Alex Bowen took his new job as the talent buyer for The Varsity Theatre in early June, but work has set in quickly for him.
On top of his responsibilities as a booking agent, promoter and band manager, Bowen has spent his time as a talent buyer continually booking shows for The Varsity, which he said takes strategy, research and a lot of communication.
“As a talent buyer, you have to keep up with the diverse array of popular music out there,” Bowen said in an e-mail. “You have to be on the cutting edge of what’s coming out. You’re always listening to music, checking out new albums and bands.”
In addition, Bowen explained the most popular national acts constantly change; demand for some performers can shrink or grow. And Bowen must constantly reach out to these big acts to fill The Varsity’s calendar. This often has him determining what acts would do best at the venue, contacting these bands’ agents and agencies and drawing up a deal for the performance.
But organizing the calendar proves more complex than throwing a bunch of popular bands onto various dates.
“Of course, the time of year is relevant,” Bowen said. “I have to book top shows around times like exams, spring break, Christmas break and summer, because obviously those are the slower times of the year.”
Along with nationally prevalent acts, Bowen plans to book a healthy amount of local talent as well. Having served as a booking agent for local bands like High Top Kicks, Earphunk, Royal Teeth and Young Hedons, partly demonstrates his direct experience in local music.
“There’s some great local talent around here and from the New Orleans area,” Bowen said. “We definitely plan on bringing in younger bands from the area and having local showcases and whatnot, as well as bringing in established local bands.”
Gabriel Saint of the Baton Rouge-based electronic outfit High Top Kicks explained he first started working with Bowen after Bowen watched Saint’s band open for Bassnectar at The Varsity. As the then-owner of The House in Tigerland, Bowen began booking the group for the venue and eventually other locations.
“That was kind of the beginning of High Top Kicks,” Saint said. “Bowen was just as much a part of that as anyone else was.”
Saint said Bowen takes an unbiased approach to booking, doing what will best satisfy all parties involved.
“Bowen does a good job of not only catering to what he wants to hear, but also what works from a business standpoint and what works from a fan stand point,” Saint said. “He books all kinds of different acts: what people coming to the shows like, what’s good for the business – he’s good at balancing that stuff.”
Bowen explained all of this work stems from his appreciation for music, a focal point of his life. While he doesn’t perform, he’s found other ways to involve himself in music, from his responsibilities as a talent buyer and promoter to his obligations as the part owner of the silent disco company, Silent But Deadly LLC. The Varsity just presents another opportunity for an involvement in music.
“The bottom line is, I just like to make music happen, and since I’m not a musician, I’ve achieved that through doing the business side of things,” he explained. “I’m extremely excited about my new job at The Varsity Theatre, and I’m going to do my best to use all of my relationships to make The Varsity one of the best venues in the country.”
 
____ Contact Austen Krantz at [email protected]