Concert Promoter — Podcast — Making It with Chris G.

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Ryan Murphy is the President of Huntsville Venue Group and Head of Amphitheaters and Venues for Venue Group. His company is currently working with the city of Huntsville, AL to design, construct, and operate the Huntsville Amphitheater, an 8,000 seat venue. His career started playing in Punk Rock bands around the world, and always being a leader within his community and local music scene. Living in Daytona Beach, FL where there were no options for bands to play an all-ages venue, Ryan rented out a conference room at the local Ramada Inn to put on his first concert and mini music festival. His journey led him to Gainesville, FL where he worked for No Idea Records, while still touring with his bands.

With a giant passion for migrant workers and supporting his local community, Ryan and a group of friends organized the Harvest of Hope Festival in 2009 and 2010. The inaugural year included artists such as Against Me!, The National, Broken Social Scene, Bad Brains, Girl Talk, and many more. In 2010, Ryan started working for the St. Augustine Amphitheatre where he became the General Manager and Director of Cultural Events Division for St. John’s County. Ryan played a major role in building the culture and vibe that makes St. Augustine Amphitheatre such a special place to play, work, and experience concerts. In 2016, Ryan and his team launched the Sing Out Loud Festival, a month-long music festival that takes over all of St. Augustine, which featured headliner Kacey Musgraves in 2019. Ryan is also very involved in operating venues that our environment and sustainability conscious. Through the Green Hands Project, they’ve drastically reduced the amount of waste that comes with promoting concerts.

Ryan Murphy is one of the first people in the industry that took the time to meet with me. It was when he was organizing the second Harvest of Hope Festival when I took a ride from Orlando to Gainesville, and he invited me for pizza. It’s been inspiring to watch his journey and getting to work shows with him at St. Augustine Amphitheater. In this episode, we talk about Ryan’s journey, the importance of running a venue that’s mindful of its local community, and stories from his adventures throughout his journey. I hope you enjoy this conversation with the amazing Ryan Murphy.

The Podcast Is Now Available as Video on YouTube

Quotes from Ryan Murphy
“Music is the lifeblood.”
“It’s a weird business to be in when you’re counting the number of beers that you sold.”
“You gotta be able to be open to a lot of different people and their ideas.”
“Find the people within institutions that you can have a heart to heart with.”
“We have a lot more in common that we don’t.”
“In the end, you’re probably making more money by spending a little more money to treat people well.”
“You gotta make them feel like what you’re working towards is something they believe in.”
“If I’m gonna expect for the community to give a shit, and defend the amphitheater, get behind the amphitheater and my vision, I better be out there working for them, and what they believe in as well.”
“I don’t really care who promotes, I want the artist to know that they’re playing St. Augustine.”
“Being a neutral party is very important.”
“Move to a community that really inspires you.”
“Find the people that inspire you and try to reach out to them and learn from them.”

Highlights from this Episode
[5:55] Working on Huntsville Amphitheater
[8:50] Why Huntsville, AL?
[15:00] Other venues in Huntsville, AL
[16:45] Impact of COVID-19
[22:10] Changes to how Venues do Business after COVID-19
[25:36] Growing up in Daytona Beach, FL
[31:05] Experience playing in bands
[34:54] Studying at University of Florida
[37:10] Passion for Local Businesses
[38:30] Building your network and genuine relationships
[42:10] Organizing house concerts
[45:40] Creative touring strategy
[47:50] House shows are not just for Singer-Songwriters
[49:32] Harvest of Hope Festival and St. Augustine Amphitheater
[58:50] The experience of St. Augustine Amphitheater
[1:03:45] Hiring, Recruiting, and Training Employees
[1:06:20] Having a Volunteer Program for your venue
[1:09:40] Supporting the local community
[1:10:35] Working with outside promoters as a venue
[1:17:30] Advice for new people in the industry
[1:20:45] Being held back by your organization
[1:24:28] Getting to Know Ryan Murphy