”Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There's not some trick involved with it. It's pure and it's real. It moves, it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things.” -Tom Petty
Yesterday was a big day for me because I launched my own business From Crew to Crew Merch. Looking back, the business had been unconsciously developing in my mind for years and the unfortunate pandemic made me move forward with the idea. You can read the full story behind From Crew to Crew Merch here... Continue Reading →
Hi and welcome to my website! My name is Erika Pursiainen. I’m a freelance Tour Manager, Stage Manager, and Merchandise Manager. I also run my own merchandising business From Crew to Crew Merch. I’m originally from Finland and I currently live in Los Angeles, CA. Probably because of my origin, I live and breathe hard... Continue Reading →
What roles do you think about first when talking about touring? Perhaps a sound engineer, guitar tech, tour manager, or merchandise vendor? What you don't necessarily think about is the collateral industries and roles in touring, the companies and agents who make sure the artists and crews sleep in quiet hotel rooms after a long... Continue Reading →
Our production crew at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles last summer consisted of five people, including myself as the Production Intern/Stage Manager. I have already shared the story of two of them: Video Technician Joseph Himes and Lighting Designer Chris Boucarut. I'll post my mentor Matthew Himes' interview soon. He is the Director of Programming and... Continue Reading →
Writing this interview in the middle of the summer in a city that is usually bustling with live music but is now resembling more of a ghost town makes me miss last summer and the shows we did as a team at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles. We had so much fun! It all seems so... Continue Reading →
Tim's journey is a great learning opportunity for young-guns and anyone wanting to break into touring and live shows. In the early stages of his career, Tim started from the bottom working a warehouse job at a sound company. He was taught new skills and little by little, progressed to working live shows. Tim now... Continue Reading →
If you're planning a career in video you can get great tips from this interview on how to go after your dream. I worked with Joey at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles last summer when I was interning as a stage manager as part of their production team. Levitt Pavilion is an outdoor stage in MacArthur... Continue Reading →
When I met Hannah for the first time at the Tour Link Pro conference 2.5 years ago, I knew that this woman is a proactive doer and she's not gonna just wait for things to happen. Since then, she has proven me right. Hannah has built a successful career in live music and touring of... Continue Reading →
The main idea behind this interview series was to offer my support to live music crews during the industry blackout. As part of the interviews, I also wanted to introduce different roles in live music and touring, in case my readers are considering this industry as a career and wondering what role would fit them... Continue Reading →
As part of the interview series of showcasing professionals in live music, I wanted to give a spotlight to some of the amazing individuals I had the privilege to work with last summer at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles in MacArthur Park. They all need our support right now because sadly, Levitt LA's concert season 2020 has... Continue Reading →
I can't believe this is already my 10th interview in the series of showcasing professionals in live music! I've really enjoyed doing the interviews and I hope you've enjoyed reading them too. I also hope these stories have offered support to the live music crews during the industry pandemic. My next interview introduces Guitar Tech... Continue Reading →
Erika's Rock Universe 