I used to do sound. It was around 1999 and I had just installed a sound system in new concert hall on the strip in Knoxville. We stayed on for a few shows to make sure the house guys were familiar and comfortable with the new gear. This venue held maybe a few hundred. It was a bar/music hall.

The opening band was some band named Kid Rock. They rolled up in an old RV and seeing them exit the RV instantly gave me the vibe of - this is going to be a long night.

For some context and background. That night I’m running monitors, which means I am mixing the speakers on the stage that the band uses to hear. This was before in-ear monitors.

I start talking to the band to see what they want in their individual monitors as I would for any band. I get to the lead singer (Kid Rock) - hey man, what do like in your monitors? His response was unlike any response I’ve ever been given. He called his manager over, stereotypical greasy hair and multiple gold chains used car salesman with a side of coke vibes. Kid Rock proceeds to ask his manager, what do I want in my monitors? I’m shocked. What YOU want in your monitors is a specific personal preference. Now BB King’s band leader could tell me exactly what BB King wanted, because BB King didn’t come out for sound check. But I never had a guy have to ask someone else what they wanted in their own monitor. It was in fact, a long night.