Many students may not be aware of the amount of work that goes into setting up the entertainment at The Maintenance Shop. Even more are unaware how much of that work is done by the venue’s Program Director, Tyler Uetz.

Uetz, senior in religious studies, is responsible for booking the bands that appear at The Shop, as well as making sure that the shows run smoothly.

Although it is a volunteer position, Uetz estimates he puts in anywhere between 20 and 80 hours a week.

“It’s not a paid position, but I love music, and I’ve always been fascinated by the music industry — and musicians in general,” Uetz said. “I wouldn’t mind owning a club someday, and this is great experience. I’m making some great connections.”

Maintaining loyalty is also a major motivation for Uetz.

“I love The M-Shop,” Uetz said. “I was behind the bar for three years, and I wanted to do something else to help it.”

Taking over last April, his first task was organizing a concert to commemorate the last smoking show before The M-shop’s non-smoking policy took effect.

“The last smoking show was a great way to start out. I had no idea what I was doing. I just thought it would be really cool to have these guys: Larry Myer, Medulla Oblongata, The Smokin’ Blues Band, and of course Stuart Davis,” Uetz said. “It was a big group effort. We got all these guys to play for free.”

Since then, Uetz has been a busy man.

“Basically, I sit in my office and listen to a lot of [CDs],” Uetz explained. “When I took over there were close to 200 discs to listen to. I have to decide what sounds good, not what I like. I listen for who’s good at doing what they do. I have to find who will draw an audience.”

After finding a band he wants to have play, the work begins for Uetz.

“I talk to a lot of bands,” Uetz said, adding that another of his responsibilities is to coordinate dates, routing, how much the venue will pay and how much tickets will cost. “Every now and then I call the band. Generally they call us back first. Bigger names we call.”

Then, if all goes well, the contracts are signed. However, sometimes things don’t go as well.

“Agents are tough because you already have a middle man,” Uetz said. “Most of the bands we get are just starting out and not so big that agents are a problem.”

Another complication is finding artists who are free on weekend nights. “A lot of the bands are really unorganized,” he added. “Routing is a problem because we mostly stick to weekend shows.

“Every now and then there is a problem figuring out how much money to pay [a band],” Uetz said. “Some bands are so happy to have a chance to play, they’ll play for $200. Other bands, or their agents, think the band is too big and laugh at us.”

In the end, for Uetz, it’s worth all the work in order to be part of a great show.

“My favorite part is meeting the bands,” Uetz said, “Most of them are so cool. They’re not huge national acts, and you just gain so much respect for them to see them out having fun.

“It’s fun to see a band starting out and hope that if they get big, they’ll play your place for a little less money,” Uetz said.

Uetz hopes that everyone will take advantage of the opportunities at The Maintenance Shop.

“You get to see a lot of bands for really cheap,” Uetz said. “Some of them will make it big — then you can say you saw them at The Maintenance Shop.”

There are also opportunities for those who want to get involved in running a show at the shop.

“We’re always looking for volunteers,” Uetz said. “I’m, in theory, the head of the volunteers. We load in, set up the band and do crowd control. We’re always looking for people to do that,” he said.

Uetz said the most important thing for him is to do whatever he can for The Maintenance Shop.

“One thing I’m sure of when I wake up is that I’m going to do my best to make The M-Shop work,” Uetz said. “There’s no doubt we’re going through a troubled time now, with the new no-smoking policy, but I’m going to do my best to make it a success.”