On a typical Friday or Saturday evening during the school year, thumping bass lines, carefully plucked guitars or crashing cymbals are caught slipping through the cracks of the doors to the Memorial Union’s best hideaway, the Maintenance Shop.

Last year, if you had been passing by as the doors were opening to let the bathroom-breakers sneak back in, you may have spied a tall, blond-haired guy taking tickets, checking hand stamps or just sitting back and enjoying the show.

This year, the ticket-taker, Eric Hutchison, has a more behind-the-scenes role to fill — he’s the new co-director at the M-Shop.

I Really Want the Job Hutchison, junior in elementary education, is a familiar face at the M-Shop. He worked his way up by starting as a concert attendee, volunteering and making sure he rarely missed a show. Hutchison says his dedication — like staying at the M-Shop until 4 a.m. loading up bands — is what helped him snag the job.

The Best Part about being co-director “The fact that I get to hang out with musicians and bands,” Hutchison says. “When bands like The New Amsterdams come and you get to hang out with Matt Pryor who was in The Get Up Kids … it’s pretty awesome.” He also sometimes gets to see up to five concerts a week for free, he says.

Rubbing Elbows with the Rich & Famous Hutchison says he’s been invited to eat dinner with some of the acts. Unfortunately, not all bands feel the need to make friends with the employees. (Hutchison coughs and mumbles something that sounds an awful lot like the Secret Machines).

I Need an Explanation Hutchison’s average day at work is comprised of making his contacts with band representatives. On the day of a show, preparing the M-Shop is top priority. He works on setting up or clearing tables and chairs, unloading the band and helping to fulfill the bands’ requests.

You Want What? “No diva requests that I know about,” Hutchison says of past band contracts. “Some bands ask for hard liquor, but we don’t sell hard liquor, so that will be one thing that they’ll complain about.”

My Music Picks “The new Rogue Wave CD, Haste the Day, The Wedding, Social Distortion and the new Transplants CD,” Hutchison says.

My Movie Picks “‘Wedding Crashers’ was pretty funny,” Hutchison says. “My favorite movie of all time that I could watch over and over again? I like ‘Cool Hand Luke’ a lot or ‘Caddy Shack’ or ‘Old School.'”

Life Outside the M-Shop “I like to play my drums, I like to take naps,” he says. “Tattoos are always fun.” Hutchison says he has six.

I Can’t Wait Until … “Mates of State is going to be really good and Dead Girls Ruin Everything and Blackpool Lights,” Hutchison says of the bands on the upcoming playbill at the M-Shop. “Chuck Prophet is amazing — he sounds a lot like Beck. I want so many people to come to that show.”

My M-Shop Wish List “Counting Crows or a Get Up Kids reunion show or Drive By Truckers,” Hutchison says.