Page 25 of The Roadie
He listened to the first song, which was obviously a well-known track, as the onlookers bobbed their heads, some singing along to the lyrics. It was original music. The beat was catchy and made Brett want to tap his foot. The singer had personality and drew in the crowd.
Brett was about to tell Kira that they were good, when he noticed the way she was scrutinizing the band. Her gaze lingered on each band member, and she studied them with a furrowed brow. When the band transitioned into the second song, she jerked her head indicating that Brett should follow her through the crowd, which had thickened significantly.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Just moving around so I can get a better look at the band from all angles.”
She stopped when she was in the center of the room, about 20 feet in front of the stage, and watched the band, not as a spectator but as a professional. She didn’t rock her head or pound her fist in the air the way she did when she watched Immortal Angel. Every so often, her chin nodded slightly. It was just enough to indicate that she was enjoying the music, because her face was pensive, and her gaze was concentrated.
Her eyes shifted from band member to band member and then scanned the room and the people around her. When her gaze passed over Brett, she did a double take and then rested her eyes on him. A smile bloomed on her face, and she laced her fingers through his. “Sorry I’m not better company. I need to pay attention to the show and the feedback from the audience.”
He brought his lips to her ear, so he didn’t have to yell over the music. “I like watching you work. I’ve never seen this aspect of the music industry. It’s really interesting.”Shewas really interesting. She was a rich girl. A socialite. But she lived like a regular person. She worked hard, even though she didn’t have to. Whereas most people in her socio-economic circle wouldn’t give a working guy a second glance, she viewed him as her equal.
When the 60-minute set was over, Kira turned to Brett and asked his opinion. “You have a lot of experience in the music industry. What did you think of the band? What’s your impression of them?”
He was nothing short of flabbergasted. She’d been doing this her whole life. The business side of music was instilled in her by her family history. She went to an Ivy League college and got a degree. He had no expertise. All he did was listen and form an opinion strictly from his personal preference. “Personally, I like harder music. Bulletproof. Slipknot. System of a Down.”
“No. I meant, did they sound like they had their shit together, or did they sound like a bunch of amateurs?”
He hesitated, worried that his opinion might sway hers and possibly make or break a deal for the band.
“Don’t worry about your answer,” she assured. “Even superstars sounded like amateurs in the beginning. I’m just curious as to your thoughts.”
He mulled over his answer for a long time. “I think the biggest thing going for them is that they have a strong fan base. That’s obvious by the amount of people in this room. Musically, they’re talented. They each shine in their own right. Their timing could be better. The guitarist is great, but he’s a showoff. Drummer is awesome. Bassist is solid.” Brett hesitated before critiquing the singer but decided to be honest. “The singer has stage presence and connects with the audience, but his voice was off key in some spots.” Brett grimaced. “He messed up a lyric.”
She stared off to the side for a long time as she processed his statements. Her face was totally blank, almost trancelike, before she snapped out of it. “I’m going to talk to them. Come with me.” She took his hand and weaved through the crowd until they were at a curtained area that led behind the stage. There was a guard there who blocked her path, but she didn’t flinch. Her business card was already in her hand, and she gave it to him as she introduced herself.
The bouncer flashed a light on the card as he read it, looked into her face without changing his expression, and then he nodded for her to pass. Brett followed her to an area where the guys from the band were packing up the equipment and loading everything into a van in the parking lot behind the place. There were a few extras helping them bring the gear outside, and it reminded Brett of when he was in high school and first started helping Bulletproof pack up their instruments and amps.
The singer noticed Kira right away and paused, unsure if she was a fan or why she was backstage. “I’m Kira Abelman. I’m with Falcon Records,” she said, handing him a business card just as she had done with the bouncer. Everyone within earshot stopped what they were doing and looked at her. The four band members immediately surrounded her, faces blank with shock.
“I caught the show, and I’m very impressed,” Kira stated. “Do you have a manager or an agent?”
“No,” the singer answered. “I pretty much book all the gigs and handle band stuff.”
“We may have a place for you at Falcon Records. Can you get me an EPK this week?”
Their eyes widened. Two of them had gaping jaws as if they couldn’t have just heard her correctly, and the other two wore smiles that looked as if their faces were going to split in half. Even Brett felt a surge of excitement. He was literally watching a band being discovered right in front of him. They could turn into the next mega sensation, and Brett would be able to say that he witnessed it happen firsthand. His heart was pumping so fast, he felt as if he were the one being offered a record contract.
“I can get you everything tomorrow,” the singer replied, once he was able to work his jaw again.
“Take your time,” Kira advised. “Make sure the demo is polished. Re-record something if you have to. Just make sure it showcases your best work. Have it to me next weekend, and we’ll talk.”
“I will.” He gave her a big smile and shook her hand vigorously. “Thank you. It was wonderful to meet you.”
The rest of the band all started thanking her at the same time, and she nodded at them. “I’m glad I was in town and had the opportunity to be here tonight.” She thanked them for their time, and then she and Brett left the bar.
They ended up at a diner a few blocks away having coffee and burgers. Brett was still wound up at watching the band receive news of a possible offer for a record deal, and he rambled with excitement. “That was incredible. Could you imagine if a few years from now those guys become superstars? You’d be responsible for that. I would have witnessed it happen. History in the making! I could actually sit back and say, I knew them when they were nobodies. Your job is so exciting.”
“It really is. I absolutely love it. I wouldn’t do anything else. I knew right away that A&R is where I wanted to be within Falcon Records. Not only do I get to discover new talent, I get to hear new material before anyone else.”
He was impressed that she had such experience in the business at her age. She probably had a million stories under her belt of discovering raw talent, and he wanted to hear them all. “Tell me about some of the bands you’ve discovered. Did you know right away they would be hits? Any standouts?”
She sat up straighter and beamed at him with new life. “I can tell you all about the one that means the most to me. My shining star. My proudest achievement. The one that made my career.”
He couldn’t wait to hear what had her so riled up, and it made him impatient to find out more. “Tell me.”
“Immortal Angel. Audra and I were, and still are, their biggest fans. We first saw them when we were about 16. This was before Tommy joined the band. That’s how long I’ve known them. We went to every single show. Every club and every dive bar in Brooklyn and the City. We cheered for them louder than anyone. It was an amazing time in our lives. Our teenage years were incredible. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Angel sing.” She looked off to the side, placed her hand on her chest and smiled while slowly shaking her head from side to side. “I never heard anything like it. He pulled me into a different world. His showmanship and sex appeal consumed me.” She covered her mouth to hide her smile and raised her shoulders for a moment. “I have a little confession to make. Audra and I had a huge crush on Angel for the longest time. He was so good looking. He still is. Jessi makes all his stage clothes now, so they weren’t even half of what they are today, but he used to wear these tight leather pants. And there was no filter back then. The shows were raunchy, especially after Tommy started playing with Immortal Angel. That’s when the band went from being amazing to being phenomenal. He brought out the best in everyone, especially Angel. The sexual energy on stage was palpable. Both Audra and I knew that Immortal Angel belonged in an arena touring the world. We knew that the band was destined for a decades-long career, and we were right. We begged our father to go see them. We even tried to hand him a homemade recording that we made ourselves, but he always just dismissed us as teenage groupies, which, I guess, we were.”
He loved the energy behind her words as she told the story and imagined Kira and her sister, two rich girls, attending shows at local bars in Brooklyn. “I can just imagine the two of you hopping out of a limo or Town Car and going into a local dive bar.”
“No one knew our father was Ron Abelman. Not even Angel. We wanted to be like everyone else growing up. The band was shocked that my father owned Falcon Records. I wish I could have been there when my father told them.”
He wasn’t sure why that surprised him so much, since he knew she wasn’t pretentious, but it did. It was hard to imagine teenage girls, growing up with enormous wealth, taking a taxi or the subway and hiding their prestigious background. “How did you get your father to finally see Immortal Angel?”
“It was sheer luck. His meeting was cancelled so he had a free afternoon on the day of the America Rocks Festival in Williamsburg Park, and he just showed up. We didn’t even know he was there.” She spread her arms to the side. “The rest is history. The best part of my job is working with Immortal Angel. You have no idea how much that means to me. Both me and Audra shared all of their successes. It’s very personal to us. Best of all, is that she married Jimmy and became their tour manager, and I get to hear Immortal Angel’s songs before anyone else. Do you have any idea how much that means to me? How exciting that is?”
He loved the excitement behind her voice and the way she glowed as she recanted the story of Immortal Angel’s early days. She was carefree and animated. Watching her conduct business was an even bigger turn on. This breathtakingly beautiful and cool chick was also a professional who held the power to change people’s lives and catapult them to stardom. She was astounding on all levels. And she was really into him. He couldn’t believe it, because he was falling for her – hard. He only hoped that she cared as much about him as he cared about her.
