But we’ve been at the annual, Pollstar.com Labor Day retreat, Here, why don’t you look at the new tours for Galactic and GWAR while we tell you about it.

Pollstar.com’s Labor Day retreats have been a tradition for this company ever since our founder, Festus Pollstar, realized way back in 1934 that his employees needed a place to unwind after the grueling summer concert season. After spending three months entering dates for acts like American Idols Live, Badly Drawn Boy and John Tesh, you need to catch your breath, let it all hang out, and run naked at night through the forest under the gorgeous, Labor Day moon, all the while shouting out the dates for Box Car Racer and Korn. Yes, make no mistake about it. We live for this day.

It all starts when our current CEO, Old Festus’ great-grandson, Homer Pollstar, taps the 50 gallon casks of tequila and gives every employee a swallow for each and every date they’ve entered this past summer, whether it was for Lake Trout, Nelly or Saves The Day. You know, just a little ice-breaker to get things rolling.

Of course, you can’t have a holiday without noisemakers and fireworks. That’s why our shop stewards have spared no expense rounding up the finest shotguns, pistols, rifles, mortars and hand-held SCUD missile launchers to give to our employees. We have to admit, we used to get a little worried seeing our workers staggering through the center of the retreat, firing round after round into the air while knocking back Jose Cuervo’s finest and screaming, “This one’s for Cher!” Bang! “This one’s for Robert Plant and Oasis!” Bang! Bang!! But as long as they keep the mortality rate down to acceptable standards, whatever keeps them happy, keeps us happy. That’s just the kind of employers we are.

But our annual Labor Day retreats represent more than tequila, firearms and flesh wounds. We have great competitive games like when the cook wheels out the giant deep fryer so that we can go bobbing for french fries, or when our box office editor wanders off into the forest to wrestle grizzly bears. Shhh… Don’t tell Fish & Game. They’re still on our backs about what happened last year.

Yes, our employees worked hard all summer long entering dates for O.A.R. and India.Arie, and they deserve a little well-earned R&R before they return to the processing pits and prepare for the fall concert season. So, if the thought of our data people firing off sawed-off shotguns, guzzling tequila and taking advantage of the creatures of the forest disturbs you, don’t worry about it. After all, it’s not like it lasts all day.

In fact, it usually stops around the time we break for breakfast. After which, things really start to rock.