It’s Saturday night and you’re on your way to see us. Upon arriving here, you make a beeline to the box office, grab your tickets and head inside WInStar World Casino and Resort’s Global Event Center. You order a drink at the bar, take a picture with friends and finally find your seats. You’re getting ready to raise your glass and sing along to one of your favorite bands. This fun and unforgettable night is brought to you by our hard working Global Event Center staff. They prepare for hours, sometimes even days, to ensure your concert going experience is the best one yet. From the minute the band arrives to the second they take the stage, I’m here to tell you how our award-winning Global Event Center is prepared for a concert.
The band’s all here!
The first thing that happens is—you guessed it—the band arrives! According to Stephanie Callaway, the Global Event Center Manager, bands usually arrive a day or two prior to the show to rest up and enjoy our resort. There are some bands, however, that cut it a little close by arriving a mere hour before the show due to their tight tour schedules.
How to dress a dressing room
Have you ever wondered what items go into a band’s dressing room? I have, and thankfully, Stephanie has an answer for us. Prior to the band’s arrival, she will receive a document called a “rider.” This is a very detailed list of what they would like to have in their room. Stephanie say this, “often includes food and drinks, which we do supply.” Can we add some beef here? Sometimes riders are insane.
Concert day timeline
What time do you think the staff and band start getting ready for a show? I bet 7:30 a.m. wasn’t the time you guessed, but it’s right! If able, the band arrives on site at that time to eat breakfast, which is provided by us. After that, the band’s equipment is loaded into the venue and set up. This takes a few hours and is followed by a quick lunch break. Line checks and sound checks are typically completed after lunch. When this has been done, the band is free to enjoy the rest of their time until the show begins. They can sleep, eat, play games or get ready to spend time with some very excited fans if they’re hosting a meet and greet. The doors open to the public an hour and a half before the show starts, and once the band takes the stage, there’s a solid 70 to 90 minutes of great music and thousands of cheering fans.
When the show concludes and the crowd has cleared, clean-up begins. The day finally wraps up around midnight or 1 a.m. When Stephanie told me this was a “long day,” she wasn’t kidding!
I bet you didn’t know…
All of the information Stephanie provided me with was great, but I had a burning question I had to ask, “What’s the craziest request you’ve received from a band?” I’m preparing myself to hear a scandalous story when she replies, “(There are) tons, but I love my job, so I’ll take those secrets to the grave!” I guess we’ll just have to use our imaginations for now!
Stephanie did, however, answer another one of my probing questions. With all of the amazing entertainers we’ve had here, I was curious to see if she had an exceptional experience with an artist or band. She said every band that has played here has been phenomenal, but if she had to narrow it down to one it would be Rod Stewart. She described him as being, “so energetic and interacted with the crowd like no one (she’s) ever seen before or since. That one sticks out for me as a weekend I’ll always remember.”
Thank you, thank you and thank you!
The Global Event Center staff is invaluable to WinStar World Casino and Resort, and so are other departments that lend a helping hand. Stephanie would like to send a special thank you to marketing, housekeeping and security for, “helping (them) make every concert a memorable experience—we truly couldn’t do it without them!”
I would like to send my own thank you to Stephanie for taking the time to answer my questions. We’ve had world-class entertainers here, and it wouldn’t be possible without her and the world-class WinStar staff! For more information about our Global Event Center or to purchase tickets to an upcoming show, visit our website here.
