How’d You Get That Cool Job? Taylor Blumenreich Issue #39

Surveyor of Cool

By Anthonia Akitunde
Published: March 1st, 2009 | 11:53am

Taylor Evans Blumenreich knows all too well the feeling you get when you attend a great music concert or a hilarious comedy show: the heady rush of rocking out to your favorite band a mere few feet away, the laugh-till-you-cry awesomeness of a well-delivered joke. It’s a feeling Blumenreich has not only experienced, but one she helps replicate as a talent buyer for her family’s Boston music and comedy venue, the Wilbur Theater.

Name: Taylor Evans Blumenreich
Age: 25
Occupation: Talent Buyer

Training Required? Blumenreich’s career was practically written in stone thanks to her “unusual childhood” in Milton, Massachusetts. Her father opened his first comedy club when she was 6, later opening other venues and promoting shows around the country. As a student at DePaul University in Chicago, Blumenreich dove headfirst into her studies as a communications major (with a concentration in music business), also working as a DJ on the school’s radio station and as a member of the student activity board. Upon graduating, Blumenreich got a job at Chicago’s venerated Metro/Smartbar as the front-office coordinator. Within a few months she moved up the ranks from assistant talent buyer to one of the venue’s head talent buyers.

Salary: Depending on the size of a venue, talent buyers can stand to make between $60,000 and $80,000. Salary increases if the buyer books events for multiple venues. There are other perks to the job, Blumenreich says. Fringe benefits include “going to shows for free, free music and CDs, invitations to parties and events, [and] meeting people that inspire you and that are interested in the same thing.”

Hours: While the flashing lights of the entertainment industry can seem appealing, it’s far from easy or glamorous. “It requires a lot of hard work as well as long hours,” Blumenreich says. “Talent buyers work normal business hours, and we are also expected to be present at the shows we book — whether it be a weekday or weekend.”

Fun Stuff: No matter what, Blumenreich enjoys seeing her hard work pay off: “Seeing the shows I’ve worked on sell out, or simply watching the audience’s reactions at the shows I’ve booked [have been my favorite moments].”

Yucky Stuff: “My first job at Metro was answering phones, doing inventory for the bar, and greeting people coming to the venue,” Blumenreich recalls. “It was obviously not my ideal job after working my ass off in school with my courses, internship work, and having my diploma. However, I worked hard at the job and it got me in the building.”

Words of Wisdom: “Internships are invaluable,” Blumenreich stresses. “Through internships you gain hands-on experience as well as expand your contacts in the business. I got my first job at Metro through the owner, who I had previously interned for.” Also, remember that you’re booking shows for your venue, not for yourself. “You must have a feel for different genres and know what other people want to see or hear. I’ve booked a lot of talent that I love and others that I don’t totally care for because I realize there is a market for it.”