2019 Top Tour Managers - Pollstar News

“Continue to follow your dream and make sure you feed your crew well!”

Words for any tour manager to live by, wisely said by Marty Hom, one of Pollstar’s 2019 Top Tour Managers, someone who intrinsically understands the live business is a team sport and empty stomachs can mean poor team performance.

Today’s modern tour manager is not only thinking about nutrition, like a trainer would, but is also part GM, part QB, part coach, part technologist, part trusted confidant and so much more. Sure, there’s high-level functions like executing a multimillion-dollar tour strategy dreamed up by managers, promoter and agents, assembling an operations team and making sure budgets are met and within reason; but that’s only the half of the battle. Here, among 2019’s honorees and Jacks/Jills-of-all-trades, are acts of courage, honor and kindness: Like Brian Marquis literally carrying Billie Eilish on his back through Lollapalooza after she’d sprained her ankle; or Todd Bunch dealing with an artist who stole an ambulance; or Tina Farris, who said her master’s degree in clinical psychology is an invaluable tool in her line of work.

Pollstar’s 2019 Top Tour Managers represents a solid cross-section of tour managers with some of the year’s biggest and best tours. It should be noted some declined to be honored because of non-disclosure agreements or just didn’t want the spotlight, choosing discretion over revealing personal information on their clients. That is one of the many reasons tour managers are such an integral part of this business, which couldn’t survive without their great talent, skill and integrity. For that, we are thrilled to honor these men and women for the indispensable work they do for our business.