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Q & A with Tim Bierman - Montana Music Summit

demetriosdemetrios Canada Posts: 87,803
in The Porch

montanamusicsummit Q&A with Tim Bierman: 

MMS: How did you go from a University of Montana alum to co-owner of Rockin’ Rudy’s to general manager of the Ten Club?
TB: Right around graduation time, I was working at Rudy's. My parents said they would give me $1,000. It was a toss-up between spending it on a trip to Europe or investing in Rudy's which was transitioning from a rental shop to a retail shop. So I made the investment and dedicated my post-college life to music! After 15 years or so of slinging records in Missoula, I decided I was ready to take the next step in music retail. I applied to be a buyer at the new Amoeba Records on Haight Street. Cool job, but I was ill-equipped for San Francisco. Luckily Jeff Ament asked me if I could lend my music retail experience to Pearl Jam's fledgling Fan Club operation. I was happy to get back to the Northwest and into a job that had so much promise.

MMS: Who came up with the concept of recording all of Pearl Jam’s concerts and selling the recordings?
TB: Honestly, the fans came up with the concept. They created the market. We just reacted to it.

MMS: When a band is starting out and there are a million things needing their focus, what’s the biggest thing you think they should pay attention to?
TB: The band itself? The music, the music, the music.

MMS: What do you think is the single most significant thing the band does to keep their community active and growing?
TB: The band doesn't try to do too much. They understand that making music, playing shows and making cool merch is what they're good at. And they focus on that and the fans feel it.

Want to hear more from Tim? Get your badges today! http://ow.ly/ITBX50j7dTw .




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    demetriosdemetrios Canada Posts: 87,803
    montanamusicsummit - MEET THE PANELISTS: Tim Bierman - Manager, Ten Club- #pearljam Official Fan Organization. Tim Bierman has managed the Ten Club since 1998. In those 20 years, he has taken an enthusiastic, start-up fan club and steered it toward a fiscally viable example of what a fan organization can be in today's volatile music industry climate.⁣⁣
    ⁣⁣
    Bierman began his career in music at the age of 14, playing in bands and hustling gigs in suburban St. Louis. At 18, he left the Midwest and headed to #Montana for college. There he found his place on the staff - and later as an owner of - Rockin Rudy's Records. Bierman spent the next seventeen years there as a buyer and manager. After a brief stop in San Francisco at Amoeba Records, he moved to #Seattle to help his old Montana friend, Pearl Jam Bassist Jeff Ament, find a new direction for the #tenclub.⁣⁣
    ⁣⁣
    Sessions⁣
    ⁣⁣
    Day 2 - Saturday, October 13, 2018 1:00PM - 2:00PM⁣⁣
    A Conversation on Pearl Jam’s History, DIY Ethos, Marketing and Success⁣⁣
    ⁣⁣
    MORE: https://bit.ly/2CIYPl0⁣⁣
    TICKETS: ticketf.ly/2PeMSF8⁣⁣
    RSVP for Updates: https://bit.ly/2C5NdbF

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    demetriosdemetrios Canada Posts: 87,803
    Anyone here go? How was it?
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    MilestoneMilestone Posts: 1,100
    demetrios said:
     Luckily Jeff Ament asked me if I could lend my music retail experience to Pearl Jam's fledgling Fan Club operation. I was happy to get back to the Northwest and into a job that had so much promise.
    What year was this?
    11-2-2000 Portland. 12-8-2002 Seattle. 4-18-2003 Nashville. 5-30-2003 Vancouver. 10-25-2003 Bridge School. 9-2-2005 Vancouver.
    7-6-2006 Las Vegas. 7-20-2006 Portland. 7-22-2006 Gorge. 9-21-2009 Seattle. 9-22-2009 Seattle. 9-26-2009 Ridgefield. 9-25-2011 Vancouver.
    11-29-2013 Portland. 10-16-2014 Detroit. 8-8-2018 Seattle. 8-10-2018 Seattle. 8-13-2018 Missoula.
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