Back in 1985, Joey Harvey was a skinny 15-year-old at Hixson High School.
Like a lot of teenagers, he was into music, but he couldn’t play an instrument. When a friend mentioned that she was in a band that had sound equipment but no knowledge of how to use it, he jumped at the chance to help. Nevermind that he knew nothing about running sound. It was his chance to be a part of a band.
Harvey has been a part of the local music scene ever since. In fact, he calculated recently that he has probably worked with more than 2,000 acts over the years while on the road or working at local clubs like the old Lizard Lounge.
Q: What was the first band you worked with?
A: The first band was Hank in around 1985. I went to school with the guitar player, Leigh Jeffries. She said they had a sound system and no idea how to operate it. It didn’t come with instructions either.