Harder than it looks

SIKESTON -- The performers at the rodeo are, arguably, one of the biggest draws.

Sure, you have the die-hard rodeo fans who come just to see the bucking horses and cowboys and cowgirls attempting to beat one another's time in the arena. But lots of times, people choose what one or two nights to attend the rodeo solely based on who is entertaining.

"You always have people ask who the entertainment is," said Scott Balcer, who is on the entertainment committee. "They never ask what cowboys are performing."

Given the performance lasts just a bit over an hour, one may think the Jaycees and others who help things go smoothly each of the four nights of rodeo have the best job. After all, they get to rub shoulders with country music stars and just have that night to worry about.

I was one of them - until I became an entertainment committee member for 24 hours.

Standard Democrat reporter Michelle Felter puts together a microphone.

Standard Democrat reporter Michelle Felter puts together a microphone.

I found out this group of people are some of the most dedicated, who only get a few hours of sleep, if they're lucky, until they begin the cycle again for four nights in a row.

Although most say they wake up around 4 or 5 a.m., the day doesn't

really start until the buffet-style breakfast at 8 a.m. The tables are

packed with food such as eggs and biscuits and gravy. Workers fill up

-- and they need to -- because they need to get energy from somewhere

for the long day ahead.

Soon after, stage preps begin for the night's performance. A semi-trailer with all the necessary equipment is driven into the arena, as well as the stage, to unload and get everything in place.

An unbelievable amount of items fit in the 53-foot semi-trailer.

Black trunks of all sizes on wheels are clearly marked where they go and to whom they belong. Some hold equipment and instruments. Others open, serving as a dresser and closet for the performers, which are placed on a forklift and driven to the entertainment barn. There are also chairs, stage decorations, band souvenirs to sell to fans and more.

Coolers of water and Gatorade are a must while laboring in the heat, as workers are sweating out as much fluid as they take in.

And a break inside the air-conditioned barn is also required every couple of hours, despite protests from workers who insist they are "fine."

"You really have to be cautious of overheating out there," said Toni Tilley, stage manager. "You have to watch each other's backs a lot."

A bulk of the work is done by a stage crew. Jaycee members pitch in, but are busy talking on their radios and fulfilling contractual obligations, such as supplying food and drink for the band's bus and stocking entertainment merchandise in the booths.

Everything is set on the stage, just as it will be that night. The performers come out mid-afternoon to run a sound check. Positions are then striped on the stage with tape, to show where things go.

Once sound checks are done, everything is condensed on the stage so the lights can fold down. The stage and trailers with sound equipment are moved inside the entertainment barn to keep them out of the way and out of the heat.

Then there's a break -- for a few hours, at least. Workers, who mostly live at the rodeo grounds during the week, take a break to cool off, clean up and change clothes for the night's performance. They're free until a 7:30 p.m. meeting, then have to report to the entertainment barn at 8:30 p.m. to load and pull out the stage and trailers of sound equipment.

Once the stage was outside the arena, it was followed by waiting. And more waiting. Jaycees want to get the stage set up as quickly as possible so the crowd doesn't have to wait long for the entertainment to begin, so the stage and trailers begin lining up outside the gates as soon as team roping, the second to last event begins.

And once the stage stops near the Cattle Barons at the front of the arena and the stairs are let down and it is unfolded, it seems that total chaos erupts. It's easy to feel lost and totally clueless -- especially for a first-timer like myself.

Then the performance finally begins. And there's nothing like knowing that, in some way, you contributed. It doesn't hurt to have the added bonus of standing 10 feet from the stage, snapping pictures and singing along with singers like Dierks Bentley, either.

But of course, workers don't want to waste too much energy dancing, or they'll be ready to drop once the performance is over. They have to keep some of that strength to help tear down the stage, putting all the equipment back in cases and loading them on the trucks. Tear-down usually lasts until 2 or 3 a.m., depending on how popular the artist is and how much equipment they have.

Then it's time to crawl into bed for a couple of hours, until the process begins again.

After just one day, I was worn out. I can't imagine how these workers make it through four nights of rodeo, plus preparations Monday and Tuesday after the slack competition and then on Sunday to tear down the audio equipment.

"It gets harder as the week goes on," Tilley said.

So while they go on working the next two nights, I'll just be out in the stands, enjoying the rodeo and the performances. And I won't be signing up for the entertainment committee anytime soon.

And for the Jaycees, the work isn't even over once rodeo is. It's already time to start looking for talent for the next year. "We're already looking for entertainment," Balcer said.