Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 242: Long Live]

"That's right, the closing act, the last one during prime time, will probably be around eleven-thirty," Ryan said, holding the phone in his office.

"Thank you..." Beyonce's father sounded very pleased with that result on the other end of the line.

"Now, about the specific tracks, do you have any additional requests?" he continued. 

"Of course. It has to be hits -- how about Halo, Single Ladies, and If I Were a Boy?" Ryan suggested after a moment of thought.

"You certainly know how to pick," Beyonce's father chuckled on the phone.

"Now, let's talk about the performance fee. As you know, the carnival takes place in the summer, and there aren't any major award shows happening around that time. It would serve as excellent publicity for Beyonce's ongoing I Am... World Tour. Plus, many big names will attend, so the budget isn't exactly sufficient..."

As soon as the topic turned to the fees, Ryan began to express his difficulties.

"Young man, this is the closing act," the other person pointed out.

"Precisely because it's the closing act, you should extend a friendly price. Taylor found out last night and gave me an earful; I was scolded for several minutes," Ryan said, exuding exasperation.

"But I heard that the carnival's live performance will be broadcasted live by CWTV. The media rights fees must be substantial, right? Young man, don't try to play tricks with me."

"Your information is pretty good. That said, your performance is happening right around Florida; why not make a little extra on the side?" Ryan countered.

"You seem to know a lot. How much are you offering?" Beyonce's father laughed a couple of times on the phone, sensing the discussion was heading towards pricing.

"$500,000," Ryan stated.

Under normal circumstances, the live performance fee for a first-tier celebrity ranged from $500,000 to $2 million. The base price was $500,000, and for well-known stages, it could be less, as seen with the Grammys or the Super Bowl. If it was a private event, the fee would start at three million dollars.

"Ryan, my daughter's performance fees at the Grammys were higher than this. But given that you want to feature her in the closing act, let's settle for $1 million this time."

"How about $750,000? If you don't need it, I'd like to save that amount."

"That's a deal," Beyonce's father hesitated for a few seconds before finally responding.

"As for additional conditions..." Ryan mentioned, maintaining a calm demeanor. This was the main reason he was willing to engage with Beyonce's team.

"Rihanna, right? Someone will contact you from her side later. We keep our word," he replied.

...

Ryan nodded and hung up, then opened an electronic spreadsheet, noting Beyonce's name in the appropriate time slot along with the performance tracks and fees.

Currently, about half of the performance slots were filled on this spreadsheet.

The opening act for prime time was Lady Gaga, with a performance fee of $500,000. The Black Eyed Peas would take the stage around ten o'clock. As a super-hot group, their invites were numerous, and their price had skyrocketed to $2 million for this performance. However, considering it was a four-member group, each would take home a smaller share. How they chose to split the fees internally was their business, not Ryan's concern.

Lil Wayne, Usher, and Eminem were also on the list, with fees similar to Beyonce's, averaging around $750,000. If the carnival held the same status and attention as Coachella, Ryan felt confident he could negotiate the fees lower for these acts, but there were currently no feasible options.

Several names remained in the backup column, including Katy Perry and a few band names. These folks were tentatively on Ryan's radar, but performance slots and song selections had not been finalized yet.

...

Ryan called Teresa into his office.

"Get ready to send out the promotional images for Beyonce's performance..." he instructed.

Almost daily, the festival's related social media announced news of a heavyweight star joining.

Teresa nodded in acknowledgment.

"How are the non-prime time slots arranged?" Ryan inquired again.

Similar to daily TV programming, the festival had daytime, prime time, and late-night slots. Ryan was only responsible for the prime-time segment; his subordinates handled the other two.

Teresa indicated that the non-prime time performance schedules were already about half completed.

Ryan urged Teresa to stay on top of it, then he made his way downstairs, where Taylor and her best friend, Abigail, were about to arrive.

Abigail was invited by Ryan, while Taylor demanded they come together.

...

Ryan met with the two backstage.

"I'll take Abigail around while you get busy," Taylor said with a smile as soon as she saw Ryan. Given recent development, she had to be cautious--"Trust but verify," after all. As the saying goes, beware of fire, theft and best friends. Naturally, it was impossible for Ryan and Abigail to continue to have private contact.

Ryan nodded, choosing not to comment. Everything felt just right at the moment; no need to complicate things.

...

After exchanging goodbyes backstage with both of them, Ryan routinely went to find Diplo, asking about the evening's performance arrangements. Avicii was coincidentally there chatting with Diplo, and Ryan paid special attention to the young man named Avicii -- he was the only artist recognized twice in the déjà vu.

"I've been discussing electronic music production daily with Hardwell and Deadmau5. I've learned a lot," Avicii remarked.

"You need to keep at it; your talent is just as good as Hardwell's and Calvin Harris's," Ryan encouraged.

Avicii nodded, evidently holding a look of confusion on his face.

"If you have any thoughts or difficulties regarding electronic music, feel free to come find me. You know where my office is," Ryan reminded him.

Avicii nodded again.

...

After saying goodbye to the two DJs, Ryan moved on to a VIP booth, meeting some high-profile guests. This was Paris Hilton's arrangement. As a socialite, she was thriving in the nightclub scene, smoothly hosting arrivals and departures. In addition to handling promotional materials, Ryan had her step in for him when receiving VIP guests.

Tonight's VIP guests were quite noteworthy -- the Miami Heat from the NBA.

After being eliminated by the Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the team had booked the biggest VIP suite on the top floor.

Upon entering, Ryan immediately spotted Dwyane Wade, who was still feeling good after celebrating, dancing around with his buddies.

These basketball players were notorious for their love of partying. Ryan had previously read about rookie Michael Beasley getting into a scuffle with security at Miami's Mynt Lounge.

Among them was Mario Chalmers, who casually threw an arm around Ryan's shoulder, claiming he wanted to guest DJ as he was also good with the turntables.

Ryan promised to make it happen next time. They posed for pictures together, though during the process, Mario accidentally twisted his ankle.

"I often hit up LIV Nightclub and Mansion on South Beach. This place has a way better vibe than those two," Wade said with a grin. He had frequented nightclubs during his younger days to unwind.

"Just needs a few more... ladies," one of the players added with a burp.

Ryan waved to the players before leaning against the railing, pointing downstairs, "Women you can simply buy aren't interesting; it's the guys who can charm women with their personality that are the real pros."

The players cheered, many began boasting about their school days, while some were eager to showcase their skills.

"Don't go too crazy; remember to come back in time," Wade admonished, as the team's big brother, urging them not to overdo it.

The players scattered in small groups, heading downstairs to "hunt," while Ryan summoned the bartender to bring more premium liquor for the players.

...

Before long, the players brought in a number of women, plus their own companions. The spacious suite started to feel a bit cramped, full of perfume and excitement.

The women who arrived discovered Ryan was also present and began to squeal, quickly surrounding him. As female guests in the Bad Room, many of them were fans of Ryan. Considering other factors, he undoubtedly had more allure than the players.

Suddenly, Ryan became the center of attention. He discreetly introduced the players to the eager girls, illuminating previously dull faces among the players.

They were guests here to enjoy themselves; it wasn't polite to let them leave disappointed. Plus, with the types of women brought in catering to the guys' preferences, Ryan was more than happy to play the role that smoothed the way.

"Ryan, you're a great guy, showing loyalty!" a somewhat tipsy player said, patting Ryan's chest.

After just a few hours, these players felt Ryan truly knew how to handle himself.

The nightclub gained a few new high-spending regulars thanks to Ryan's efforts.

As the time felt right, Ryan decided not to intrude any further and stepped out of the booth to prepare for his live performance.

...

About an hour later, Ryan returned to his office, ready to call it a night and check on the daily report handed to him by the nightclub manager.

Overseeing the nightclub's smooth operations, personally greeting VIP guests, and performing -- Ryan's daily workflow was often the same.

Taylor and Abigail returned to the office just then. Abigail had certainly experienced the wild energy of the nightclub; compared to that, the clubs near the University of Kansas felt like child's play.

"Oh, by the way, I'll be going to this year's ACM Awards soon," Taylor suddenly said, wrapping her arm around Ryan's, suggesting a subtle claim since there were only three of them in the office.

Ryan nodded. Taylor's trip, combined with the tour, meant she'd be away for a week.

Unknown to others, Teresa would definitely be thrilled hearing this news.

"Also, I want to bring Abigail along on this trip," Taylor added.

She worried about leaving Abigail alone at home and didn't want to return only to hear Abigail casually mention she was pregnant with Ryan's baby.

"That's settled then!" Ryan had no objections, while Abigail appeared somewhat reluctant.

"You and Taylor haven't spent much time together lately. It's perfect; you can keep her company, consider it filling in for me," Ryan said with a smile.

"Ryan wants to be with me, but he's too busy, so it's settled like this," Taylor chimed in cheerfully.

"Alright then," Abigail nodded.

...

The three of them headed home together, with Ryan and Taylor sitting in the back.

"Ryan, how did Taylor manage to charm you in the first place?" Abigail asked curiously as she turned to face him in the car.

"Don't you dare say anything!" Taylor immediately pointed at Ryan.

"To be honest, the first time I met Ryan, I already did everything with him," Taylor admitted, dropping her pretense.

Abigail's mouth dropped open. "Wow, you two really went all in!"

"It was Ryan who was bold! He's the one who said he loved us both," Taylor added, remembering the words.

"Considering the context back then, I don't think there's a problem with that... Ah, don't hit me!" Ryan yelped in protest.

...

"If you can't forget her, I'll support you both; we can all live together," Taylor said, suddenly embracing Ryan in bed.

"After all, I've done everything with her too, so it's nothing new. It just adds another plate at the table; plus I get to spend more time with her," Taylor attempted to convince herself with various justifications.

Ryan looked at her, "Stop saying things in frustration; those moments are all long behind me."

To put it bluntly, Taylor's best friend had nothing much to speak of and was not even as good as Taylor. Even if Taylor was willing, he was not. If there really needs to be another person living in the house, it has to be at least a woman of Karlie's level. If it's Ivanka, it would be even better. 

"Are you certain? I might change my mind after tonight; I hope you don't regret it," Taylor scrutinized Ryan.

"Maybe in the future, but not right now," Ryan replied, pulling Taylor closer.

"Why's that?"

"Because we have a whole series of things we still need to achieve, and we haven't stood on top of the world together yet. You and I need to conquer challenges like warriors, ripping away the masks of all the hypocrites, changing the world, and making everyone chant our praises! As for those base desires, they're just that -- base desires." Ryan was crystal clear on this matter.

Some women are merely for the night; others offer a true place to call home.

"Then let's keep walking hand in hand," Taylor declared, closing her eyes. Hearing Ryan's words, she trusted he would deal with those women outside, including the past, present, and future. At that moment, she didn't care how many there were or who they were; to her, they were mere replacements, disposable tools in their journey.

Tonight, they held each other tightly, even closer than when they first met.

"Ryan, did Beyonce agree to perform?" Taylor asked as she wiped her eyes.

"She couldn't possibly say no."

Taylor nodded. "I'll reach out to Cumulus Media so they can handle the radio broadcasts."

Her relationship with Cumulus had always been solid.

This reminded Ryan of something.

"Also, we can start preselling tickets, easing some of that funding pressure. I'll take care of that," Taylor added, as her tours had long partnered with ticketing websites.

Ryan nodded again.

"In a while, I'll have Robert prepare the stage setup for the festival. He's been doing a fantastic job lately and is a real talent for this work," Taylor concluded.

"Robert is definitely reusable," Ryan agreed.

"Then... if the festival prep goes smoothly, we can let the team take on other projects. But due to staffing shortages, it'll be hard to manage other tours in the near term. However, for other festivals with just one-time setups, we can definitely tackle that," Taylor followed Ryan's line of thought.

"You're getting better at this boss thing," Ryan said, kissing Taylor's forehead.

"Aren't you the one setting the example?" Taylor laughed softly.

"How confident are you about this year's ACM Awards?"

"Hard to say; Carrie Underwood's new album is also selling well, and those at the country music academy are quite conservative, you know. They tend to play it safe," Taylor replied thoughtfully.

"How about you reach out to some of the judges in Nashville, feel out their thoughts? We could have artists associated with them perform at the festival, giving them promo -- in exchange, they have to support you," Ryan suggested after a moment of consideration.

"Actually, there's a more effective way. I know a country music magazine with an editor who's been with the country music academy for years, and quite a few shareholders are judges," Taylor added.

"I had considered whether I should acquire it but hadn't made up my mind, and time's tight," she continued.

"If it helps your chances of winning, then go for it. Losing a bit of cash doesn't matter; we've got enough reserves," Ryan concluded after some thought, leaving the decision to Taylor.

"I'll start acting on it tomorrow," Taylor said determinedly.

The two talked for quite a while, mostly about business.

"By the way, what you just said has been lingering in my mind. Just at that moment, when my mind was blank, I felt your words would make for great lyrics," Taylor declared, refusing to rest as she turned on the bedroom lamp and pulled out her notebook.

"What do you think of calling it Long Live?" she asked, looking up after writing a couple of lines.

*****

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