TF: How long have you been handling the booking duties at Hairy Mary’s?

GR: Three years; I worked here for a year and then they said, “Hey you know what you are doin’ and you know all the bands anyway,” so I started doing all the booking.

TF: How did you originally get into this line of business?

GR: I’ve worked for the owners, John and Jeff, on and off for eight years now. It was kind of like a pyramid thing with them, I started out working at Big Tomato, then I worked at GT, this little motorcycle bar down on Ingersoll, and they just kept giving me things to do. Then I started booking bands.

TF: What is your favorite part about your job?

GR: Being able to be fair with whoever is playing. A lot of people aren’t, they just pick whoever they like, and that’s . lame. Before I started doing it, they had five different people booking Hairy Mary’s. Each individual one just picked what they wanted to hear and you can’t do that.

You gotta book shit for the little indie-rocker crowd, your bubble-gum punk rock crowd, your hardcore and nu-metal crowd and your rap crowd. There’s so many different scenes that you can’t just cater to one of those groups.

TF: Who are a couple of the most noteworthy acts that have played Hairy Mary’s within the last couple years?

GR: Let’s see – At The Drive In, The Melvins, Amen, The Samples are a couple that have been in here.

TF: Who have been some of your personal favorite acts that have played Hairy Mary’s?

GR: My personal favorites would have to be High On Fire, Shadows Fall and, I would say, The Hudson Falcons. All three bands are just amazing, but no one has a . clue, which sucks.

TF: Are you a musician yourself?

GR: Uh, not really? (laughing) I’ve got a joke metal band going on, but we’re not really noteworthy. We played a show Halloween night and I was covered in blood and wearing a dress. We’re called Christ Puncher; it’s funny.

TF: What are your thoughts on Des Moines as a concert city?

GR: Des Moines is usually three years behind musically.

TF: Do you think that the new convention center will help?

GR: Nope, not at all. I just think people need to get out more and show an interest in something that isn’t on MTV or VH1.

TF: Why should people come see a show at Hairy Mary’s.

GR: That’s a tough one. Just because man, take a . chance, quit being a sissy.