The Black Sheep: Meet the team and experience what it takes to host live music
Picture this: a packed room, dimmed lights, and the infectious energy electric as the crowd anticipates the next great performance. A place where every show highlights the vital connections between venues, radio, and labels, working in harmony to craft an unforgettable music experience.
The Black Sheep isn't just another venue; it's a hub for a diverse mix of artists, from local newcomers to established acts.
The Black Sheep is a music venue and bar owned by Geoff Brent that has been a community staple since 2005.
Brent has been involved in various bands over the course of 25 years and is currently a member of Cheap Perfume. In addition to The Black Sheep and Cheap Perfume, Brent is involved in other ventures.
“I own the Black Sheep and Vultures in Colorado Springs, and I'm a tele-buyer for Live Nation in Denver. I'm also a semi-professional DJ,” Brent said.
Brent started his journey at The Black Sheep as its general manager before becoming its owner.
“I was the general manager for the first five years,” Brent said.
As owner, his role at The Black Sheep is wide-ranging.
“I talk to the artist's agent, who essentially works for the artist's manager,” Brent said. “I deal with them and work out the deals, get the shows scheduled, get the shows announced and on sale; and then, at that point, things mostly go to our marketing team as far as integrating with radio, local businesses, stuff like that.”
But who are the members of this team?
“At The Black Sheep, it's kind of like a three-person operation,” Brent said.
This three-person operation consists of Kevin Zirfas, Rosanna Taylor and Jasey Atherly.
(Kevin Zirfas/ Photo credit: Anna Vogt)
Kevin Zirfas, the general manager, gave me a behind-the-scenes interview and tour and explained how the team executes a night at The Black Sheep.
As a non-native of Colorado, I'm painfully unfamiliar with Colorado Springs — an impressive feat considering I've lived here for two years. My first visit to The Black Sheep was enthralling, and I will never forget it.
I walked into The Black Sheep, having never been to a live music venue, and I walked out promising to visit frequently.
What I found most absorbing was the sheer level of collaboration and planning that was involved in hosting the bands that performed. Production is a critical part of a show that attendees rarely witness.
What is production, exactly? This includes sound and lighting, among other things.
Jasey Atherly, head of production, explained her day-to-day duties:
“The beginning of the day, for me, is the band's getting everything on the stage and getting everything loaded in," Atherly said. "It's a lot of communication — figuring out what the band's need from the house, what they've told us ahead of time, what we know that we need to have for them — and then coordinating with parts of their crew to figure out what we need to do for the day.”
Typically, bands arrive hours before The Black Sheep's doors open. This is for a good reason, as setup, and sound and lighting checks can take hours.
“When their openers get here, is when my job really, really starts because I'm the one mixing them,” Atherly said. “A lot of production, and the industry in general, is just about communication so that everyone gets what they need.”
“A lot of my job is knowing the applications for each thing,” Atherly explained.
Atherly operates an AVID Venue Profile soundboard and GrandMA3 lighting console.
Let's rewind.
After the team has booked an artist for the venue, a critical business-oriented step must occur to attract an audience: marketing.
Rosanna Taylor, marketing and ticket manager, oversees this portion of The Black Sheep's operation.
“Since we are an independent venue, we kind of wear multiple hats,” Taylor said. “Not only do I have to market each show — I work with each band's team to put together social and marketing plans for the show — I also build the tickets for the show.”
Taylor explained that first, she receives an email from a band that has been booked to perform. This email includes some basic information, including details about when the announcements for the event will occur.
“I'll get looped in with the band's agents and their marketing team,” Taylor explained. “That's when I build the ticket. I send them ticket links; I send them a marketing plan. Some bands don't ask for it. Some bands do.”
Unpredictability is part of Taylor's work; she stated that she can have anywhere from five weeks to five months to market an event. Moreover, Taylor feels less engaged with the process if a band isn't as involved in their tour marketing because there is little content for her to work with.
“I can get bands that their tour marketing agent will be really involved, and send me, 'Hey, I've got this video, and I've got this video.' And I can take these videos, and I can cut them and put our logo on them,” Taylor said.
Taylor uses many other marketing tactics to promote a show at The Black Sheep, including running advertisements on social media. The Black Sheep's Instagram, a crucial social media app for marketing in many industries, is run by Taylor.
“Video marketing is a key thing because I think it catches people's eyes more when you create an ad in a reel instead of just a static flyer,” Taylor added.
Affinity lists are another powerful tool for Taylor.
"I always ask for an affinity list — It's artists that are similar to this person," Taylor said.
Taylor explained that affinity lists are like the feature on Spotify that allows users to view music they may like based on bands they frequently listen to. Affinity lists allow Taylor to target a larger audience, including those who may be unfamiliar with a band performing.
Partnerships, which are other companies, are also a paramount tool for Taylor.
For example, Illegal Pete's, a restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs, is one of Taylor’s partners.
“They'll do ticket giveaways. They'll do it on their socials and on their stories. I'll send them a list of shows available. Then, they'll just send me their winners, and I'll put them on a call list for a show,” Taylor said.
These symbiotic partnerships benefit both parties and connect businesses in different industries. These connections build a sense of community, which The Black Sheep values immensely.
“The Black Sheep is very special. We are kind of well-known within the artist community and on the city level and with the fans. It's a community,” Taylor said.
But what are some ways that The Black Sheep supports the local community? The Black Sheep sponsors Pride annually and hosts markets to support local artists.
“We do markets, too,” Taylor said. “We do it once a quarter. We set up like 30-40 local vendors.”
These vendors include local artists, jewelers and authors. And if there is time, The Black Sheep takes collaboration to another level.
"The three of us —us, vultures and What's Left Records — will do a Platte Ball Party. And so, vendors will be at each space."
Lesson learned: Collaboration and community are requisites in the music industry!
Let's investigate another business that collaborates with The Black Sheep, embracing a DIY mindset and business model.