Three months ago, I had never bought talent for a concert. Now I’m negotiating guarantees, calculating break-even points, chasing local support, obsessively refreshing ticket counts, and pretending words like “backend” have always been part of my vocabulary.

After more than 25 years in radio, I thought I understood the music business. I interviewed the bands, hosted the shows, covered the festivals, stood backstage, stood side stage, and occasionally drank somebody else’s beer.

Then I became a talent buyer for The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California—and discovered an entire side of live music I had never seen.

In this first episode of the Mikey in the Pit podcast, I explain how getting fired from radio eventually led to Muscatello Media, my relationship with The Boardwalk, and the completely unexpected career turn that put me in ...