Concert promoter Kris Youmans has spent the last year and a half booking shows for the Gilley's Complex on South Lamar, focusing on The Loft, South Side Music Hall and newly-remodeled Jack Daniel's Saloon.But he has spent the last 16 years booking shows since his first at The Major Theater when he wasn't even old enough to buy a drink.
Now Youmans is stepping into his own with the announcement of the formation of his very own independent talent buying agency -- Tactics Productions.
"Tactics has been a production company I have always wanted to start and in one way or another has been around for the last 10 years," explained Youmans. "It has been my unofficial video production company since 2000. Now it's becoming a reality since I will be able to produce concerts and eventually video."
Tactics' first "unofficial" show was The Nighty Night (a new band with John Congleton from The Paper Chase) and True Widow at one of our favorite hangs -- the Double Wide near Fair Park. Get a taste of the new company's first official show Sunday, July 10, when performance artist and pop musician The Blow performs at the Prophet Bar.
Read the full press release below.
Kris Youmans Launches Dallas' Newest Independent Production Company, Tactics Productions
The name Youmans is practically synonymous with live music in Dallas, TX. For more than 15 years Kris Youmans has booked, toured, managed and promoted music in and around Dallas, beginning with booking house parties and underground shows and eventually building the brands of several notable local venues through his uniquely insightful booking philosophy.
When Rubber Gloves opened in Denton in 1997, Kris booked and managed the venue; building a reputation amongst national booking agents of success and trustworthiness which has developed over the years into friendships and concrete working relationships. Granada Theater hired Kris in 2006 to attract a younger audience to the venue. His vision transformed the booking calendar and brought much deserved attention Granada Theater, which is arguably Dallas' best live music venue. In 2010 Gilley's Dallas offered Kris the position of Director of Entertainment, with the mission of rebranding the facility as a multi-venue entertainment destination and booking all genres of music. Over the course of a single year, Youmans and his team completely changed the image of the facility from traditional Texas honky-tonk to diverse entertainment complex. The complex's 1,500 capacity room was renamed to South Side Music Hall last fall and has since hosted about a dozen national touring acts, including rare appearances by acts like Guided By Voices and Beirut.
If you enjoy live music and you live in Dallas, there is a very strong possibility you've been to one of Youmans' shows. Agents prefer to work with Kris Youmans because they know that he (and his team) will put the extra effort into promoting shows that is required to make them successful. Which is why this Spring Kris began working on the beginnings of his own independent production company named Tactics Productions. Kris' vision is to attract more touring acts to North Dallas by creating more successful shows and placing them in the most appropriate local venues. Over the years Kris Youmans has established friendships with the owners of many of Dallas' live music venues and small clubs; as well as the handful of booking agents that bring shows to North Texas. Tactics Productions will bring together a lifetime worth of friends and partners to bear on the mission of growing the music scene in Dallas, TX.
Music fans in Dallas have attended and loved Youmans' shows for years, at Rubber Gloves, Granada or The Loft and South Side Music Hall, whether they know of the man behind the music or not. Tactics Productions is merely the new brand on a concept Kris Youmans has been working on for most of his life; promoting North Dallas' developing music scene and encouraging people to experience live music. Over the next year Dallas will see an infusion of more touring concerts at more local venues; with Tactics Productions hard at work behind the scenes.
Youmans' latest shows are already on sale at The Loft, South Side Music Hall and The Prophet Bar, including AWOL Nation and Cold War Kids. Stay up-to-date with concerts and other information about Tactics Productions at the company's website & blog (www.TacticsProductions.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/tacticsproductions) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/tacticsprod).
