Ep. 6: Keeping Crowds Engaged and Creating Fan Traditions with Michael "Grubes" Gruber

Running live audio for a massive stadium crowd requires a rare blend of quick timing, deep music knowledge and the ability to stay cool under intense pressure. On this episode of "The Fan Experience Blueprint," host Connor Smith sits down with longtime sports music director Michael “Grubes” Gruber. Across an incredible decade in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, Grubes commanded the game-day soundtrack for the NHL’s Dallas Stars (2013-20), the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks (2015-16), and MLB’s Texas Rangers (2020-22). Grubes opens up about the raw reality of his early days on the job, admitting that despite years of experience in sports talk radio, the split-second pacing of a live professional hockey game almost caused him to quit just a few weeks into his rookie season. He shares how leaning on a front office that had his back helped him settle into the booth and eventually co-create some of the funniest, most popular fan traditions in hockey history — including the night the arena played nothing but Nickelback for an entire period. We talk shop about the legendary Bruce Springsteen philosophy of putting on a world-class show for the fan sitting in the very back row, keeping thousands of people engaged even when the home team is losing badly and how running a live sound system compares to the pure chaos of hockey possession changes.