Page 17 of Dark Verse

The notes of the piano piece sound so precise in my mind that it’s like I’m at a piano right now. Okosum’s Piano Sonata No. 1 is absolutely my favorite piece I have ever played for an audience. The arpeggio runs took me weeks to master in my left hand, but it was worth the work. Reminding myself of past accomplishments always helps ease the impostor syndrome I still experience. Alice has put a lot of faith in me to make this new business venture work, and my perfectionism is adding a layer of stress. I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for people to stop taking me seriously for any number of reasons, for my age, for the way I wear my hair, for my general I’m not taking your shit attitude.

This needs to start right from the word go if I plan to meet my twelve-week deadline to review the books with Alice and the board. But even a quick view of this venue has added a new level of stress that I didn’t have when I got off the plane two days ago. The exterior is as ordinary as it comes for this area. A mix of brick and vinyl siding that can easily stand up to the temperature swings of this area. The sign outside is probably only a few years old, but it looks strangely weathered, like the sealant didn’t take. Inside, everything feels out of date or grungy, but not in any sort of charming way.

The first thing any patron would notice when they step in is the bar. The floor-to-ceiling glass wall makes for a pretty impressive, eye-catching piece, but it’s half empty when I walk in. It immediately gives the vibe of a business in decline.

Continuing through to the main standing area didn’t yield better results in my eyes. The main floor is 80 percent standing room only, but the chairs along the perimeter are faded and torn in places. The chairs upstairs are in no better condition. Some of them are even missing critical parts. The layout is also confusing, with tall tables to stand beside in front of and beside low chairs. Anyone in those chairs would be more likely to stare at their fellow concert goers butt than the performers on stage.

I have yet to be backstage, but if the front of house is any indication of the state of things back there, I’m going to have some major work ahead of me. I’m always nervous on the first day of a new assignment, never totally sure what I’m going to be walking into, and this particular site is in a worse state than I would have hoped. I already see at least an additional week’s worth of work that will push back any potential relaunch date.

Meeting the venue staff adds more anxiety with all the new names and faces. I work fast to memorize them, knowing it’s the first step to making a good impression. I have limited time to make this endeavor a success, and I need a team I can count on to help me accomplish it. It usually doesn’t take me long to notice if personnel changes are needed. Still, I like to start with observation before I make those kinds of decisions.

Personnel changes. Listen to you with your corporate speak. Just say it; someone’s ass is getting fired.

I chuckle internally at the conversation I am having in my head.

With a lot of changes on the docket for this location, including a name change and new logo, I want to touch every aspect of the business by the end of today. I need to hit the ground running. There are even several local bands slated to audition for the two spots we will have for our house bands.

Danica turns to me, and even though I haven’t been paying close attention to her words, I understand this is my cue.

“Hello and good morning,” I say, standing to my full height. I’m just above average in height at 5’7”, but I love a chunky heel, meaning I currently stand a little taller than Danica.

“Like Danica said, I’m Raven Dexter. Over the next months, I will be with all of you, acting as your point person during Headliner Music’s acquisition of this venue. We have a simple mission at Headliners to bring the best musicians to new and enthusiastic audiences. We believe that everyone deserves to have great live music, no matter where their hometown is.”

Several of them nod as I speak.

“This is a transition time, so I will spend the next few days mainly observing. I want to see what’s worked well at this location before I make any sort of recommendations on changes.”

“I mean, obviously nothing was working if we’re being bought out,” a youngish man says. I pull on my memory of the staff files I reviewed last night and turn my attention to him.

“Philip, right?”

“Just Phil.”

“That may be a fair initial assessment, but dig a little deeper and I think you might find a more complicated story. Your location, for example, is definitely working for you. When this building was constructed, it was on the outskirts of the city. Now, we are surrounded on all sides by mainly condos and apartments. That’s a built-in audience, people who don’t even need to walk ten minutes to get to us.”

The front-of-house manager, Hendrix, nods more vigorously.

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

I nod in acknowledgment at his statement, but keep my eyes on Phil.

“So if it’s not your location, what else could it be?”

After a pause, Phil shifts in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with my implication.

I’ve done my homework on this location and the employees, even before I set foot in here. I know that Phil works the door on event nights. The truth is, he probably has little to do with why this venue is struggling. But the hard truth is that staff usually have a large hand in why a business fails, and I don’t want any of them to feel comfortable just yet. The former head director has already been fired for general mismanagement. The dated decor, stale vibes, and half-empty bar are all evidence of that.

That left Danica and Hendrix as my supervisory staff.

I let another moment pass before I say, “I won’t pretend like the next few weeks won’t bring changes, some of them major, but those changes are always to support the company mission. One of the first major changes decided on is a name change. Denver is filled to the brim with theaters and amphitheaters. We want this space to stand out with something descriptive yet playful.”

I smile inwardly at those words.

Alice loves a play on words and was so pleased when I came up with the new name.

House Band Featuring may seem a little silly on the surface, but it’s a perfect reference to the way I want this place to run. Like all the music and performance venues in the area, this one has relied on the standard touring-band model, with its own openers and headliners. But by providing a house band, we can actually expand the number of groups we can bring in and the types of events this space can support. We’ll no longer be limited to touring bands only.

Laying out an overview of the changes and today’s assignments, with nine of them, takes half of the morning. The entire front-of-house and back-of-house staff are present. Hendrix, Ella, Karmen, Zack, Phil, and Barry are assigned deep cleaning duty. Danica and the two sound engineers, Jacob Kaplan and Jacob Avi, familiarize me with the sound and light board. A lifetime as a musician and theater kid means I have plenty of experience working on all kinds of tech boards, but this one seems to have more quirks than your average one. I don’t even recognize the brand’s name when I find the faded tag.