Preserving the stories, craft, and legacy of the touring professionals who built rock & roll from behind the curtain — before those stories are gone forever.
"In the early days, the crew guys drove the trucks, worked in every department, and made the show happen. No stagehands to help. No manual to follow."
— Behind The Curtain
We are watching the first — and in some cases the second — generation of production veterans hang up their laminates. With them goes irreplaceable knowledge: how to rig a truss before CAD existed, how to tune a PA in an arena without analyzers, how to build a set in a loading dock at 2am.
Behind The Curtain is a historical society dedicated to documenting that world. No universities taught this. No manuals existed. These people invented it on the fly, night after night, city after city.
Our long-term goals are a physical museum and a foundation to support retired crew members in need.
About the SocietyInterviews, articles, photos, technical breakdowns, and first-person accounts — captured before they disappear.
A permanent physical space where the public can understand the full scope of what it took to put on a show.
Tangible support for retired touring professionals in need — honoring a lifetime of service to live music.
Benjamin Jones interviews Charlie "Cosmo" Wilson. They discuss his start in the business, his design philosophy, and how the industry has changed to become what it is today.
1982. Hanging by his ankles under a truss, trying to get the ColorMax units to reset…
The journey and process behind designing one of rock's most iconic tours.
A detailed technical breakdown of the full lighting rig from one of rock's legendary tours.
Aerosmith, AC/DC, Rush. Davidian paints a vivid picture of touring from the early 70s onward.
Behind The Curtain was founded in 2020 when Jesper Luth, Dizzy Gosnell, and Rob Kern — all Bay Area residents, all road veterans — sat down to dinner during COVID and realised there was no central place representing the rich history of concert touring. What started as a conversation over drinks became a 501(c)(3) non-profit, backed by some of the most decorated names in the live production industry.
Behind The Curtain is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Every dollar supports documenting these stories, building toward a physical museum, and creating a foundation for retired crew members in need.
We are losing these stories at the rate of one funeral at a time. A generation of inventors and artists who made rock & roll possible deserves to be remembered.
Donate via Ko-fi →Fund ongoing documentation, interviews, and digitization of historic materials from touring's golden era.
Contribute toward a permanent physical space that honors the crews who built live music as we know it.
Help fund the foundation that assists veterans of touring who need support after a lifetime on the road.
You don't need to be an experienced writer or interviewer. If you worked behind the scenes in live concerts, your story belongs here.
This is the place where any veteran is welcome to say "Back in my day…" — and have those words preserved for the generations that follow.
Submit Your Content →A story, interview, memory, photo, drawing, or technical breakdown from your touring days. Any format welcome.
Use our simple submission form. Our editorial team can help shape and edit if needed — no experience required.
Your story joins the permanent archive, credited to you, preserved for future generations of fans and historians.