a meet & greet: dead beat.

I’ve seen a lot of people embarrass themselves in front of celebrities... it’s never pretty.

For almost three years I was the venue manager of a small, wine & dine music club that specialized in bringing audiences closer to bigger name artists. I oversaw just about every nightly artist-to-fan interaction and there are always doozies. It’s funny how meeting our heroes can shake us up; turn up the anxious heat, or press all the bad behavior buttons. I’ve seen everything from waffling tongue twisters and speechlessness to uncomfortable buzzy embraces and lingering life-story tellers. I’ve seen boobs signed, butts grabbed (wanted and unwanted), gifts given and ignored, and gifts received and adored. People get psyched up to meet their heroes and as the juncture approaches, they realize that they’re not in a vacuum -- myriad factors can mold their few minutes (or seconds!) of acquainting.

There’s such a broad spectrum of possibility in those fleeting moments. 

It’s a really fine line to walk when managing these meet and greet scenarios. Day in and day out, different kinds of artists bring a range of comfort levels with their fans, heightened or unique security concerns, and varying degrees of audience interest. Each meet and greet session was a window into that artist’s daily understanding of their fanbase. I always tried to approach these situations by keeping in mind the value of the meeting for the fans. If I could prepare those moments to be smooth and organized for the artist and crew, I’d done one part of my job. More importantly though, if I could build a crescendo of energy for the fans from venue doors opening through the moment they sat in their seats with signed swag and memory of the meeting molded in their mind, then I’d nailed it.

A moment with our favorite artist is something most people dream about, but artists aren’t in the same mindset as the show-going fan. They’re not about to have the time of their life, and rarely are they letting loose accordingly; they’re on the clock. I’ve been asking myself for a long time whether it’s possible to tip the scales toward more of a balance and I think we’ve finally found it.

The problem is the format. 

The meet and greet is an assembly line; a hurried handshake and photo-opp. From the fan’s perspective, there’s a lot of room to push the scale in their favor. It’s such a short-lived moment to represent all the emotions we want to convey about how much we enjoy an artist’s creations that it’s almost impossible to get it right. The faces walking away from meet & greets often read “That was it?”, or “man I should’ve thought that through”, or “Whoops, shouldn’t have had that third drink”. They’re nervous, or devoutly excited, or partying hard, and it’s generally because there are no premeditated benchmarks for the event timeline and expectations remain completely unmanaged. The parameters for meeting with an artist are narrow and could easily favor fans by changing the ideology - starting with the physical and temporal contexts. We usually meet in the bustling backstage area or in the venue space that’s hurrying to prepare for the show. Security is on high alert, the tour manager is rushing to get the artist back to the green room to relax and eat— it’s a stressed moment we welcome fans into that ensures there will be no chance of genuine connection. 

From the artist’s perspective, changing the balance is a sensitive process. An artist’s time surrounding a performance is in high demand, and preserving balance in their psyche is delicate work entrusted to a few key players. I can’t imagine artists walking away comforted by the idea that their fans are sloppy, or clingy, or maybe even that they’re a little crazy.

There’s an opportunity here for everyone; a chance to make this interaction meaningful, and resonant, and fun. Imagine resetting the meet & greet to remove artists from the busy venue space toward a place they can relax and feel comfortable. It can be easily achieved if it’s a matter of priority and good planning.  We can level the playing field and remove the extraneous variables for the artist if we curate an experience with them. Artists have causes they care about, philosophies they live, creations they only want to share with small groups they can trust, and most importantly, the desire to live a fun life full of cool experiences, just like all of us. Can we devote a reason to meeting that the artist cares about? Can we help fans navigate meeting their heroes in a context that’s meaningful, thoughtful, and mutually rewarding?

My partners and I think the experience of dining out in the coolest restaurants of every city with rockstar chefs that use the freshest flavors is a great start.

This is why we created Stereo Dinner. We completely curate an experiential event for the fans and the artist. Bringing together a special community of music & food lovers, we invite you to pull up a chair to the table and enjoy an unforgettable evening inspired by the music, our conversations, and the amazing flavors of acclaimed culinary artists. Our aim is to truly connect with the artist and one another as valuable members of the community. Reserve your seat and join us  --- tune in. turn on. dine out.

p.s. Interested in these sorts of experiences, conversations, flavors and sounds? Join us for a Virtual Happy Hour to meet with like-minded folks to talk music, food, and Stereo Dinner.