In the midst of pandemic closures, Todd and Traci Grabner first drummed up an idea for a side gig that began to really start humming along once the community began enjoying live music performances again.

The duo formed The Live Music Junkies, first as a Facebook presence, and now as a paid service available to both venues and artists. They promote live music in all genres throughout the region, including eastern Oregon, Walla Walla and the Yakima Valley.

Thousands of Facebook followers benefit from the Grabners’ expertise on the live music scene. 

At no cost, they share a wide range of events available any night of the week. 

“Eventually, people started coming to us saying, ‘Hey, could you help us get bands?,’” Traci Grabner said. “At first we were doing it for free, and then people started requesting more and more to provide this service.”

The couple tapped into Todd Grabner’s past experience promoting national concerts, which he’d done back in the aughts. 

“We know the business and we know what both bands and venues need,” he said. “We have such a wide variety of background experience; we can provide a service almost like project management.” 

The Live Music Junkies can be hired by a venue to help fill their calendar with acts, or by a group looking to get a paid gig – an enterprise that bridges “the gap between talent and opportunity.”

The business is perfect for the couple who are passionate about music. They listen to a range of genres, but especially classic rock.

Todd Grabner is a fan while his wife dreams of being a singer as she has a background in choir and vocal performance. 

Drawing on their own interests, the Grabners make a point of being familiar with all local venues that can host bands, totaling about 20 just in the Tri-Cities. 

They serve as a go-between to get acts into the spaces, drawing more customers along the way, at restaurants, bars, wineries, amphitheaters and more.

“We can come in and take that responsibility off their hands if it’s not their niche,” said Traci Grabner. “We can figure out more of the details of what the bands need. We feel our service helps venues because they don’t have to deal with the questions from the band. We deal with it, get them in there, make sure everything’s good, and follow up after the show.”

Both already hold steady jobs. Todd Grabner works for a Hanford contractor, and Traci Grabner is a school paraeducator, leaving them mostly evenings and weekends to work on The Live Music Junkies. 

“A lot of what we do can be done by computer or phone, or in person if we need to, but it’s something we could replicate pretty much anywhere in the U.S. and that would allow us to travel,” Todd Grabner said. He’s already looking ahead to retirement from his day job and the ability to grow their new business beyond the Tri-Cities while researching new bands and venues.

While the Tri-Cities has a couple dozen options for live music, the Grabners think the region is hurting for mid-sized spaces that could accommodate 500 to 1,000 people. 

“For venues that cater specifically to music only, there’s nothing like that in the Tri-Cities anymore,” said Todd Grabner. “You have more opportunity outdoors in the spring, summer and fall.”

As winter sets in, The Live Music Junkies are focused on adding to the 200 bookings they secured in 2023. 

They’re excited about developing a concert series for Silver Lake Winery in Zillah after booking a handful of weekends for the venue on a short deadline this past summer. 

Since the business supports both venues and musicians, the Grabners are also focused on showcasing up-and-coming artists to get them in front of local music fans. They’ve worked with The Underground Taphouse in west Pasco, receiving a consulting fee for finding bands that met their price range and available dates.

“A lot of bands don’t get paid what they should, and we’re trying to change that as much as we can because they put a lot of time into their skill,” Traci Grabner said. “We’ve also found a lot of the same bands come up over and over again. When we started this, we wanted to help introduce new bands into the scene so people feel like they have something new to check out instead of the same rotating seven groups. New bands won’t draw as many people, but you’re not going to pay them as much either.” 

The couple believes when a new artist gets their sound out there, it benefits everybody.

“Music is something everybody can come together on,” Traci Grabner said. “Whether we’re stuck at home in a pandemic, or out and about in the community, music provides a lot of opportunity to connect, even when you can’t connect.”

The Live Music Junkies: thelivemusicjunkies.com, 509-551-3906, @thelivemusicjunkies.