By Lisa Morgan –
I have been trying to pin Ming Bob down for an interview since he brought the infamous punk band Guttermouth and Guns and Roses’ Duff McKagan and his band Loaded to the Date Shed, expanding and enhancing my life experience in music forever. I think it was easier getting the interview with Duff than it was to secure this one, but never the less, it is just as rewarding. Ming Bob is busy promoting everyone else but himself.
During my communications with his wife Jennifer, she shared with me, “I knew he was meant to do great things. I’ve encouraged him every step of the way. It’s why he now has the nick name ‘Music Monster’ when he is in work mode! The only thing I can really do is be a loving wife, make sure he is fed well (minus the cupcakes of course), be excited for his shows and go to them when I can! He really is in it just for the music and bands. People would be amazed at the amount of hard work he puts in to promoting these shows on his own free time, creating posters and flyers, handing them out all over town personally and hand delivering tickets to customers just to make it easier on the fans. He keeps the bands happy and is always making sure everyone has a great time!”
So here it is finally ~ the interview to find out what drives this man to work so hard, bringing an incredible amount of music to our valley and helping to establish the Coachella Valley and Date Shed as a “Mecca of Music”:
CVW: I know you love music. Why do you love it so much that you’ve chosen to pursue it as a career promoting it? What got you started? MB: Being born and raised in the Coachella Valley, I got to see and listen to some really great music, as well as some really horrible music. I was also in the band MingTran and that pretty much had me hooked on music. Heck I love it and everything about it. When I was a kid, I only had three tapes: Iron Maiden, Bobby Mcferrin and Led Zeppelin, and a hand-me-down Walkman tape player. Ultimately I began checking out all kinds of music through tapes and it had me thinking, ‘I wish these bands could play here.’ I started booking shows in backyards, warehouses, then eventually bars, clubs and even a festival. I booked pretty close to 2500 shows, give or take a few; you start to loose count after a bit. I did it for my friends who played in bands that wanted to perform for their friends. At the time, there weren’t many venues or local media to support the music. I just thrived on booking shows so people could see a great show, leave talking about how much fun they had and how they couldn’t wait until the next one. That is what kept me going. Bands mostly made up of close friends, kept asking me to book shows. Then bands I toured with contacted me to hook them up. It grew into a huge wave. At one point, I had every bar, club and warehouse wanting me to book shows. I’ve pounded it out for sixteen years. It’s really paved the way to make live music a normal thing in our valley.
CVW: How have you developed such amazing connections? MB: Man, it’s hard to explain! I have made many friends in the industry over time while touring, playing and booking shows. By word of mouth alone, it just grew into something huge. Bands, agents and record labels just had my name on a list for being the only promoter booking out here in the desert. There always have been others, but somehow, my name was on the list as the ‘go-to guy.’
CVW: If a band wants to be considered by you to open or perform as a main act, how do they make your list?
MB: I’ve always had this motto: ‘If you are in a band and need a show, contact me and I will do my best to get you a show.’ That is pretty much it. I still run by it. But now a days, it seems everyone is in competition with one another and some mainly care about making money. You’ve got to earn you stripes in this town. I do what I can when I can. Timing is so very important. I know the waiting to get booked sucks, but it’s a due process. There are bands that have paid their dues. At the end of the day, I wish I could book everyone, but when you work for a venue, there are standards and expectations that have to be met. It always feels like a catch-22.
CVW: What are your aspirations for the music scene here in the desert? For Date Shed?
MB: My aspirations are to share as many amazing shows with everyone as possible at the Date Shed. I want to build the awareness. For a long time, we never had anything like this music venue, and now we have it in our own backyard. We all need to support it. It is about the music, not about the money. It always has been. Music speaks for its self.
CVW: What is your favorite experience so far in doing this?
MB: Being able to see people’s faces when they see a show with their favorite artist and watching them sing along to their favorite songs. I love helping a new band get their feet wet on a real stage with real sound. I just love the experience of making a show special for those who attend.
CVW: What is the toughest part of this job?
MB: The answer to that question could go on for a while! Seriously, being in demand 24/7 would be one of the many tough things about this job. Not just anyone can do it and have the heart for it. The job is one of the hardest around. People actually think you book a band and plug in a mic or an amp, turn a few knobs and your good ~ like ‘a monkey could do it.’ Trust me it is not easy. There are a multitude of things you need to be prepared for at all times when it comes to a show. Most of all, you’re under constant watch by everyone. Someone will post their comments on social media either saying, ‘The show was awesome’ or ‘Man what a crappy show. I’m never going there again.’ I am never in it for glory. I just know that I do what I can do when the time calls on me to do it. I just hope I do it right and without fault. I am just a man making his way through life like everyone else. I am so thankful to all those who have supported and believed in me over the years.
Ming Bob has been doing this for the better part of two decades with no intention of quitting. I have personally witnessed him soaking in the crowd’s response, including my own, as they are influenced forever by the music he brings them. He has accomplished so much more than one article can articulate, not to mention the number of charities that have benefited from his hard work. So the next time you see Ming Bob at a Date Shed show of an old or new favorite artist, perhaps you can shake his hand and look him in the eye and say, “Thanks for the music Ming.” The artists’ may make the music, but Ming makes the moment.
Date Shed is located at 50725 Monroe Street, Indio. For a list of upcoming shows, check them out at dateshedmusic.com, follow them on Facebook or call them at (760) 775-6699.
