John da Grinda

Born and raised in Providence Rhode Island and spent lots of time playing music and working in my parents deli. I earned the nickname "grinder" for a sangwitch, by my close friends Torch and Smokey!At 17 quit high school to tour with rock bands. 1st world tour was in 1978 with rock group "Boston".Now in year 30 of entertainment and events, my illustrious career has ranged in stints from MTV to Mickey Mouse, Pink Floyd to the Pope, and some time in Italy with Sinatra.The entertainment business has been a great ride from touring through the 80's with Sammy Hagar, Nightranger, Starship, REO, Loverboy, Original Airplane Reunion in '89, as well as my tenure in owning one of the top entertainment production company's from 1988-2001. My time with the Doobie Brothers was very cool, and I've made some great friends in the Doobro organization, like my dear friend Ed Ryan. I've mixed sound, been a rigger, done lights, ran a 10 person video crew in Italy on a Sinatra tour, drove a truck, been a tour accountant, humped cable, loaded semi's, climbed scaffold............Now, own a staging company with partners John Pappenfort and Mike Furlong, consult to the PELL Group on various large events and fortune 500 marketing events...........And my day job, well I am the Executive Director of a City Arts Center called the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, Nevada. I promote about 140 dates per year in and around Northern Nevada and have a great staff of people working with me like Mimi, my hospitality gal!Most importantly, my wonderful family...Wife Judy, children; Amyjo, Josh and Domenic, grandkids; Wednesday, Chile, Willow, Parker, Joey and Anna Marie, along with my best buddy Jack, my black lab.