Ep. 98: It’s Not a Party. What It Takes to Build a Touring Audio Career with Joey Vesuvius

<p>A lot of people want the touring career. Fewer understand the early load-ins, five-show weeks, bus sleep, professional discipline, and years of relationships that make it possible.</p><p>Professional front-of-house audio engineer Joey Vesuvius returns to the podcast after nearly two years in Los Angeles, international tours, major festivals, and a move back home to Minnesota. With Max Greene hosting, Joey breaks down how he went from corporate audio and local production work to touring with artists including Passion Pit, Danny Brown, Russ, JPEGMAFIA, MIKE, Keshi, and others.</p><p>They also get honest about the parts of career growth that are harder to see from the outside. Moving to LA accelerated Joey’s network and created new opportunities, but the cost, workload, and burnout eventually forced him to reconsider what he actually wanted his life to look like.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>When moving to a major music city can accelerate your career, and when it may be premature</li><li>How stagehand work, corporate audio, and genuine relationships led Joey into touring</li><li>A real hour-by-hour breakdown of a day running sound for Passion Pit</li><li>Why reputation, professionalism, and knowing when to lock in determine who gets called back</li><li>How touring professionals manage exhaustion, isolation, health, and the temptation to treat every night like a party</li><li>Why great audio still begins with fundamentals, not expensive gear, secret tricks, or paywalled information</li></ul><p>Joey’s path is not a formula, but it offers an honest look at the choices, relationships, and habits that helped him move from local production gigs to arenas, international festivals, and two sold-out shows at Red Rocks. For anyone trying to build a sustainable career in live music, this episode is both a reality check and a reminder to appreciate how far you have already come.</p><p><strong>Episode Links and Mentions</strong></p><p>🌐 <a href="https://passionpit.com/">Passion Pit</a></p><p>🌐 <a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/">Red Rocks Park &amp; Amphitheater</a></p><p>🌐 <a href="https://www.minnesotayachtclubfestival.com/">Minnesota Yacht Club Festival</a></p><p>🌐 <a href="https://the1975.com/">The 1975</a></p><p><strong>Connect with the Guest:</strong></p><p>🔗 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joey.vesuvius/">Joey on IG</a></p><p>Get new episodes by email: <a href="https://secretsfromthescene.com/#newsletter">Join the Secrets From The Scene newsletter</a>.</p><p>Secrets From The Scene is made by <a href="https://helvigproductions.com/?ref=sfts-show-notes">Helvig Productions</a>, a Twin Cities recording studio for artists and bands.</p>