Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Haynes.
Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first notable experience with Knoxville was working in a tattoo shop as a receptionist. I was on my way to being a piercing apprentice. The owner was very toxic and gave his employees drugs to keep them around longer. I was also in a toxic relationship with two people, and we lived together. I eventually got myself exiled from that environment, and am always thankful for that separation. After that, I moved in with my parents for a few months in Roane County, until I met Chloe Daniels of the local band Bad Idols.
We became friends fast and decided to move in together. We still live together 6 years later! She is my best friend! Through Chloe, I got into the music scene. I fell in love with the scene and started a folk-punk band with Chloe and Austin Possum called Burnt Toast. The first show I booked was a benefit show for Austin Possum when they fell in a skateboard accident and had serious head injuries. Our good friend, Dillon Luttrell (The owner of Brickyard Bar and Grill) reached out to me and asked me to book the show.
It meant a lot to me, and to Austin, in a rocky time of our friendship. A few months passed, and I was asked to book a band, Pears, by Eric Trent of Bad Idols. I booked the show, and it really opened my eyes and showed me that I am good at bringing people together. Music helped me meet my best friends and bandmates, and my partner, Eric.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It definitely has not been easy. I don’t like to focus on the bad, but I can tell some stories of obstacles. The obstacles that I have faced include “scene drama” and losing friends due to the drama; hearing rumors about myself; not being taken seriously as a woman.
Though, I think the biggest challenge is taking care of my mental health, and getting past the executive dysfunction to just simply send that email or make that show flyer! Thankfully, things have been going smoothly lately.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Simply put, I am a DIY booking agent. I would like to move further along as a booking agent and have made great strides in the past year. I book for bands all across the U.S. that are on tour, coming to Knoxville. I am most proud of my ability to bring together a show for bands in a pinch. I love helping people when I can.
What sets me apart? I am not sure. I think every booking agent in Knoxville brings a different type of music and comedy to Knoxville. There are many booking agents in Knoxville that put on amazing shows.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
The best thing about this city is the friendships I have made, and the music community that has thrived through the years.
The thing I like the least is how the city handles the homeless, taking away their tents, their only homes because they believe it’s “an eyesore”. We need more assistance for homeless people who live in our city. They need help.
Contact Info:
- Email: Bananaslugbooking@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/bananaslugbooking
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BananaSlugBooking
Image Credits
Kevin Phanovich
