Decades of light and sound at the Appy Fair

In the late 1970's, Pennsylvania-based John Duttera was running sound at festivals, fairs and shows across the country and had become the sound reinforcement pick for the VA/KY District Fair in Wise, VA. He liked the area and the people and knew the business well enough to develop a good reputation in the region - so it was no surprise when Niles Gray, manager of the Appalachian Fair at the time, asked him to visit the main stage in Gray. "I think the sound company that had been working the fair had an issue with the Statler Brothers and it caused some problems," says Duttera, in an interview with Tri-Cities Scene earlier this week. "That was about 1979, maybe 1980. Niles asked me to come over to Gray and give it a look. I liked what I saw and told him to give me a price. He did and I've been doing it ever since." I was able to catch up with Duttera earlier this week as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Appalachian Fair to talk about his role in the entertainment that has helped define the event, which draws thousands to its stage every year. John Duttera has been in the business since "concert companies had to build speaker systems, as manufacturers mostly supplied components for speakers, not complete cabinets." He has grown his business over the years, working to offer state-of-the-art options in sound, lighting, and staging. "We also partner with several other companies to supply backline and video systems to our clients," he says. "Our largest event was the 50th anniversary of MLK crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, attended by over 70,000 people. We have supported several prime-time Presidential speeches, which were viewed by millions of people." Duttera specializes in live music, which works well for the stage at the Appalachian Fair, and has served the region well for more than 45 years. He points out the relationships he has built here in East Tennessee, remarking on the good people and nice community that have made his trips south feel like a drive down to his "second home." He also works the fireworks show in Johnson City each July 4th and has assumed production duties at Rogersville's Independence Day celebration as well. "They say if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life," says Duttera. "Well, I haven't worked that many days, because I really love what I do." The pandemic shut down a lot of production companies - live entertainment is required if you run a business catering to live production - but Duttera was able to take losses and move ahead, rebranding from Duttera Sound Service to Entertainment Production Systems and Services. He and his company have spent the last few years expanding to offer more services, while going completely digital in their efforts. "Pre-pandemic, it was an analog world. Now we have digital consoles, multiple screens, video walls - it's a totally different thing," says Duttera. "In the old days, artists didn't have a sound engineer to travel with them - they relied on the sound man at the venue, or maybe they'd have someone to run front of house and the venue would provide someone for the monitor mix. Now, floor wedges have gone away, every person on stage has their own monitor mix and it's almost all done with in-ear monitor systems, so you get the same mix at every part of the stage. The industry has changed quite a bit… not just with gear. Before 2020, I had a full staff with a weekly paycheck. The pandemic changed all that." Since those days, Duttera and EPSS utilize a modern approach to hiring as well. Where sound men used to work their way through the ranks as an apprentice, now most attend schools like Full Sail University to learn the ropes. "The days of bar bands being a training ground for the industry are gone," he says. One thing never changes, though, and that's the love of the music. Duttera enjoys shows like the Appalachian Fair and the chance it gives rising artists to make a name for themselves. "Like a lot of fairs, they buy artists on the way up. People who used to get small radio play now go viral on YouTube or TikTok. When Reba McIntire was a baby artist, I remember being contacted by a man who said he had authorization from the record company to make a live recording of her show. I expected something small, but he showed up with an 18-wheeler and a full truck of gear to make an actual live recording… the Appy Fair has had Tim McGraw three times, Vince Gill twice… a lot of really good shows. Too many to remember them all." The Fair has been lucky to book the great artists it has over the years and lucky to have a reliable partnership with John Duttera, who keeps the talent sounding good. "It's a great breeding ground for a lot of major acts," he says. Let's hope that trend continues into the next 100 years.