Jim Sonefeld On The Today Show
Red39 Joins Our Stones Friends In Europe!
Celebrating 60 With The Rolling Stones
Once again this year we had the opportunity to join our friends in The Rolling Stones. This time in Europe to celebrate their 60 years as a band!
We had the privilege of joining them on their latest tour through Lyon and Paris France, then on to Dusseldorf, Germany.
Not only was it an amazing experience to see these legendary musicians perform live, but it was also a chance to explore some of Europe's most historic cities.
First stop for us on the tour was Lyon. Lyon is the third-largest city in France, and known for its well-preserved historical architecture and delicious cuisine. The band played at Groupama Stadium, an impressive concert venue located on the outskirts of the city.
Before the show, I had a chance to visit some of the city's famous landmarks, and sample some amazing food. Especially their gelato. We stayed in the old town section of Lyon when the buildings are centuries old and the streets were cobblestone and pedestrian only.
Next, we headed to Paris, the city of love and art. The band played at Longchamp, a huge horse racing facility. During our stay in Paris, we had the chance to walk around the city and take in some of the famous sights, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre.
And our timing was great as we got to see the finale of the Tour de France race along the famous Champs Elysees. The city's rich history was on full display and it was impossible not to feel swept away by its charm.
Finally, we arrived in Dusseldorf, a city located on the Rhine River in Germany.
Before the show (which was actually about 30 minutes away in Gelsenkirchen) , we explored the city's Altstadt (Old Town), which is home to some of the city's most famous landmarks, such as the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) and the Marktplatz (Market Square).
We have been blessed to join the Stones on tour as guest for the past 10 years. It is always an unforgettable experience and being able to visit these historic cities made it even more special. The band's energy and passion on stage was infectious, and their music continues to resonate with fans of all ages. If you ever have the chance to see The Rolling Stones live, don't hesitate to take it – you won't regret it!
They are THE best in the touring industry.
Ryan Trotti Moves Up To #51 On Chart
Ryan Moves Up To #51 On Chart
"Thank you For Breaking My Heart" is up to #51 this week, after spending 3 weeks at #52.
Hootie’s MAM RETURNS
Monday After The Masters
It was great to finally be back together with my Monday After The Masters family. Thanks to Covid, the past two years were canceled.
Monday After The Masters, or MAM as it’s often called, is Hootie and the Blowfish’s annual charity event in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
A full weekend of music, golf and… semi controlled chaos.
This year I brought my new country artist along for the show and introduced him to Darius, who was gracious and offered to help.
The concert finale was a blast and included some great guest artist. Members of Sister Hazel, *NSYNC, The Commodores, Jamey Johnson, Colt Ford, Mark Wills, with a ton of actors and professional sports friends hanging out as well.
Great to be all together again for this long standing tradition.
Darius Photobombing me as usual:)
Ryan Trotti Moves Up To #56 On Chart
Ryan moves up to #56 On Chart
"Thank you For Breaking My Heart" has moved up to #56 this week and is getting AirPlay in every state in the US.
Touring Returns; Back Out On The Road With Friends
2021 Rolling Stones Tour
2021 brought Covid vaccines, treatments and... the return of touring. We were able to join our Rolling Stones friends for much of the tour.
It was odd to be in a bubble. Vax Cards, mask and regular testing. But what fun was had by all.
What a crazy year!
June 7, 2020
What a crazy year! All our tours and big shows have been canceled.
Now is a good time to use your fan base to grow your digital footprint. Especially with livestreams.
Livestream shows (Facebook Live, Instagram, etc are going to be the norms this year.
A couple of tips.
1 Set up a specific day and time for when you plan on playing some live music.
2 It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use your phone and turn it sideways to go live.
Get as close to the phone as possible (while keeping you in frame) so the audio doesn’t sound too distant.
3 Spend a little time in advance and prepare (maybe even rehearse?) a short set. 3 or 4 songs is a good place to start.
4 Notify your fans a few days in advance of your schedules livestream. And then remind them again a few hours before you start. This is huge. Use your social media for this and your mailing list. Your mailing list is gold when it comes to getting people to your live shows.
5 Put a Virtual Tip Jar in the description of your live post. You can use PayPal or Venmo links.
6. Be consistent. If you can go live the same day and same time each week, more fans will start to join.
Stay safe, use this time to hone in on your songwriting, promoting your music and building your fan base. Music can be monetized when relationships are built. So jump in as many conversations as you can and try not to lose these opportunities to grow closer to your fans.
Ryan Trotti Releases Single To Country Radio
Ryan RELEASES Radio Single
Red39 Entertainment, in partnership with Red39 Records is releasing a new single from Ryan Trotti.
The single titled "Thank You For Breaking My Heart" was produced by Nashville's Kevin Beamish (Kenny Chesney, Reba, REO Speedwagon) and releases January 17th.
2019 Summer Tours: Stones Hootie Rod
2019 Summer Tours
Is there such a thing as too much fun? As an artist manager and consultant sometimes it can be.
The summer of 2019 was one for the books. From May to September, we spent the summer flying back-and-forth between two major tours. The Rolling Stones and Hootie and The Blowfish. And then capped it all off with Rod Stewart in Vegas.
The Rolling Stones
The Stones tour kicked off in Chicago. There was lots of excitement, anticipation and a bit of anxiety due to Mick's health scare. The original tour dates were postponed for him to have surgery and recover.
The band came out swinging and Mick crushed it. Both shows were amazing and really set the tone for the rest of the tour.
It was great to catch up with my Stones family again. Not just the band and staff, but also the amazing fans that follow the band all over the world.
And I got a few opportunities to have some Chicago pizza, as our hotel was across the street from Giordano's. I also had a very unique opportunity to get a private tour of the Vienna Beef factory with some of the band's entourage.
On The Beach
With the Stones it usually involves water. Hanging at the pool or at the ocean with the “World’s Greatest Rock n’ Roll Band” is always a blast.
Jacksonville and Miami were the coastal stops this tour. Loads of fun in Jacksonville hanging out on the beach. Miami, however, turned into one big Hurricane Dorian watch. The show was moved up a day early so the band could get out before the storm.
Houston and New York were fun Stones cities too. I was in New York for 10 days with the Stones. I got to sneak in a sold-out Barbara Streisand show at Madison Square Garden, between Stones shows.
Hootie
Three days after the Stones left New York, the Hootie guys arrived in the city. They had two sold out shows at Madison Square as well. Great seeing the band play this legendary venue. Also went to Nashville and caught up with some of my old industry friends, and saw Raleigh and Charlotte in my neck of the woods.
Look Who's Here!
And with both bands, you never know who you will run into backstage. Here are a few shots (in order) with Bruce Willis, Steve Jordan, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Dakota Johnson, Cindy Crawford, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Rahm (Madam Secretary, Mad Men), Matt Houston (The Advice/producer), Jim Sonefeld (Hootie).
Grand Finale...Rod
To cap off things off our Red39 2019 Summer Tour, I spent a couple days in Las Vegas to catch up with Rod Stewart. I first met Rod back in 1986. That meeting eventually led to his manager giving me a shot at working in management. Great to catch up with Rod!
What a crazy summer 2019 was. And yes, you can have too much fun. But I loved every minute of it.
For A Good Cause: Guns n’ Roses Duff Style
January 2019
2019 started off with a fantastic benefit concert in my hometown of Rock Hill, SC.
Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Tommy DeCarlo of Boston, Parthenon Huxley of the Orchestra and Gary Green, from Hootie and the Blowfish, and a Rock Hill native himself.
The show was a benefit to ROC, a local non profit that does a great job with helping homeless people in our city. We raised a lot of money for the organization and had a great night of music.