

All hell broke loose at the Diamond Ballroom.Superjoint Ritual headlining Madd Maxx’s Metal Bash. Not the shortened Superjoint era. This was early. First album. Raw. Violent. Loud.Lineup stacked.Strapping Young Lad Spooky Fruit Superjoint RitualAbout 459 people in the building, but it felt like triple that once the floor started moving.And yes — that was the show where Hank Williams III was on bass.Phil Anselmo fronting it. Kevin Bond on guitar. Hank III holding down the low end. That lineup doesn’t happen every year.It was one of the last Metal Bash events in that run. The 14th or 15th edition. Hard to remember the exact number. When you’ve built that many heavy shows, they start to blur together.But this one didn’t.Superjoint Ritual in that era was pure hostility. No polish. No radio ambitions. Just aggression and chaos in a packed room at the Diamond.That’s what Metal Bash was built for.No arena safety net. No corporate sponsorship glow. Just bodies on a concrete floor and riffs hitting like a hammer.Those were the nights you felt in your bones. #HeresTheDealPodcast #SuperjointRitual #PhilAnselmo #HankWilliamsIII #StrappingYoungLad #MetalBash #DiamondBallroom #OKCMetal #LiveMusicHistory #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

My dad had a guy working at his transmission shop who took me to Lloyd Noble to see Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins on the Mothership tour.Let that sink in.Thirteen years old. Lloyd Noble Center. Mothership era.That wasn’t just a concert. That was a cultural experience.Lights. Funk. Basslines you could feel in your ribs. Costumes. Energy. Controlled chaos. Parliament-Funkadelic in that era wasn’t a band. It was a movement.Bootsy with the star glasses. The grooves. The theatrics. The whole arena felt like it was levitating.And yeah, it was the first time being exposed to things I probably wasn’t ready for. Parking lot culture. Crowd culture. Being the only white kid rolling with older black guys who knew exactly what they were walking into.I thought I was gonna die that night.But I also learned something.Music isn’t just sound. It’s environment. It’s tribe. It’s stepping into someone else’s world and realizing it’s bigger than yours.Parliament-Funkadelic on the Mothership tour was one of those life-marker shows. The kind that rewires how you see live music forever.I’ve still got Bootsy records. Even some autographed Funkadelic vinyl from original members.Some shows entertain you.Some shows initiate you.That was one of them. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ParliamentFunkadelic #BootsyCollins #MothershipTour #FunkHistory #ConcertMemories #LloydNoble #LiveMusicStories #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Building a Massive Stage in MiamiBefore the permanent venues. Before the easy load-ins.We built it from the ground up.On the backside of a parking lot in Miami, Oklahoma. Facing east toward what everyone jokingly called “the mushroom field.” No existing infrastructure. No pre-hung rigging. Just open space and a plan.And it wasn’t a small setup.It was a massive steel stage.First time ever building a full steel stage system from scratch. Labor crews. Long days. Layout adjustments. Wind considerations. Electrical runs. Everything had to be calculated. Everything had to hold.That stage hosted some heavy hitters.Rascal Flatts ZZ Top Lynyrd SkynyrdRascal Flatts out there in the open air. ZZ Top on a custom-built platform in the middle of a parking lot. Skynyrd came through after that run.The first Skynyrd show held. The second one, a year later, had its own story.That’s the thing about building your own stage.You control it. You risk it. You own it.No permanent amphitheater. No arena walls. Just steel, decking, truss, and trust that you did the math right.And when the lights came on and the crowd filled in?It didn’t feel like a parking lot anymore.It felt like a festival ground.#HeresTheDealPodcast #RascalFlatts #ZZTop #LynyrdSkynyrd #StageBuild #ConcertProduction #MiamiOK #LiveMusicIndustry #RockAndRollStories #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Same night Lamb of God was tearing up Springfield, Hank III was leveling Cain’s Ballroom.Country first set. Assjack second set. Two completely different worlds in one room.We had done Hank before at the Will Rogers in Oklahoma City, but we kept telling him about Cain’s. Telling him about the history. The ghosts in the walls. The legends on the stage.That night it happened.DCF, Doc Rock, and Choice presents. Packed house. Full circle moment.The part that sticks the most wasn’t even during the show.It was earlier in the day.Hank walking the venue quietly, studying the photos on the walls. Looking at the history. And at one point standing under the image of his grandfather, Hank Williams.That’s lineage. That’s weight.You could feel the gravity of that room when he was in it.Yes, there are bootleg videos floating around from the Will Rogers show in Oklahoma City. Some from Cain’s too. Raw. Loud. Unfiltered. That era wasn’t about polished livestreams. It was about word of mouth and shaky handheld footage that people still hunt down today.Hank III at Cain’s was different.Honky-tonk roots. Metal fury. Full throttle.And whenever he decides to tour again, you already know the call gets answered.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDealPodcast #HankWilliamsIII #Assjack #CainsBallroom #TulsaMusic #HankIII #OutlawCountry #MetalAndCountry #LiveMusicHistory #DCFConcerts #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Twenty years ago they were climbing.Now they’re headlining with a different kind of conversation happening around them.Godsmack has publicly hinted that this may be the final major run. Fewer tours. More one-offs. Possibly no more records. That’s a shift.So what’s next?The casino model.We’ve seen it before.Aerosmith Mötley Crüe Def Leppard Poison Joan JettResidencies. Multi-night casino runs. Destination weekends. It’s not a downgrade. It’s a pivot.The real question is this:Can Godsmack hit that tier?Could they do three nights in a row at a major casino property? A week-long residency? A rotating run across the country?There’s also a philosophical layer.A lot of 90s and early-2000s hard rock and post-grunge bands came up with an anti-corporate, anti-establishment identity. Casinos can feel corporate. Branded. Structured.Does that mindset stop them?Maybe early in their career.But lifestyle doesn’t pay for itself.If you want to maintain production value, crew, homes, families, and legacy — you either tour, stream, or find a model that works.And casinos work.The real metric isn’t attitude. It’s relevance.Can you still draw? Can you sell rooms? Can you move tickets in a destination market or a regional one?If the answer is yes, the stage doesn’t matter.The building just changes. #HeresTheDealPodcast #Godsmack #CasinoResidency #RockBusiness #Aerosmith #MotleyCrue #DefLeppard #LiveMusicIndustry #RockLegacy #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Sometimes rock videos crossed the line on purpose.This one definitely did.Shotgun Rebellion filmed the video for Devil’s Daughter inside a church. Dark setting. Controversial concept. And somehow Max ends up co-starring alongside Jesse Jane.That’s when the realization hit.“Wait… I’m filming a music video in a church with a porn star?”And not just any adult star. Jesse Jane was one of the biggest names in the industry at that time. The whole thing felt surreal from the start.The video leaned all the way into the shock factor. Baptismal scenes. Lap dance moments. Full late-2000s edgy rock-video energy. Exactly the kind of thing that would spread around MySpace and early YouTube instantly.And yes, according to Max, “what she did to me, people paid thousands for.”That’s rock and roll storytelling right there.One minute you’re helping put together concerts. Next minute you’re inside a church filming Devil’s Daughter with Jesse Jane while Shotgun Rebellion blasts in the background.Only in that era. #HeresTheDealPodcast #JesseJane #ShotgunRebellion #DevilsDaughter #RockVideo #MyspaceEra #BehindTheScenes #RockAndRollStories #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Here’s what made that lineup even crazier.It wasn’t just stacked.Every band on that stage was booked by the same agent — Tim Borror.One agent. One package. Multiple subgenres. Total domination.When that happens, everything runs smoother. Routing makes sense. Negotiations are streamlined. Relationships are tight. It’s strategic.And look at what that package covered:Lamb of God – modern American metal powerhouse Clutch – groove-heavy hard rock Opeth – progressive extreme metal Unearth – Massachusetts metalcore From Autumn to Ashes – emo/post-hardcore Norma Jean – chaotic metalcore Poison the Well – hardcore-influenced metal Every Time I Die – Southern-fried hardcore chaos Madball – New York hardcore Throwdown – crossover hardcore High on Fire – stoner metal GWAR – theatrical metal insanity DevilDriver – groove-driven metal assaultThat’s every branch of metal represented in one day.Hardcore. Metalcore. Progressive. Stoner. Groove. Theatrical shock metal.And yes — that was the first wall of death some of us ever saw in person.From a business perspective, this is why it worked. When one agent controls the roster, you can build a traveling ecosystem. Shared routing. Shared marketing push. Shared audience overlap.You could still put that bill together today and move serious tickets.That’s smart packaging. #HeresTheDealPodcast #TimBorror #MetalHistory #SoundsOfTheUnderground #LambOfGod #Clutch #Opeth #DevilDriver #WallOfDeath #ConcertBusiness #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Band Canceled Max Put TM's Cell # On Venue DoorThis was the Killswitch show that never happened.Somewhere along the way they got hung up — Wichita Falls, Texas, if memory serves. Didn’t make it. No show.And the kids?They were furious.You’d brought that band through four or five times. Built a real fan base. Sold tickets. Packed the room. So when the cancellation hit, the blame didn’t go to weather or logistics or routing.It landed on you.Tensions were high. People yelling. Accusations flying. And sometimes in this business, you hit a point where you’re just done absorbing it.So what happened next?Pulled the tour manager’s cell number off the contract.Wrote it on the venue door.Show canceled. Have questions? Call this number.Chaos.Phones blew up. Tempers flared. And yes, the tour manager was not thrilled. The booking agent called asking if you’d completely lost it.Was it diplomatic? No. Was it legendary? Absolutely.That’s the side of live music nobody talks about. When a show falls apart, someone has to stand in front of the crowd. Sometimes you handle it clean. Sometimes you handle it human.And sometimes you put the number on the door and let the phones ring. #HeresTheDealPodcast #KillswitchEngage #ConcertChaos #TourLife #MetalcoreEra #LiveMusicStories #BricktownLive #ConcertPromoterLife #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Hank was my guy.And one night at Cain’s stands out more than most.Before the doors ever opened, he was just walking the room. No crowd. No noise. Just him studying the walls. If you’ve ever been inside Cain’s, you know it’s a museum of American music history. Photos everywhere. Legends in frames.The moment that stuck?Him standing under the painting of his grandfather, Hank Williams.That wasn’t just a cool photo op. That was legacy. Bloodline. Weight.Shelton Hank Williams carrying that name, standing in one of the most historic rooms in the country, under the eyes of his grandfather. That’s country music history layered on top of itself.And the love for Hank III has never faded.Country first set. Then the heavy stuff. Then the chaos. Nobody bridges honky-tonk and hell-raising like he does.Wherever you are, Shelton, hope you’re doing alright.And when you’re ready to work again, make the call. #HeresTheDealPodcast #HankWilliamsIII #CainsBallroom #TulsaMusic #CountryOutlaw #HankWilliams #RedDirtMusic #LiveMusicHistory #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

July 10, 2005. One day. One ticket. Absolute chaos.Lamb of God Clutch Opeth Unearth From Autumn to Ashes Norma Jean Poison the Well Every Time I Die Chimaira Throwdown Madball High on Fire All That Remains Strapping Young Lad DevilDriver GWARAll on the same bill.Under twenty bucks.That lineup today would cost you a mortgage payment in festival passes.This was the era right after Ozzfest started slowing down. Before Mayhem Festival became the next monster touring package. Sounds of the Underground filled that lane. Pure metal. No filler.And a lot of those bands are still relevant.You could rebuild that lineup right now and still move serious tickets in the right markets.This was also the first time witnessing a full-scale wall of death in person. Crowd splits down the middle. Silence for a second. Then absolute collision.No phones. No TikTok clips. Just chaos and adrenaline.2005 was different. #HeresTheDealPodcast #SoundsOfTheUnderground #LambOfGod #Clutch #Opeth #MetalFest #2005Concerts #WallOfDeath #MetalHistory #LiveMusicBusiness #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

When you start talking about 90s grunge in casino rooms, the first tier is obvious.Pearl Jam Alice in Chains Foo FightersThose bands aren’t playing casinos. They’re still arena and festival headliners.The real casino conversation starts with the second tier.Soul Asylum Everclear Sponge Gin Blossoms The NixonsThese are the bands that can absolutely sell out the right casino room.The 90s audience is older now. They’ve got disposable income. They want nostalgia. They want to hear the hits they grew up on without fighting a 20,000-seat arena crowd. A 2,000 to 3,000 seat casino venue is perfect.It’s the same cycle that happened in classic country.Loretta Lynn George JonesWhen that generation passed, the next wave stepped in.Mark Chesnutt Tracy Lawrence Clay WalkerSame model. Different genre.Top tier stays in arenas. Second tier owns casinos and regional theaters. And the real question is always this:Who becomes the nostalgia act 20 years from now? #HeresTheDealPodcast #90sGrunge #CasinoConcerts #PearlJam #AliceInChains #FooFighters #Everclear #GinBlossoms #SoulAsylum #RockBusiness #LiveMusicIndustry #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #Oklahoma #LiveMusicCultureLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

What most people don’t realize is you just added a whole new chapter to the “back in my day” stories.Because before that hill became a park… it was a grass parking lot.And that parking lot?It was a massive tailgate party before the gates ever opened.Back then, fans didn’t line up down the road with wristbands and phones out. They stayed at their cars. Trucks backed in. Tailgates down. Coolers open. Music blasting. Grills going. It was the concert before the concert.It felt like a college football Saturday, except it was rock and roll.Now you’ll see lines stretching all the way down the road for a big show. Different era. More structured. More organized.But when that space was a parking lot, nobody rushed the gates. They built a party first.And if you didn’t have much money but managed to hustle a ticket? Chances were someone fed you. Someone handed you a beer. Someone gave you water. It was its own little community outside the venue.The Zoo wasn’t just what happened inside the gates.It was what happened on that hill. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ZooAmphitheatre #OKCMusicHistory #ConcertLife #TailgateParty #BackInMyDay #LiveMusicCulture #OklahomaCity #RockAndRollStories #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

The first time casino merch sales really hit different was in Durant.Smart move.When you bring a legacy act like KISS into a smaller market and print that city name on the shirt, it changes everything. Miami. Durant. Towns that had never seen their name on an official tour tee before.That’s not just merchandise.That’s validation.And in those markets, people buy heavy.KISS down in Durant? Cleaned house. Lines stacked. Credit cards flying. When your town is printed under that iconic logo, you’re not walking out empty-handed.That was personal pride too. Running the stand. Watching it move. Seeing the numbers climb. Those are the quiet wins in this business.Same thing when The Black Crowes rolled through.Not just shirts. Posters.Custom prints with boxcars — one for Durant, one for Miami. Hyper-local artwork tied directly to the stop. That’s how you make a one-night show feel historic.Back then, those cities weren’t on national tour merch. Now they show up on official posters and limited prints.That evolution matters.Arena cities always sell.Smaller markets sell harder when they feel seen. #HeresTheDealPodcast #KISS #BlackCrowes #ConcertMerch #TourMerch #CasinoShows #DurantOK #MiamiOK #LiveMusicBusiness #RockAndRollStories #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

2004 was stacked.Hilary Duff rolled through on the Most Wanted Tour at the Lloyd Noble Center. AEG Live and DCF Concerts. No cameras. No recording. Tight security. At that moment, she was a massive pop act. That was peak teen-tour era. Big production. Big rules. Big money.Same stretch of dates, totally different vibe.August 27th at the Diamond Ballroom Headroom. 414 people. $10 ticket.That’s grassroots rock promotion. DCF and Choice pushing local and regional talent. Packed enough to matter. Cheap enough for everybody to get in.Two days later, August 29th at the Bricktown Events Center Tech N9ne on the Hostile Takeover Tour ‘04.Different crowd. Different energy. Tech was already building that independent empire. Heavy merch. Loyal fanbase. Controlled chaos in the pit.Then September 2nd at Bricktown Live Tantric and Falling High. 1,850 people.This was the first Tantric run without Travis Meeks of Days of the New. That second-wave version of the sound. Post-grunge still had gas in the tank. Big hooks. Big radio presence. Solid ticket mover.Look at that range in one run:Pop arena tour. Local $10 rock show. Independent hip-hop powerhouse. Post-grunge radio rock.All within days of each other.That’s what made that era legendary. You could go from teen pop to underground rap to hard rock in the same week and never leave Oklahoma.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

When you’ve got 60 stagehands, loaders, riggers, and production crew flaring up in the heat, you better have a park nearby.That’s why that space mattered.Safety meetings were daily. OSHA approved. Hard hats, steel toes, paperwork, radio checks. Everyone likes to talk about the party, but the show doesn’t happen without structure.Still, sometimes a “safety meeting” meant cooling off and catching your breath.Back when it was a parking lot, fans didn’t line up down the road before gates. They stayed at their cars.Coolers open. Grills going. Music blasting.Tailgate culture.Some of the best pre-show moments never happened inside the venue. They happened between bumpers and folding chairs. And if you were broke but managed to hustle a ticket off the street?You weren’t going hungry.Somebody handed you a burger. Somebody handed you a beer. Water if you needed it. Concert parking lots were their own economy. Their own community.Different time.Now you see lines wrapping down the street hours before doors. Phones out. Wristbands ready.Back then it was trucks, coolers, and strangers becoming friends before the first note hit the stage.That was part of the show too. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ConcertLife #Stagehands #OSHAApproved #TailgateParty #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

In the 80s you saw W.A.S.P. in arenas.By 2022, they were playing clubs.And it didn’t matter to Blackie Lawless. His rider didn’t care what size the room was. You filled it. Or you had a problem.Some shows you book to win.Some shows you book because you love rock and roll.W.A.S.P. at Amplified Live was one of those.And it ended up being the one that shut the place down.After that run, Amplified Live was done.But that’s how it works in Texas. One room closes. Another opens. You trade Amplified Live for Longhorn Ballroom. Same city. Different address. The cycle keeps moving.It’s the same pattern everywhere, just not always as dramatic.And the very next night back in Oklahoma?Papa Roach, Instruction, and Dead Poetic at Bricktown Live.Rooms close. Rooms reopen. Bands cycle through. You keep booking. You keep loading in.That’s the business. #HeresTheDealPodcast #WASP #BlackieLawless #AmplifiedLive #LonghornBallroom #PapaRoach #BricktownLive #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #dallastexas  Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Sixteen-dollar tickets.Different eras. Same idea.Neil Young went through that stretch where he’d split the show in half. First set mellow. Deep cuts. Acoustic tones. Then he’d flip the switch. Hard, noisy, almost industrial energy. Think Trans. Think Ark and Weld. Think Crazy Horse pushing it into heavier territory.That was him testing the crowd. Changing lanes mid-show.Then you jump forward.Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and Relient K rolling through Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa and State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.Pop-punk wave at full speed.Different demographic. Different merch tables. Same hustle.Capacity mattered too. Cain’s versus Bricktown Live wasn’t a minor jump. You’re talking about hundreds, sometimes over a thousand people difference depending on the configuration. Ticket price might be close, but scale changes everything.From Neil Young experimenting with sound to Good Charlotte leading a youth movement in arenas.Sixteen bucks could get you a legend reinventing himself.Or a pop-punk takeover.Different crowds.Same city. #HeresTheDealPodcast #NeilYoung #GoodCharlotte #SimplePlan #RelientK #CrazyHorse #PopPunkEra #LiveMusicStories #OKCMusic #TulsaMusic #ConcertHistory #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Family Day at the Zoo Ten-dollar ticket.Los Tigres del Norte headlining with four or five other regional Mexican acts traveling together. Caravan-style lineup. Full cultural event.And it sold out.Ten thousand people.Carnival set up in the back. Food vendors. Families everywhere. The Zoo right next door offering free admission with a concert ticket.So what happened?Half the crowd would drift into the Zoo between sets. Then the amphitheater would fill back up when the next act hit. Then they’d leave again. It was a revolving door of 10,000 people.True crossover promotion.Here’s the kicker.The tickets said no readmission.Didn’t matter.At $10, people would just buy another one.Cheap entry. Massive turnout. Smart buy. Smart sell.That show proved something simple.Price it right. Make it family friendly. Respect the culture.You’ll pack the park. #HeresTheDealPodcast #LosTigresDelNorte #ZooAmphitheatre #FamilyDay #ConcertPromotion #OKCMusic #LatinMusic #LiveEvents #SellOutShow #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Mid-August 2004 was stacked.First up, ZZ Top at the Zoo. The opener? Cardboard Vampires, a project fronted by Jerry Cantrell. That wasn’t a long-running act. Limited appearances. That night, they opened for ZZ Top and that was the band assigned to work with. Not a bad shift.Then August 19.Soulfly and El Niño at Diamond Ballroom.486 tickets.$23.Heavy package. Solid bill. But 486 in that room feels light. That’s the gamble with metal tours. Some nights explode. Some nights grind.The very next day, August 20, Robert Earl Keen rolls into Bricktown Events Center. Different crowd. Different vibe.August 26, Soulfly and El Niño run it back at The Rockwell.August 27, Headroom at the Diamond Ballroom.That stretch shows the contrast.Blues legends. Cantrell side project. Brazilian metal. Latin metal. Texas singer-songwriter. Local hard rock.Four completely different audiences in eight days.That’s the booking life. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ZZTop #JerryCantrell #Soulfly #elNino #DiamondBallroom #ZooAmphitheatre #OKCMusic #MetalShows #ConcertLife #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

March 2005.One week. Four major artists. Zero downtime.It starts with Robert Plant at Southside Education Center in Tulsa. Friday, March 11. From there, drive him down Route 66 to Oklahoma City for March 13 at Bricktown Events Center. Full escort mode. Shopping stops. Meals. Hosting duties. Rock royalty riding shotgun on Route 66.Three days off.Then back at it.Wednesday at Cain's Ballroom with The Wallflowers.That night, straight back to Oklahoma City to step into Billy Idol at the Red Cocoanut Events Center. No rest. Drop Billy at the airport Friday morning.Then immediately roll into Ryan Cabrera at Bricktown Events Center.That’s the swing.Legendary frontman from Led Zeppelin. Alt-rock staple Wallflowers. Punk icon Billy Idol. Pop-radio Ryan Cabrera.Different genres. Different crews. Same driver. Same week.That’s not a tour.That’s survival mode. #HeresTheDealPodcast #RobertPlant #BillyIdol #TheWallflowers #RyanCabrera #Route66 #CainsBallroom #BricktownEventsCenter #TulsaMusic #OKCMusic #ConcertLife #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Mid-2004 was stacked.Canadian rock rolling through town. Finger Eleven. Thornley, fronted by Ian Thornley, who previously led Big Wreck. Multiple rooms. Cain’s. Bricktown Live. The Rockwell.Then August 11.Zoo Amphitheatre.Evanescence. Seether. Three Days Grace.That was a strong bill. Post–“Bring Me to Life” era. Radio heavy. Big turnout.Three days later, August 14.ZZ Top at the Zoo.But behind the scenes is where the real shift happened.After getting in trouble and not being welcomed on some of the bigger shows, the phone rings. Howard Pollack from Innervisions. Opportunity instead of exile.“You want to work?”Runner position at the Zoo.Not headline status. Not promoter seat. Runner. Drive. Fetch. Handle details. Keep it moving.That’s how you stay in the game.From not being welcome to loading in for Evanescence at the Zoo.You take the job. You prove your value. You rebuild.That’s the part people don’t see. #HeresTheDealPodcast #Evanescence #Seether #ThreeDaysGrace #ZZTop #ZooAmphitheatre #Innervisions #ConcertRunner #BehindTheScenes #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

April 17.Back in Oklahoma City.Local H at Bricktown Live. Ten bucks. Short and Sweet, Andy, and Ballista on the bill. Ballista was local. Tight scene. Downtown Bricktown energy. That room was loud, sweaty, and perfect for a band like Local H.And yes, being thanked in the liner notes hits different. That’s a permanent receipt.Two days later?Sum 41, Unwritten Law, and Hawthorne Heights at Bricktown Event Center.Twenty-five bucks.That lineup was stacked.Sum 41 in their prime. Unwritten Law steady as ever. Hawthorne Heights pulling that emotional crowd. That was a moment in the mid-2000s alt-rock run.Fast forward and Sum 41 announces retirement from touring. End of an era. Deryck Whibley’s name always tied to Avril Lavigne. Then her move to Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. Music circles stay small.And Nickelback? Say what you want. They’re still moving tickets. Still touring. One of the mentors in this story runs that tour.That’s the thread.Ten-dollar club nights. Twenty-five-dollar stacked tours. Liner note thank-yous. Retirements years later.It all connects. #HeresTheDealPodcast #LocalH #Sum41 #UnwrittenLaw #HawthorneHeights #BricktownLive #BricktownEventCenter #2000sAltRock #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Nine dollars and forty-seven cents.That was the ticket.Radio show. The Buzz Presents. No mystery fees stacking up at checkout. If you bought it at the door, you paid $9.47. Box office counted clean at the end of the night. No service charge surprise hiding in the drawer.That’s how it worked back then.And this wasn’t some random booking.The Killers ran through Oklahoma rooms on their way up. Bricktown Events Center. Diamond Ballroom. The Zoo. Cain's Ballroom. Possibly The Brady. Before arenas. Before headlining major centers.Bricktown Live. July 22, 2004.Same flyer had W.A.S.P., The Kill, and A Horse Called War.That’s the contrast of that era. Future arena band on a $9.47 radio ticket. Packed club. 300 to 500 people shoulder to shoulder. No one thinking they’re watching a band that will headline festivals worldwide.You can’t predict that moment when it’s happening.Sometimes it costs $9.47. #HeresTheDealPodcast #TheKillers #BricktownLive #DiamondBallroom #CainsBallroom #OKCMusic #TulsaMusic #2004Concerts #RadioShow #LiveMusicHistory #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

One night it’s Styx inside Buffalo Run Casino.Next night it’s 15 bands, two stages, and organized chaos.That’s the range.Styx at Buffalo Run was inside. Clean production. National act. Tight schedule. Professional room. Solid crowd.Then you flip the calendar to the 16th and it’s Disjointed, Trip C, Wither, Makeshift, Midnight to 12, Severance, Waiting on Juliet, None Were Found, Welcome the Silence, Rotting Cycle, Transfixed, Bent, Rhythmic Disturbance, Separation from All, Skull Playground.Fifteen bands.Two stages.Bands crossing over. Announcers weaving through the crowd. Beer flowing. Jay carrying the mic like a sack of potatoes between stages just to keep things moving.That was the grind.Deneven from Welcome the Silence is now in a new project called Quake Engine. Wither ran long enough to hit Rocklahoma years later. Midnight to 12 had their California run. Most of the rest? Time moves on.That’s 18 years ago.Some nights you’re working a legacy arena act like Styx.Other nights you’re juggling 15 regional bands hoping one breaks out.Both count.#HeresTheDealPodcast #Styx #BuffaloRunCasino #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen#oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Blackie Lawless.Bricktown Live.2004.A band that once opened for KISS. Shared bills with Iron Maiden. Played Donington. Headlined arenas.Now standing in a 300-cap room in Oklahoma City.That’s the reality of rock cycles.W.A.S.P. came through more than once. Still touring hard. Still carrying that massive mic stand. Still performing like it was 1986. The stage presence didn’t shrink just because the room did.And that was the strange part.In 2004, it wasn’t easy to find younger bands that even knew who W.A.S.P. was, let alone wanted to open for them. You’re talking about a band that once moved arena numbers now headlining a 300-seater trying to relaunch momentum.Local bands filled those slots. The Kill. A Horse Called War. Names that were part of that scene at that moment in time.Nineteen years later, it hits different.An arena act in a club-sized room.Up close. No barricade gap. No upper deck. Just volume, lights, and history packed into 300 tickets.That’s a rare show. #HeresTheDealPodcast #WASP #BlackieLawless #BricktownLive #MetalHistory #KISS #IronMaiden #RockAndRollCycles #ClubShows #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Springfield to Miami runs. Bricktown Live metal nights. Ford Center arena shows.That stretch of 2005 had everything.Same night at Bricktown Live you had God Forbid, Caliban, It Dies Today, and Full Blown Chaos. Pure heavy lineup. No radio singles. No crossover push. Just straight metal. Years later, Doc Coyle from God Forbid ends up in Bad Wolves, but back then they were grinding it out.Then April 14, 2005.Ford Center.Mötley Crüe – Red, White & Crüe Tour.Bought a ticket. Took Dylan. Fan mode. Arena packed. Full production. Flames, risers, spectacle. Different scale from the club shows happening the same week.And the opener?That’s the mystery. Not Methods of Mayhem. Not 6AM. Not The Nixons. One of those “I was there but can’t remember” moments that only happen when you’ve been to too many shows.That’s what that era was. One night 500-cap metal chaos. Next night arena rock with your kid.Two completely different worlds. Same week.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MotleyCrue #RedWhiteAndCrue #FordCenter #GodForbid #MetalShows #ArenaRock #2005Concerts #OKCMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

August 2004 was loaded.August 5. Funk Junkies at The Rockwell. August 7. Rasputina at Bricktown Live. Three women, stand-up bass, cello-driven chaos. Twelve-dollar ticket.Two days later it explodes.August 9, 2004. Lamb of God, Atreyu, Every Time I Die, and Unearth at Cain's Ballroom.Sixteen bucks.That was a violent lineup for $16.Packed floor. No bad sightlines. Hard tickets sold at Starship, Jam Shack, The Bag in Broken Arrow, VCF, Choice. Real outlets. Real paper tickets. No service fees stacking up.Same night at Bricktown Live? Finger Eleven, Thornley, Strata, and Moments in Grace.Ticket was $18.75. Might’ve even lost money on it.But that’s the era.Two stacked shows. Same night. Different crowds. Different energy. One city choosing where to be.That was 2004. #HeresTheDealPodcast #Rasputina #LambOfGod #FingerEleven #CainsBallroom #BricktownLive #2004Concerts #MetalcoreEra #OKCMusic #TulsaMusic #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Riders tell you everything about a tour.Sometimes it’s normal. Towels. Drinks. Snacks.Sometimes it’s Sammy Kershaw wanting an 8x10 framed photo of Bugs Bunny in his dressing room. Not a joke. In a frame.Then came the monkey requests.One band kicked off the legendary M&M era of rider stories, but the “monkey in the dressing room” request had everyone scrambling. No idea what to do. So Max grabbed his kid’s Curious George and set it up backstage. Problem solved.Hank needed a monkey too. Stuffed one brought from home.And yes, there was even a request for a Satanic Bible. That one wasn’t a prank. That was about proving you actually read the rider.That’s the key.Advance the show. Get on the phone. Ask the right questions. “What do you need?” If you don’t ask, you don’t know. Riders aren’t just about weird items. They’re about professionalism.For years Oklahoma City was a gas stop. If you wanted artists to respect the market, you handled the details. Every detail.Even if that meant finding Bugs Bunny at the last minute.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Early 2000s Oklahoma shows were stacked.One night you’ve got Spooky Fruit, Mark of the Sage, Falling High, Far From Nothing, 80 Proof, and Scions at the Diamond Ballroom. Tulsa bands mixed in. Local scenes colliding. Packed rooms. No filler.Same night across town? Static-X and Soil at The Rockwell.Then August 3, 2004 hits.Shadows Fall. As I Lay Dying. Himsa. Remembering Never.Bricktown Live. About 500 capacity.Fifteen bucks.That was one of the baddest $15 shows you could see.As I Lay Dying tore through their set. But Shadows Fall? Two guitars locked in. One minute sounding like classic dual-lead harmony. Next minute straight aggression. In a 500-cap room, there isn’t a bad seat. You feel every note. No barricade distance. No arena gap.Just sweat, amps, and volume.That era hit different. #HeresTheDealPodcast #DiamondBallroom #BricktownLive #ShadowsFall #AsILayDying #StaticX #Soil #MetalShows #OKCMusic #TulsaMusic #2000sMetal #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

There was a time when zoo concerts ran on coolers and creativity.You could bring your own ice chest inside. As long as it wasn’t in bottles or cans, security let it slide. The 7-Elevens near the entrance would stack coolers to the ceiling on show days. They knew the drill.That’s where “trash can punch” came in.Everclear. Mixers. Gallon milk jugs. Everything poured together and passed around the crowd. Ice chests doubled as seats or step stools when the lawn filled up. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t subtle. It was part of the ritual.By the end of the night, the ground told the story. Crushed jugs. Scattered containers. People moving a little slower than when they arrived.And the soundtrack? Blackfoot. Molly Hatchet. Grateful Dead. The John Butcher Axis.Different era. Different rules. Everybody brought something. Everybody shared something.No phones in the air. No posts going live.Just music, lawn chairs, coolers, and stories that stuck. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ZooConcerts #TrashCanPunch #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen  #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

September 3rd, 2004.Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.First show ever built on that turf.No prefab. No shortcuts. Built with labor. Hands-on. Long days rolling into longer nights. That was the kickoff for the ballpark era.Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson touring baseball stadiums across the country. Jam Productions behind it. Promoters getting commemorative bats and gloves like it was Little League for rock and roll. David still has his.For Max, this one hit different. Huge Dylan fan. Named his kid after him. Hero status. So he’s out there doing labor on a show that means something personal, trying not to geek out while working.And then there was the groundskeeper.First show on fresh turf. You’d think we were driving tanks across the infield. Groundskeepers guard grass like it’s gold. That’s their field. Their reputation. Their livelihood.High stakes. Heavy equipment. Legendary artists.That’s how the Ballpark run started. #HeresTheDealPodcast #BobDylan #WillieNelson #BricktownBallpark #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen  #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Nobody thinks about what happens after the party.They remember the music. The crowd. The chaos. But when the parking lot cleared out and the tailgates shut down, somebody still had to deal with the aftermath.That’s where the Boy Scouts of America came in.They’d roll up in this little cage truck like a pit crew. Bottles, cans, trash everywhere. They were Johnny-on-the-spot, tossing everything into that truck and hauling it straight to recycling. That was their payday.And that park? That’s where the real tailgates lived. Grateful Dead type crowds. Dyer Street energy. You could walk through and find whatever kind of scene you were looking for back then. Pre-tailgate culture before it had a name.Concert days used to be different. People showed up prepared. You’d walk up on a guy with a tackle box full of who-knows-what, acting like it was totally normal. That was the vibe.Wild times.But when the lights went down and everyone rolled out, the Scouts were there cleaning it all up like clockwork.Rock and roll has layers.#HeresTheDealPodcast #BoyScoutsOfAmerica #TailgateStories #GratefulDead #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Taking Zakk Wylde to a Drive-In Movie TheaterAfter an acoustic show the night before and then Black Label Society at Cain's Ballroom, Max was running for the band. Fifteen-passenger van. Long nights. Zero sleep. That’s all he’ll admit to.At some point, he takes Zakk Wylde to see something most rock stars hadn’t seen in years.The Admiral Twin Drive-In.Back in 2005, drive-ins were almost extinct. Two screens back-to-back. Old-school Americana. The kind of place you don’t expect a global metal icon to be standing in front of on a random Saturday night.They didn’t even go in. Just pulled up so Zakk could see it. “I just wanna look at it.”That’s the part people don’t see. Being a runner isn’t just airport pickups and backstage passes. It’s late-night detours. Random landmarks. Stories that start in Tulsa and somehow turn into a drive-in movie memory with one of the biggest guitar players in the world.Rock and roll doesn’t always happen on stage.Sometimes it’s in a parking lot. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ZakkWylde #BlackLabelSociety #CainsBallroom #AdmiralTwin #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

This one didn’t happen at a venue.It happened in a hospital hallway.Before the injury, a deal was worked out for Texas Hippie Coalition to appear live on The Jerry Springer Show. Two versions of the performance. A TV edit and an R-rated cut. Full chaos. Classic Springer energy.Max was supposed to be there.Then life shifted.Instead of standing backstage at a TV taping, he’s being pushed down a hallway at St. Anthony Hospital for wound care. Big Dad is the one pushing the wheelchair.On the TVs mounted along the wall?Jerry Springer.And the episode playing is Texas Hippie Coalition.Two guys walk past. Do a double take. Whisper. Run back to their cars. Come back holding CD jackets.“Are you Big Dad?”Autographs signed right there in the hospital.One giant pushing another giant in a wheelchair. Hard to miss. Like spotting you, me, and Jelly Roll standing in a room together.That’s the reality of it.From national TV to wound care in the same week. #HeresTheDealPodcast #TexasHippieCoalition #BigDadRitch #JerrySpringer #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

March 28 and 29, 2005.Back-to-back nights. State Fair Arena. Kansas Coliseum.Slipknot. Lamb of God. Shadows Fall. DevilDriver.Massive bills. Pure heavy energy.And somehow… Max didn’t get in.“No Max allowed.”Didn’t buy a ticket. Couldn’t get through the door. While Lamb of God was leveling the building and Slipknot was in full machine mode.That era was stacked. Metal was peaking. LOG shirts everywhere. DevilDriver crushing it. Shadows Fall holding their lane strong.Then a week later, April 3, 2005, Sparta plays Bricktown Live with Siva and Thieves of Always. Former At the Drive-In members carving out a new chapter.Fast forward years later, Sparta reunites and plays Beer City Music Hall, performing the record in full.Time moves. Bands break up. Bands come back.But those 2005 lineups?Different level. #HeresTheDealPodcast #Slipknot #LambOfGod #ShadowsFall #DevilDriver #Sparta #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownenLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Outdoor show. Big build. Turf field.Everything has to be covered in plywood. Every inch protected. Because once you’re on grass, you’re on borrowed time.Somewhere in the middle of it, a security guard drags a chair out to center field. Plants it. Sits there. Leaves indentations in the grass.Enter the grounds police.Not security. Not the guard.The Baker Boys.That’s who got blamed.When you’re building stages that size, the days bleed together. Day rolls into night. Night into the next morning. You’re laying plywood down as fast as you can, and the venue wants it off just as fast once the show’s over.You’re juggling turf, steel, load-in, load-out.And somehow… a folding chair in center field becomes your fault.That’s production life. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ProductionLife #LiveEventStories #BehindTheScenes #ConcertBuild #StageCrew #OutdoorShows #thebakerboys #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Dinner before the show.Big table. Big spending.Max leans over and says, “You know you’re paying for all this, right?”The band laughs it off.“No, man. It’s the record company.”Meanwhile the label reps are ordering everything. Expensive wine. Full menu. No hesitation. Just stacking receipts like it’s free money.Max and Brad are in the corner splitting a sandwich, watching it unfold.Every bottle. Every entrée. Every round.Recoupable.The band had no idea. They thought the label was treating them. Thought it was part of the deal. Free night out. Celebration energy.Later that night?The show happens. The big spenders are gone. The label crew disappears. The only ones who show up are Max and Brad.That’s the part nobody explains when you sign.Nothing is free. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MusicBusiness #RecordLabelLife #Recoupable #ArtistLessons #BehindTheScenes #ConcertStories #MusicIndustryTruth #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Most artists ease you into a show.Hank III gives you a warning.First set? Pure country. You’re in heaven. Steel guitar. Honky-tonk energy. The kind of set you don’t want to end.Then he grabs the mic.“For those of you that came for the country… it’s over.”He tells the crowd straight up. Take a break. Leave if you need to. When he comes back, it’s his music.And that second set?Loud. Heavy. Thrash. Speed metal. By the time he shifts into Assjack territory, it’s punk-driven chaos. A full alter ego.You’d watch it happen in real time. Packed house for the country set. Then the slow trickle toward the exits.No bait and switch. No apology.Just a public service announcement before he kicks your teeth in. #HeresTheDealPodcast #HankIII #HankWilliamsIII #Assjack #OutlawCountry #ThrashMetal #LiveMusicStories #ConcertLife #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen  #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

First show at the ballpark.No traffic control. No blocked streets. Gear being pushed up a ramp into open traffic in Bricktown. Cars flying by while you’re loading out.That was the setup.Then after the show, the forklift starts backing out of the hole.Crunch.Straight into the sheriff’s daughter’s car.Wrong car. Wrong night. Wrong timing.For a debut show at that venue, it came with stress, tension, and a very uncomfortable conversation.But the bill?Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.Baptism by fire. #HeresTheDealPodcast #BobDylan #WillieNelson #Bricktown #ConcertProduction #LiveMusicStories #BehindTheScenes #EventLife #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Getting a record deal is one thing.Getting your rights back? That’s almost unheard of.In this case, the label agreed to return the band’s rights upon recoup. That doesn’t happen often. Other people in the industry even asked who negotiated that contract.It wasn’t luck. It was intentional.Too many artists before them had already lived the cautionary tale. Stories about legends like Bo Diddley being taken advantage of. Contracts signed. Rights gone. Catalogs owned by someone else.And the line you hear over and over:“I don’t own my music.”Played in front of thousands. Toured the country. Fans think you’re a rock star. Then the tour ends and you’re back painting houses because you don’t own your masters. No mailbox money. No long-term leverage.The spotlight fades fast when you don’t control what you created.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.#HeresTheDealPodcast #MusicBusiness #RecordDeals #ArtistRights #OwnYourMasters #BoDiddley #MusicIndustryStories #RockAndRollTruth #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Some shows, you know exactly why you’re there. You know why it matters. You know what it’s shaping inside you.In this business, there are problems, there are issues, and then there are showstoppers. Problems can be handled. Issues can be fixed. Showstoppers change everything. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacity Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Bricktown Amphitheater.Chainsaw Kittens take the stage. Norman band. Cult following. Built their name the hard way.Tyson Meade was never typical frontman energy. He had his own lane. Art-driven. Different. The band carved out a reputation far beyond just local buzz.Years later, word was Tyson had been overseas in Asia teaching English as a second language. Then he made his way back to Oklahoma City around the time cannabis became legal.That’s the thing about scenes.Bands evolve. Artists disappear for a while. Then they resurface in a completely different chapter.Chainsaw Kittens were part of that era when Norman bands weren’t just local acts. They were movement pieces. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ChainsawKittens #TysonMeade #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Sponsored by The Edge. Packed with national acts and a wave of local bands filling out the lineup. It wasn’t just a concert. It was a scene.Jeff, Max, and Sean McGillicuddy weren’t just attending. They were running merch. Tables set up in a full circle around the field. Shirts, CDs, boxes stacked high.And then it got weird.The band drops off all these merch boxes… and never picks them back up.Now you’ve got stacks of inventory that don’t belong to you. Running around the festival trying to track someone down to return it. Carrying it. Protecting it. Trying to do the right thing.That’s the side of festivals nobody sees.Not just the stage lights. Not just the headliners.It’s the hustle behind the tables. #HeresTheDealPodcast #Edgefest2003 #TulsaMusic #TheEdge #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

May 30, 2003. Social Burn, Memento, Presence, and Headroom at The Samurai.David was working with Headroom, trying to break the band. Social Burn had major label heat. It felt like another club show on paper.It wasn’t.Ichiro ran The Samurai differently. If you told him a national act was in town, he made space. Weeknight, weekend, didn’t matter. He understood traffic before social media existed.Bands would come in. He’d cook for them. They’d hang out. A local band would be playing. Someone makes a phone call.“Hey. Guns N’ Roses is at The Samurai.”No Instagram story. No group text. Just a phone and word spreading fast. If you were smart, you got in your car immediately.Next thing you know, the place is packed.That was Ichiro. That was The Samurai. #HeresTheDealPodcast #SamuraiSakiHouse #Ichiro #SocialBurn #Headroom #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Before it became legendary, it was a lifeline.The promise behind Mad Dogs & Englishmen wasn’t just music. It was survival. The project, the record, the tour — it helped Joe Cocker stay in the United States. Financially. Professionally. It reset the board for him.At that moment, you could argue Leon Russell was bigger. Leon had played with The Stones. He was jamming with JJ Cale. He was already respected as one of the greatest sidemen in rock history. He had his own records moving. His name carried weight.The Mad Dogs & Englishmen record landed on A&M, not Shelter. Different chapter. Different phase.And when they reunited later? It had been years since they had shared a stage together like that.Some tours are promotion.Some tours are rescue missions. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MadDogsAndEnglishmen #JoeCocker #LeonRussell #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Backstage, small things turn into big explosions.A can of Campbell’s soup gets dumped into a crockpot instead of making it from scratch. She sees it. She snaps. Full meltdown over respect, effort, and doing things the right way. That was lesson one.Later that night, another scene unfolds.A girl is crying in the back of the house. The bus is gone.Max doesn’t sugarcoat it. “You were on the bus? You never go on the bus.”No rescue mission. No dramatic reunion. Just taillights fading into the night.Some rules in the music business aren’t written anywhere. You learn them in real time.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDealPodcast #TourLife #BackstageStories #RoadRules #ConcertLife #DiamondBallroom #BehindTheScenes #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #OKCMusic #TulsaMusic #LiveMusicStories #TourBusLifeLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

March 3, 2003. The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour hits the Ford Center with ZZ Top and Ted Nugent. Huge stage. Huge room. At that time, that pairing still felt massive.That same season, Stone Sour rolled through with Powerman 5000, Raw, Systematic, and Outspoken. Back-to-back nights. Diamond Ballroom one night. The Other Side the next. No breaks. Just load in, execute, load out, repeat.Meanwhile in Tulsa at Cain's Ballroom, Bob Weir and RatDog were doing their thing. That was the night the mayor handed Bob Weir a key to the city. Deadheads lined the sidewalks. Grilled cheese in the air. Full scene energy.Different crowds. Different cultures. Same crew working the calendar.Arena legends. Metal double-headers. Jam band history.That stretch of 2003 was nonstop.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDealPodcast #ZZTop #TedNugent #StoneSour #BobWeir #RatDog #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen  #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at the Diamond BallroomMay 16, 2003.Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at the Diamond. And back then, it wasn’t a partial lineup. It was pretty much all of them.644 people in the room. Packed energy. That era when “First of the Month” still hit different live.Fast forward to 2023 and Bone Thugs is booked at Choctaw in Grant, Oklahoma around 4/20. Different venue. Different stage. Same name.Some acts cycle through trends.Bone Thugs keeps showing up. #HeresTheDealPodcast #BoneThugsNHarmony #DiamondBallroom  #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx  Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownenHere’s The Deal YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealokHere’s The Deal Podcast Website https://heresthedealok.comBuy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.comGet an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card https://medcardsmadeeasy.netConcert & Event Production Services https://bakerboyspro.comBuy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil https://bakersremedycbd.com