It’s OK, I’m With the Band

It’s not every day that a former opera singer finds herself managing an alternative band. But Niles North graduate and long-time Buffalo Grove resident Liz Goldberg turned her experience in IT sales into a way to promote the band Epicycle.

“I had never managed a band before I saw Epicycle perform,” she said. Goldberg worked with one of the band members at the time and was invited to attend one of the band’s performances. “I noticed that the band wasn’t getting paid, and that they didn’t have many people in the audience,” she said. One year after she attended the concert, the band approached her and asked if she could get them more gigs.

“I had to learn what Epicycle was all about, like if they did covers of other songs, and the number of people they brought to a gig,” she said.

"I had no background in rock and roll," said Goldberg, who sang with the Buffalo Grove Singers from 1999 to 2002.

Drawing on her experience in sales, Goldberg said that she learned everything she could about the band. “To me, the band is a product. If I’m selling something, I need to know what I’m selling,” she said. Under her management, two of Epicycle's songs were used in the MTV show "Made."

“I also learned that you want to make the club’s manager happy,” she said. “You know Billy Joel’s song ‘Piano Man,’ where the manager gives him a smile? That’s what you want. You want the manager to smile because that means you’re doing a great job, and you’ll probably be asked back for another gig.”

Goldberg was Epicycle’s band manager between 2003 and 2010, when the band broke up amicably. “I always worked a regular nine-to-five job while I was managing the band,” she said. “I also raised three kids during that time.”

This summer, Goldberg taught a class through the on how to manage a band. Called “Garage to Headliner - Managing Your Band to Success,” the two-part class had two participants its first evening.

Throughout the first class, Goldberg emphasized the importance of networking. “People in the Chicago music scene really want to work with you,” she said. “Don’t ever burn bridges because it’s like a small family in this industry. Everyone knows each other.”

Chris Eckert, recreation supervisor of the Buffalo Grove Park District, said that Goldberg approached the park district with the idea of having a class on how to manage a band.

“From our initial meeting, we liked her experience,” Eckert said. “We host the Battle of the Bands, and this class sounded like a great idea.

Heidi Marciszewski attended the class with her mother, Tammy. 

Heidi, who is a singer with the band Sweet Mouth, said that she attended the class so she could learn how to network the band. “We’re more of a pop band, and we went to one open mic. We have another gig next month,” she said.

“My friends are in a cover band called Stage Fright that performs as far north as Kenosha, Wisconsin. The band doesn’t make much, and sometimes the gigs won’t even cover the cost of gas to get there,” Tammy said. “I am taking this class to learn how to manage the band, and how to network. I’m also here to help my daughter with her band.”