A Conversation with Joe Pisapia (continued)

PM: These are some pretty amazing dudes, Joe, right?

JP: They're just really upstanding dudes, you know what I mean? And that's the thing. You know as well as I, in order to just jump into a thing that's already in progress, and be comfortable--because most of the thing is the hang.

PM: Yeah. You only play for an hour or two a night. The rest of it is a hang.

JP: Exactly. And they're really just solid dudes. And even the crew and everybody that surrounds the whole thing--it's sort of a great little family environment.

PM: How many crew? Like how big a production is that show?

JP: We generally--this summer we did a bigger crew because we brought lights and PA.

PM: Wow.

JP: But generally our crew is--right now we just have six crew.

PM: Six crew. Four players, six crew.

JP: Yeah.

PM: Wow.

JP: And then two drivers, because we got a truck and a bus.

PM: Heavy duty expenses.

JP: Oh, man, I know.

PM: Your own bus, too, one bus.

JP: One bus.

PM: And we all know how expensive they are.

JP: This summer we were running two buses and two trucks.

PM: Wow. So the show has got to be pretty huge. What's the average audience?

JP: I would say probably averages 1,800, maybe 1,500. Some markets are great.

PM: And what's the biggest show you've played since you've been with them?

JP: Well, the biggest one was sort of a weird anomaly. On the second tour, there was a CD release party in Boston, where everybody got together. And the radio rep up there, who's a huge sort of mover and shaker--old-school guy--you would love this guy--he organized this thing at City Hall Plaza right by Samuel Hall, there. And we played outside. And forty-something-thousand people showed up. It was like a free show.

PM: Wow.

JP: Yeah. So that was probably the biggest show that we did on our own. And nobody expected that. But it's sort of the thing in Boston--Boston is one of those strange markets for us, because those guys, of course, started there. They met at school. And all the radio stations sort of come together instead of competing. There'd be like five little vans out there, and they're all just hanging out talking to each other, and they're all sponsoring the show.

PM: Unbelievable.

JP: So it's unusual, you know?

PM: I downloaded the music I have, so I lack some details. What's the label, and who's the management?

JP: Well, they've been with this guy Dalton Sim from the beginning--well, from the beginning of their management needs, at least. He's their first and only manager.

PM: And was he a college buddy, or was he an older guy?

JP: He's actually about the same age as everybody. And I don't really know how they met. I think that they were friends with him first. I don't really know how it all came about, to tell you the truth. I've always kind of known him as Dalton the manager. But I know before then I think he was a CPA or something. He was just their friend. They would crash on his floor when they came to whatever town he lived in.

PM: Frickin' wild how that stuff develops, yeah.

JP: But he's a hell of a manager. I mean, of all the guys I've known, he gets it done, and he's really down to earth and easy to talk to.

PM: Wow.

JP: He's a no bullshit kind of guy, but without having to say so. [laughs] It makes a big difference.

PM: Right. And the label is?

JP: The label is Warner Reprise.

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