Eric Klein

Eric Lyle Klein is the Director of Digital Strategy at C3 Presents (owned by Live Nation Entertainment.)  With the primary goal of applying technology and data science to fan satisfaction and revenue, his team supports over 40 music festivals (including the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza) in 8 countries by providing platforms and strategy for mobile apps, websites, virtual assistants, surveys, digital media, analytics, and various logistics systems.

 

Eric was born and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas attending R. L. Pascal High School ('82) and TCU ('86) just like his parents.  His destiny to serve in the music industry was formed from the start - listening to his father's Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings records, watching every episode of Austin City Limits, and attending his first concert in 1969 at age 5 to see Jerry Jeff Walker - which is also when he began spending time at Record Town to get the latest updates on new record releases from Sumter Bruton III.

 

Following a B.S. in Computer Science from TCU, and after working in TCU's computer center throughout his entire time there, Eric's career began in Fort Worth with 13 years of corporate technology and data at Fidelity Investments, National Semiconductor, and Harris Methodist (Texas Health) - with a few side hustles teaching Intro to Computer Science at TCU and serving as a New Rock DJ on KTCU FM 88.7.  However, nothing will ever beat his most life-shaping job as the shoe shine boy at Westcliff Barber Shop during high school.

 

With an increasing desire for more business experience and more music, and having been a third-generation Fort Worth native, and a fifth-generation Texan, his career only took him down the road to Austin, Texas in 1995 where his first stop was the Texas Chili Parlor bar to order a Mad Dog Margarita in honor of one of his songwriting heroes, Guy Clark.  The next twelve years of his career were spent flying all over the country for SAS Institute where Eric led a 5-state data consulting practice covering mostly retail and telecom Fortune 50 clients such as Walmart and AT&T tackling fancy projects like price modeling, retail site selection, fraud detection, omni-channel marketing optimization, and activity-based costing.

 

In 2003, Eric still couldn't resist the urge to be in the music business and began helping young bands figure out the industry by tapping resources such as the Austin Music Foundation.  That led to starting Pickslide Records and releasing three pop-punk albums.  However, it also led to meeting many troubled young musicians affected by suicide.  So Eric also founded a 501(c)(3) suicide prevention organization called Better Off Rock'd that was intended to raise money through outreach concerts - and to teach that if you don't have a best friend, that the best way to get one is to be one.

 

In 2009, Eric met the Charlies at C3 Presents and was finally able to combine his passion for the music business with his experience and has been there since - transforming data and technology into cash and smiles on fans' faces.

 

In his spare time, you'll find Eric reading or writing at one of his favorite coffee houses in Austin (Cosmic, Figure 8, or Buzz Mill) or Fort Worth (Avoca or Dwell). He also serves as a deacon at Austin Stone Community Church where he is a leader in their college ministry.  And, in addition to serving on the board of The House of Songs, he is a board member for Spurs Give, the public charity for the San Antonio Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) organization. He is also an alumni of the 41st class of the Leadership Austin Essential program.