Devil Kat Rock Productions founder Katie Perry has always been passionate about music, but it wasn't until she moved from Redding to Chico to attend college that she found her ardor for music promotion.
"I love rock 'n' roll," Perry said. "I honestly think I would be entirely lost if I didn't do this."
Perry is a music promoter who promotes, stage-manages and books various music talents, both local and national, to perform in Chico and Redding. Since starting in 2002, she has had a full calendar of shows. On top of her 40-hour-a-week day job, she pumps out another 30 to 50 hours under her alter ego Devil Kat Rock Productions.
"The national bands typically will have an agent that I will negotiate full contracts with," Perry said. "Regionals and locals, generally a band member is in charge of booking, and I will negotiate with them. Most of the time this is a verbal agreement."
Perry promotes through a variety of avenues.
"Web site, media e-mails, fan e-mails, MySpace, ads, fliers, handbills, sometimes the spam texts," she said. "I pretty much bleed music (and) bands, really. I do everything I can think of and economically afford."
Perry began her examination of music promotion as a Chico State student. She created a special major called "music promotion." At about the same time she was declaring her major, she went to see some friends play at what was formally called the Red Room, where she was offered a booking/promoter job after the owner recognized her talent and fervor, Perry said.
"That week I began booking about seven days a week while maintaining 15 units a semester," she said. "Red Room eventually changed names, too, and turned into Riff Raff where I continued to book. Some of the bands from those days included Throw Rag, DOA, Kinski, Eric McFadden Trio and The Epoxies."
The Riff Raff began to struggle, and Perry decided that she needed to move on, she said.
"I had to keep myself going for my own sanity, so I began hitting up other venues with show proposals and started the ball rolling again," she said.
And Devil Kat Rock Productions was born.
Shortly after Devil Kat Rock Productions inception, members of Red With Envy asked Perry to manage and book their shows. After a lot of work and years of shows, Perry continues to flourish in her business.
"The honesty and hospitality I have become known for through my reputation is what carries me with the nationals, agents and locals," she said. "That is how sometimes I win in the market wars with the other promoters who more times than not have more money."
The exposure of indie bands to the mainstream public through such channels as SNOCAP and MySpace has been positive for Devil Kat Rock Productions.
"The major label mainstays are now being overrun by the indies, and I think that is great," she said. "Not everybody wants to hear or see Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake, and there are a lot of up-and-coming bands out there that, if they had the opportunity, could win the industry over just with their music alone."
But in the promoting business, you can't always count on people. Venues come and go, and there will always be critics, Perry said.
"Having shows is like rolling the dice, I really don't know how many people are going to come," she said. "Some people are going to talk shit and critique - telling me how I should do things - these people are generally the ones that don't get off their asses and do something."
Through the years, Perry has found that hospitality, honesty and integrity can hurdle any obstacle.
"You know, it seems every now and again I will hit a lull in forward motion, and when I start to wonder if this is it, some great opportunity knocks on my door, and instead of just a little move forward, it's like a giant step," Perry said. "I won't be able to rest though, until at least I have a group of venues lined up (on) the West Coast that cater entirely to live music with a stellar environment. That is my goal."
Maxwell Rowe can be reached at mrowe@theorion.com
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