Crew Chronicles: Jack Suarez – Tour manager & front of house engineer

Feb 01, 2026   »   interview   »   U2602

text: Kiss Daniella

Crew Chronicles pulls back the curtain on the people working behind the scenes – the crew who make every show happen. Their stories reveal their craft, the challenges as well as high points of touring, and the real life that unfolds beyond the stage. Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do in the music industry? “My name is Jack Suarez, and I work as both a tour manager and front of house engineer. As a tour manager, I’m responsible for the logistical side of touring — everything from hotel bookings and transportation to hospitality and day-to-day accounting for the band. Alongside that, I handle front of house audio for Hollywood Undead, making sure the live sound is exactly where it needs to be every night.” What does a typical day on tour look like for you? “A typical day usually starts when the bus arrives at the venue, somewhere between 8 and 9 a.m., depending on whether we’re headlining or supporting. If we’re headlining, the day starts early as I make sure the bus is parked correctly, get the driver settled, and send him to the hotel via the runner. From there, I head straight into the production office to set up my workspace — laptop, printer, everything I need for the day — and check in with the venue’s production manager to confirm that all technical and logistical details are in place. Before the band even wakes up, I make sure the dressing rooms are fully set and ready. The band usually gets up around 10 or 11 a.m., heads to the gym, and then goes out for lunch, which gives me time to focus on production. I’ll work closely with the monitor engineer and stage manager to finalize the stage setup, coordinate with the house crew, and prepare for soundcheck. Hollywood Undead often use virtual soundchecks, so once that’s done, we get the opening acts up and running. Later in the day, we handle meet-and-greets — usually about an hour before doors — and once doors open, things get hectic very quickly. That’s when fan issues, last-minute questions, and general chaos all happen at once. After that, there’s a short window for dinner before the show. Once the band finishes their set, it’s showers, pack-down, and then waiting for the bus call so we can move on to the next city. And then it all starts again the next day.” How did you first get involved in touring? “I’ve been working in live music since 1997. I originally started in audio, and my first experience on the road was actually as a backline tech, taking care of instruments like drums, guitars, bass, and keyboards. My very first tour was with Paul Anka, which was a pretty incredible introduction to touring. It was a completely different world—very classic, very polished. We were doing casino shows with a full orchestra, travelling with multiple trucks, and everything was run at a very high level. It was formal, disciplined, and extremely professional, and it gave me a solid foundation for how touring works at the top end. I got that opportunity through a friend who was working as a stage manager. At the time, I had just finished recording school in Ohio and moved to Las Vegas, where I started working at local venues and doing as much live work as possible. When the backline position opened up on that tour, he asked if I wanted to jump in, and I didn’t hesitate. I knew touring was something I eventually wanted to do, so I said yes and learned fast. I stayed on that circuit for about two and a half years, which really helped me get my feet wet. After that, I started branching out into different styles and roles. One of my next major steps was working with Unwritten Law, where I took on tour managing for the first time. I didn’t come into that job knowing everything, but punk rock is a great environment to learn in—you figure things out on the fly. As long as the band knows where they’re sleeping, how they’re getting to the show, and when they’re playing, you’re doing your job. From there, things escalated quickly. I worked on larger tours, did front of house sound for a while, and got to experience Warped Tour, which is its own kind of chaos—a massive travelling circus with endless bands, intense schedules, and muggy days. It’s messy, exhausting, but it teaches you how to survive anything on the road. As for Hollywood Undead, that came through relationships I’d built over the years. I already knew their monitor engineer, and when they were looking for someone new, he reached out to me. With a band like that, trust and communication between the engineers is crucial, since there’s a lot happening during the show. I’d worked with parts of the crew before, so it felt like a good fit. I joined the guys about ten years ago, and I’ve been with them ever since.” What’s the best and hardest part of your job? “Like anything else, tour managing and doing front of house have their highs and lows, and a lot depends on whether you’ve got your stuff together. Some days go smoothly, others don’t, and sometimes personal issues can affect how your day plays out on the road. Touring also comes with factors you simply can’t control: the city, the venue, or last-minute changes. You have to learn not to take it personally and just work through it. At the end of the night, you get on the bus, think, «Okay, we got through it», and reset for the next day. Getting angry doesn’t help; sometimes you just need a few minutes to decompress, then move on. The best part, for me, is the shows. I especially love doing festivals because they’re the most intense and high-pressure environments. When you’re headlining or opening on a tour, you have more control, but at festivals you often have very little time to set up; there’s no soundcheck, and sometimes you barely get a kick drum through the PA before you’re live. You just have to trust that you’ve done everything right. If the system engineer has done their job too, you usually know within the first minute whether it’s going to be a good show. When everything is solid, the system engineer gives you a nod, steps back, and you’re free to do your thing. From a tour management perspective, festivals can be challenging as well. The headlining act really sets the pace for the day, and changes can happen constantly—set times shift, plans evolve, and technical issues come up, often at the last minute. You might tell your band one thing in the morning, and by showtime it’s completely different. You have to think on your feet, stay patient, and adapt. There are so many variables, but you go in knowing everything’s fine. You showed up, so you get paid whether you play or not. Patience is a big part of what the job requires, but when everything comes together, it makes the experience worth it.” Do you have a funny or memorable story from the road that you can share? “One that always comes to mind happened in 2018 when we were playing Rock am Ring and two of my guys managed to miss their flight to Europe. They were in New York, hanging out at the bar, didn’t hear the boarding announcement, and the plane took off without them. I get a call from one of the singers saying, «You’re not going to be happy.» And I’m thinking, here we go. Then it gets better—on top of missing the flight, his passport only had two months left on it, and you need at least six to get into Europe. Somehow, we pulled off a miracle. Our travel agent knew someone who could expedite a new passport overnight. He ran all over LA, got the paperwork done, and the next morning someone literally met him at the airport with the new passport in hand. We rebooked the flight, he checked in, went to the bar… and missed the boarding call again. At that point, we knew we were playing the festival without him. The problem was, he sings a big chunk of the songs and plays guitar and bass on several tracks, so backstage we’re scrambling—cutting songs, redistributing parts, and trying to remember his lyrics on the fly. Meanwhile, I’m getting text updates during the set that he’s landed and is on his way. He finally shows up about 30 minutes after we get off stage. Total chaos—and that’s how we kicked off one of our European tours. (laughs) After that, we changed the rules. I collect everyone’s passports, track expiration dates, and remind them months in advance when they need renewing. Every December, we do a full passport check. No surprises, no excuses. we’ve still had someone who knew their passport was lost months ahead of time… and completely forgot. Touring really keeps you on your toes!” What’s your biggest nightmare as a tour manager? “Losing one of your guys, without a doubt. A couple of Christmases ago in Frankfurt, we had a day off and the band was out enjoying the Christmas markets. The city had recently dealt with a series of random stabbings during the holidays, so the police were on high alert. Out of nowhere, I got a text from one of the band members saying, «Hey, I just got arrested», and my heart dropped. Turns out the police stopped him because he had a knife clipped to his front pocket—something he carried all the time without thinking—and that kind of knife is illegal there. He genuinely didn’t know, apologized immediately, even offered to hand it over, but they arrested him on the spot. He shared his location with me so I could see which police station they were taking him to. I left dinner right away, called the promoter, and got connected with a lawyer. Because of everything that had been happening, they were trying to make an example out of it, so it went to court. We explained that he was American, genuinely unaware of the law, and would’ve followed it if he had known. Thankfully, the judge understood and dropped the case. It all worked out in the end, but it still took six or seven months to fully sort out. Situations like that are every tour manager’s worst nightmare—you’re in a foreign country, responsible for everyone, and something completely unexpected can spiral really fast. Luckily, it had a good ending.” What’s one thing you wish more people understood about your job? “The travel is by far the hardest part, and I think people really underestimate that. We’re basically sleeping in coffins—twelve guys on a bus with very little space—so you have to respect each other’s boundaries or it just doesn’t work. And it’s definitely not the ’80s anymore; the whole drugs-and-rock’n’roll fantasy is mostly gone. Don’t get me wrong, it still happens sometimes, but backstage isn’t a constant party. Most of these guys have wives and kids, and being away from their families is the hardest part of the job for many of them.” What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do? “People still see this as a dream job, and in many ways it is, but if you want to do this, my advice is always the same: the younger you get into it, the better. When you’re 18 or 19, you don’t really care about missing birthdays or weddings. As you get older, it gets harder, because there’s no real in-between—you’re either on the road or you’re home. You give up a lot; I don’t think I’ve been to a family function or a wedding in over 30 years. You miss birthdays, milestones, important moments. It’s just the nature of the beast. That said, there’s a huge upside. This job lets you see the world in a way most people never do. The travel is paid for, the accommodations are top-notch, and you end up in places you’d never expect—like playing for the troops at Guantanamo Bay or Kuwait. Those experiences are incredible. At the end of the day, it’s still hard work, but if you love it enough, you accept the uncomfortable parts and keep going.” Speaking of advice, what are your three must-haves to survive a tour? “For the job itself, my computer and my phone are essential, and obviously the passport keeps the whole thing moving. If I have those three, I’m having a good day.” If you could tour with any band in the world, who would it be? “I’ve been really lucky and toured with some amazing artists. I spent about two months with Prince, which was unreal. He was a total perfectionist in the best way—soundchecks lasted four or five hours, and once everything was set, he’d rehearse nonstop. He just loved to play, and you always had to be on your A-game. As a guitarist and entertainer, he was flawless. There are still a few dream bands, though. Touring with the Rolling Stones would be incredible, even though I’m not a massive fan. AC/DC would also be insane, especially doing front of house, because it’s loud, aggressive, and hits you right in the gut. I’ve always loved guitars, and if a band is built around great riffs, I’m in. Rammstein is another big one — a killer band with a massive show, insane pyro, and the full spectacle. On top of that, they’re genuinely great guys. When I first started working with Hollywood Undead, we played a few shows at the Roxy in Hollywood, and two of Rammstein’s guitar players came out to see us. Both bands are fans of each other, which is really cool. Right now, if I had to pick one dream tour, it would probably be Rammstein.” Finally, what’s next for you and the band? “We’re heading back to Europe for festival season in early June, kicking off with Rock am Ring, which is always incredible. After a short break, we’ll hit the U.S. and Canada, and probably return to Europe toward the end of the year. Big festivals are my favorite because of amazing crowds, new fans discovering the band, and backstage reunions with friends I haven’t seen in years. The guys are always kicking ass on stage, so come see them this summer!”

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