There is no such thing as a perfect event. If you think you have experienced one, lay it on me. In nearly 30 years of doing this, I have never seen one go exactly the way it was drawn up on paper. What separates a good event from a great one is not the plan. It is what happens the moment the plan falls apart and somebody has to fix it fast, quietly, and without the crowd ever knowing anything went sideways.
Around our office we joke that every job description at Degy, no matter what title is printed on the business card, technically ends with the same four words, “Other Duties As Assigned”. This past weekend handed us a perfect case study in exactly what that phrase means when you are producing live entertainment for the United States Navy Entertainment program.
We had two shows on two different bases in Washington State, back-to-back. Friday, August 8, Fitz and the Tantrums played Naval Air Station Whidbey Island with special guest Alana Springsteen. Saturday, August 9, it was back with Fitz and the Tantrums again, this time at Naval Base Kitsap with Parmalee joining the bill. Two nights, two bases, and one very tired crew of Degy and Navy Entertainment personnel.
The pivots started before either band ever hit a downbeat. We apparently missed the memo to lock in ferry reservations for some of the vehicles that were transferring between the two bases, which turns out to be something you need to plan months in advance (who knew?!?!). So, only one car had a confirmed spot on the boat. That meant the second our show wrapped at Whidbey Island, one vehicle needed to roll straight through the night toward Kitsap, carrying any critical gear for the next event. The ferry ride was easier, quicker by about 2 hours, and allowed some sleep. I put my hand up first to make the long trip to help support the mission; the title on my business card simply doesn’t matter when it’s critical to business success.
I don’t want to give you the painful details, but the story is… ‘legend (wait for it) dary’ (for all you fans of How I Met Your Mother). So, here’s the quick version. On the road just after 10:00 p.m. Figured I’d get up the road a few hours and simply pick up a hotel somewhere en route to the Naval Station. Checking Hilton and Marriott properties along the way, and not seeing anything under government per diem, and barely any rooms on the route. Finally pick up a lead on a Hampton Inn around Tacoma, so I pull off the highway since they weren’t answering the phone just before midnight. No availability, not even a parking spot. The Holiday Inn and Candlewood next door, more of the same. Holiday Inn Express? Another no go. I resigned myself to traveling onwards and calling hotels along the route, and if nothing else, doing the full 3+ hour drive to Kitsap hoping they had something on base. Then, like a shining light in my dream, I spotted a… Motel 6. Barely a car in the parking lot, I swallowed my pride and pulled into the lot towards the window with a small speaking hole in the bottom. Not that I have any problem with a Motel 6, certainly not at 12:15 a.m. in the outskirts of Tacoma, WA, but let’s just say, it wasn’t my first choice on this trip. You think they’d have ‘kept the lights on’, right? Denied again by a lady who wished me the “best of luck”.
Apparently, Saturday nights during the summer in Washington didn’t give her much optimism along my travel route. After a half dozen more calls to little cottages and small motels around the town of Bremerton, I got a hold of Leticia who said she had one room left, a mobility room that she would give me for a few hours to nap since it was so late in the night. SOLD! “Leticia, my name is ARI and I’ll be there in 30 minutes. Please hold me that room.” I pulled into the Baymont Inn at 1:30 a.m.; have you stayed at one of these? Interesting is a good word, at least for this one. I didn’t think to ask the price on our call (nearly $300 apparently, but I talked her down with some charm). Since I couldn’t get a parking spot for my rental vehicle, at her recommendation, I edged into the highway shoulder outside the hotel, making sure I didn’t back up too far into the ravine. She stressed NOT to park in front of the cemetery. She said that would be a bad idea for the dead people, I agreed.
Gosh readers, there’s so much more, but I promised you the short version. I got to Kitsap just before 8:00 a.m., beating the car that took the ferry by about an hour, wink. But this story is about event pivots, right? The blog title wasn’t ‘the night I thought I’d sleep in my rental car.’
Saturday brought its own emergency. Parmalee landed in Seattle, but a pelican case holding a key piece of their equipment did not make the flight. Not really something in the SOW (scope of work) for any of our staff to handle on the DOS (day of show). In this case, I didn’t even get to volunteer. Adam from our team walked into the production room and said, “Ari, how about you take a ride to SeaTac airport. We need your help.” That meant a round-trip drive of more than 90 minutes each way to retrieve it, and the clock was already tight before we learned the bag itself was sitting on a delayed connection.
I’ll again take the short story route. Good news is that I had a little fun heading back right through the route that was scene of last night’s escapades. Yeah that’s right, sometime you just need to chuckle and take things with a little lighter air to get through these pivots. So, I turned the whole search into a fun little vlog in real time. Spoiler alert: the flight was over an hour late, the case didn’t show up on the luggage carousel, but a lost baggage assistant helped me track it down in the end. Without wheels on the base, I sprinted across the parking garage to the car and despite Seattle traffic doing exactly what Seattle traffic does, Parmalee’s guitar unit reached the band about 35 minutes before their set. Crisis averted.
I bring up both stories because I did the overnight drive myself, and I did the SeaTac round trip myself. This isn’t a woe is me, give me some credit type of line. It’s the opposite, in fact. It describes that no matter what your title says on paper, during events, your title pivots to “other duties as assigned”. What matters is whether you show up and do the work when the plan needs a body, not a title, to save it.
I started this company at 29 years old with one rule I have never broken: I will never ask anyone to do something I would not do myself or have not already done myself. There is also a distinct difference between telling me you cannot do something physically and telling me you simply won’t do it.
That’s a wrap on the real theme of this edition. I could tell you a thousand more stories of pivots and changes to major events. Some of these would probably blow your mind. From taking a drummer for an ER visit to dislodge a pen cap, pulling double duty as security for a last minute special guest appearance, delaying crowds for artists landing at the wrong airport, working gear pickups for a tour bus in a ditch, stopping fights between artists and production managers, jumping in borrowed vehicles to become the runner, and on and on and on.
Every event runs on a plan, and every good plan survives contact with reality by bending without breaking. Other duties as assigned is not a throwaway line buried at the bottom of a job posting. Around here, it is closer to a mission statement.
In comedy, Aziz Ansari added a fall leg to his Hypothetical Tour, running from Los Angeles in October through a string of theaters closing out in Washington DC. He will also headline a slice of Madison Square Garden's Still Rising After 25 Years charity show on September 10 alongside a stacked comedy lineup, per Pollstar. Comedy keeps proving itself as a reliable category in live entertainment. We may cover it more in depth in future blogs.
Jorja Smith announced a short run of North American theater dates in support of her new album. Jorja is a soul and R&B artist has real crossover pull into college and corporate markets right now. ScHoolboy Q marked ten years of his breakout album with an anniversary tour announcement kicking off October 1 in Atlanta and added a second Los Angeles date before the run even hit the road due to demand, Consequence reports. When a decade old release still sells out rooms on announcement alone, that tells talent buyers everything they need to know about where that fan base still lives.
Two acts worth putting on your radar this week. Tommy Lefroy, the indie duo of Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis, announced a debut album along with a headline tour that kicks off October 23 in Queens and wraps in Los Angeles in early November. They have already opened for Niall Horan and Samia and picked up a JUNO nomination, and their sound sits in that heartland leaning indie rock pocket that plays beautifully at colleges and mid sized theaters.
Gov't Mule, yeah still that band, keeps doing what Gov't Mule has always done best, touring hard and building one of the most loyal jam and blues rock fan bases around. Their August routing has kept them on the road, and if you have never watched Warren Haynes work a room for two and a half hours, you are missing one of the great live education experiences available for the price of a ticket.
I’m going to selfishly use this week’s section to highlight some of our Major Events coming up. While college students are sliding on campuses across the country, the doors will reopen to many exciting events we have ahead at colleges. Some of those include dates with The Chainsmokers, Swae Lee, Neon Trees, Party101, Plain White Ts, Waka Flocka, 3OH!3, and Ilana Glazer.
This weekend's Fitz and the Tantrums and Parmalee shows were not standalone bookings. They are part of #OperationMWR, a Navy wide concert initiative running through at least 2027 that brings free live entertainment to installations for service members and their families. Vice Admiral Scott Gray, who leads Navy Installations Command, put it plainly when the program was announced: quality of service means making sure sailors and their families have the support and connection they need to thrive. That is a mission Degy has been proud to support for more than two decades, long before anyone attached a name like #OperationMWR to it.
Looking ahead at our calendar for the Navy Entertainment project, Teddy Swims and Miranda Lambert are set to headline at Naval Station Norfolk on August 29. We just announced DJ Diesel (yeah, that’s Shaq!) to play at Naval Station Great Lakes in mid-October. This Thursday, we’ve also got a doozie of an announcement for our friends on the west coast, as two marquee names will take the stage at Naval Base San Diego on October 10. But many more will follow, and you can stay glued to Degy’s social media channels to see what’s ahead.
We covered a lot of ground above, so let's shift gears completely. Every artist below is brand new to this list and may not be well known to your audiences… yet. Here are five acts worth putting directly in front of your buying committee this week.
DOMi & JD BECK bring some of the most inventive musicianship touring right now, a two piece that somehow sounds like a full band and lands just as well on a performing arts center stage as it does at a corporate gala. Their new tour launches in September behind a GRAMMY nominated resume that keeps growing.
Kylie Cantrall just announced her first ever headline run. Her built in fan base points to family friendly programming that works for college campus dates and fair headlining slots needing broad, multi generational appeal.
Sam Barber has quietly become one of the most consistent draws in the Americana and alt country lane, currently on the road behind his sophomore album and proving night after night that amphitheater sized crowds will show up for songwriting that feels lived in rather than manufactured.
Max McNown is a fair and festival programmer's dream right now, riding a platinum single and a run of dates that have taken him everywhere from major festival stages to county fairgrounds, exactly the kind of rising country artist who still fits inside a realistic budget. I’ve swung and missed on a bunch of offers the last nine months knowing this guy is a star from the first spin I heard on the radio.
LOCASH just released a new EP and spent this weekend playing both a major country festival and a regional fair on back-to-back days, proof that this duo has built its entire business model around being ready, reliable, and road tested for exactly the kind of bookings our clients need filled. We had them out for several military base events this spring and summer, so they’ll likely pop up on more Degy lineups soon.
I am writing this one from home with sore legs (the good kind), still thinking about how a weekend built entirely around other people's plans falling apart turned into one of the more rewarding stretches we have had all year. There is something about doing the unglamorous work yourself at 1:00 am in a rental car that resets your whole perspective on what this job actually is. Sometimes that rental car even becomes your bed for the night, well in this case, almost.
A few upcoming things on my plate. My kids come home from summer camp on Wednesday so we’re preparing for the house to go crazy once again. I get a few weeks to sleep in my own bed after nearly 7 straight weeks circling the world. Then it’s time for more #OperationMWR dates on the books through the fall, a stack of college buyer calls to return, and a promise to myself that I will find a slower weekend before the ‘leaves change’ (a reference that doesn’t hit the same down here in south Florida). Big thanks again to everyone on my Degy team for grinding through our jam packed summer of events. See you next weekend!
Degy Entertainment has spent more than 25 years putting the right artist on the right stage, from college campuses and corporate events to fairs, festivals, and military installations around the world. Today that means producing close to 3,000 events a year across 30 countries, handling everything from initial talent buying conversations to full show production. Whether the stage is a football stadium or a flight line in Washington State, the goal never changes: put on a show people remember for the right reasons.
Questions, booking inquiries, or just want to talk shop? Reach Ari at ari@degy.com or visit www.degy.com.
What makes the difference between a good event and a great one?
Great events aren't defined by perfect execution of the original plan – they're defined by how teams respond when plans inevitably change. The best event professionals handle emergencies quickly, quietly, and without audiences knowing problems occurred. Preparation, flexibility, and willingness to pivot separate excellent events from mediocre ones.
Why is "other duties as assigned" important in event production?
"Other duties as assigned" isn't a throwaway phrase in event work – it's a core principle. Event professionals must be willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, regardless of job title. Leadership that models this commitment (doing unglamorous work themselves at odd hours) builds teams that prioritize mission success over job descriptions.
What are common pivots that happen during live events?
Common event pivots include: artist transportation delays, equipment mishaps (lost luggage, technical failures), weather changes, schedule adjustments, venue access issues, personnel emergencies, last-minute lineup changes, and logistics complications. Experienced teams expect pivots and build flexibility into every plan.
How do event teams prepare for unexpected changes?
Preparation includes: building buffer time into schedules, identifying backup vendors and solutions, creating decision-making protocols for emergencies, maintaining communication channels across all teams, having contingency plans for critical components, and ensuring key personnel have authority to make quick decisions without bureaucratic delays.
What's the leadership lesson in event production?
Leaders who model the behavior they expect – doing difficult work themselves – build stronger, more committed teams. When teams see leadership handling emergencies without complaint, they're more likely to go above and beyond themselves. "I will never ask someone to do something I wouldn't do myself" is powerful team-building philosophy.
How do military events (like #OperationMWR) differ from commercial entertainment?
Military entertainment serves dual purposes: entertainment and morale support for service members and families. Quality of service means ensuring meaningful experiences that build community. Military programming often involves additional logistical complexity (base access, security, unique venue requirements) and requires deep understanding of military culture and values.
Why is flexibility more important than perfection in event management?
Perfect plans rarely survive contact with reality. Events involve hundreds of variables – weather, transportation, equipment, artists, personnel, logistics – that can't be fully controlled. Teams that accept imperfection and focus on responsive problem-solving deliver better outcomes than those rigidly adhering to plans that no longer work.
What soft skills matter most in event production?
Critical soft skills include: communication (especially during crises), adaptability (responding to changes), problem-solving under pressure, relationship management (working with vendors/artists/venues), resilience (maintaining positivity through challenges), and leadership (inspiring teams during difficult moments).
How do event professionals handle last-minute emergencies?
Effective response includes: staying calm, quickly assessing the situation, identifying critical vs. non-critical impacts, communicating transparently with stakeholders, implementing solutions, and maintaining professionalism toward attendees and artists. Speed and decisive action matter more than perfect decisions.
What role do relationships play in event production?
Strong relationships with vendors, artists, venues, and team members enable faster problem-solving. People who trust each other and have positive relationships are more willing to help solve problems quickly and creatively. Relationship-building is investment in event success.
How do experienced event professionals approach risk management?
Professional risk management includes: identifying potential problems before events (venue walkthroughs, equipment testing, contingency planning), having backup plans for critical components, maintaining emergency contacts and vendor relationships, building schedule buffers, and training teams to recognize and respond to emerging issues.
What's the importance of documenting lessons learned after events?
Post-event debriefs capture valuable learnings: what worked well, what didn't, how teams responded to problems, and how to improve next time. Documenting these lessons builds institutional knowledge that improves future event execution and helps teams avoid repeating mistakes.
How do event professionals maintain morale during long, difficult productions?
Morale maintenance includes: maintaining perspective (problems are solvable), finding humor in difficult situations, recognizing and celebrating progress, taking care of team basic needs (food, rest, safety), showing genuine appreciation for effort, and demonstrating leadership confidence that challenges will be overcome.
What's the relationship between event planning and event execution?
Planning provides the blueprint, but execution is where actual events happen. Great plans anticipate problems and build flexibility, but execution requires responsive decision-making, team coordination, and willingness to deviate from plans when necessary. Both are critical; neither guarantees success alone.
How do event professionals balance cost efficiency with quality outcomes?
Balance requires: identifying non-negotiable quality elements, finding efficiencies elsewhere, building relationships with vendors enabling better pricing, doing some work in-house when possible, leveraging team skills creatively, and viewing budget constraints as challenges requiring creative solutions rather than limitations preventing success.
Why do event professionals need transportation/logistics expertise?
Transportation and logistics failures can derail events (artist not arriving, equipment missing, crew unable to access venues). Professional event management requires understanding routing, contingency transportation, equipment handling, and vendor coordination. What seems like detail work often becomes crisis management.
What makes military entertainment production unique?
Military entertainment requires: understanding military culture and values, navigating base security and access protocols, accommodating service member and family demographics, working with military chain of command, planning around military operational requirements, and recognizing that morale support is as important as entertainment.
How do event professionals handle vendor or artist emergencies?
Response includes: having backup vendors identified in advance, maintaining strong relationships enabling quick communication, having contingency plans for key vendors/artists, understanding contract terms allowing alternative arrangements, maintaining calm communication with all parties, and focusing on problem-solving rather than blame.
What's the importance of decision-making authority in event production?
Clear decision-making authority enables faster responses to emergencies. When event professionals have authority to make decisions without bureaucratic approval, they can respond quickly to problems. Unclear authority structures slow response and compound problems during crises.
How do events serve purpose beyond entertainment?
Events like military concerts serve morale, community-building, and cultural functions beyond entertainment. Understanding these deeper purposes helps event professionals prioritize correctly when making emergency decisions – morale and community matter as much as perfect execution.