GMRS MicroMobile Two-Way Radios Power Up Brett Young Tour
Drivers on the Brett Young Tour are keeping connected with Midland's MicroMobile GMRS Two-Way Radios.
Midland caught up with the lead driver about the use of GMRS two-way radios as they tour the country.
GETTING INTO TOURING
Todd Cazee is the Lead Driver for the Brett Young based out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Cazee said the country artist tours beginning in March through December each year. The lead driver said the tour travels across all 48 contiguous states and Canada.
“I’m Brett’s personal driver so I take him on his tour bus to shows and private events. My second job as lead driver is that I’m in charge of all the transportation for the tour. That’s the day to day operations of all the buses, trucks, parking, taking care of my drivers, budgets, etc.”
For him, working on Young's tour is a dream coming to fruition.
“I grew up loving music and it was kind of always a dream of mine to work in the industry. I had a friend who asked if I had ever thought about driving a bus. I already had a license to drive one, but had never driven one before. It kind of evolved from that for me. I’ve been with some other artists, but this has been my permanent seat.”
LIFE ON TOUR
Cazee said most people don't realize the buses are hotels on wheels- equipped with showers, beds, toilets, refrigerators, and more.
He said he only typically takes in a few shows a year as his team has to sleep in order to rest up for night driving.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that even though it’s a job, we’re actually a really big family. We’re getting to live out a dream just like the artist does. It’s a dream that a lot of people don’t get a chance to do. We are all very, very grateful for the opportunity. It’s just something you couldn’t imagine to get to see different places, different venues, and meet these different people throughout the process.”
Being part of that family is what makes the job so special, he said.
“My favorite part of what I do is the people. I love it. I was an introvert growing up and I really didn’t like to talk to a lot of people growing up, but when I got into this industry, it opened me up to be an extrovert. I love watching peoples’ faces light up.”
Part of that special group on tour includes one of his own.
“A year ago, my oldest son decided he wanted to make a career change. He did all the hard work to do what he needed to do to get his license. He worked hard at it. We ended up hiring him last March as our band bus driver. It actually warms my heart to watch him grow and evolve in something I’ve done so long.”
GMRS MICROMOBILE TWO-WAY RADIOS ON THE ROAD
Keeping in touch is crucial as drivers take the tour from venue to venue.
“Communication is key in this business. We rely on these radios not only for our drives at night, but also for parking. Communication with these radios is huge.”
The team uses the MXT400 MicroMobile® Two-Way Radio and the MXT115 MicroMobile® Two-Way Radio.
“Years back when I took this role, I went to the tour and told them this was a very important piece of equipment that we need to purchase for our buses. We went with Midland and it evolved to where I was able to purchase more radios for our trucks. Now, we all communicate together.”
Cazee turned to Midland because he knew he could rely on the brand for clear communication with its MicroMobile® GMRS two-way radios.
“I did a bunch of research of the best affordable radios. Midland came in on a budget that I have based on what the tour was giving me. Midland also had the best reviews. I purchased a couple in the beginning and they worked out really well. Now, we have one in each bus and one in each truck.”
Since installing Midland's GMRS MicroMobile® Two-Way Radios, Cazee has been impressed with the performance.
“We haven’t had one problem with them. They are robust, the clarity out of them is really nice, the functionality is easy, and just absolutely no difficulties. The radios are crystal clear. Not only are they easy to use, they are easy to install.”
The communication with Midland's GMRS MicroMobile® has led to impressive efficiency within the transportation sector of the tour.
“I don’t think we could live without them. We have to have the radios, we just have to.”
