I'm sharing Midwest hosting, one musician at a time

In 2018, members of the American rock band Modest Mouse left their rooms at the Cedar Rapids DoubleTree for a day out at Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery in Swisher.

Modest Mouse were scheduled to play the McGrath Amphitheater the next day, but a local named Zach Stewart had invited the band and crew to a no-strings-attached experience on their day off.

“We walked on the property, opened a bunch of barrels, and they had like a beautiful experience in Swisher, Iowa,” Stewart said. “(It was a) beautiful sunset, dead of summer, and they loved it.”

The day trip launched Stewart's hosting venture, Not So Flyover. Not So Flyover's goal is to have artists experience “flyover country” beyond hotel rooms and tour buses.

Stewart, 37, does this by creating experiences, like a day at Cedar Ridge, and putting care packages, filled with donated goods from Midwestern businesses, in the “green rooms” where musicians wait before performing.

For example, a bottle of Cedar Ridge bourbon greeted American pop star Lizzo in her green room before her 2022 appearance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Stewart hopes that making connections with artists will help fill gaps in the Midwestern entertainment market.

“When it comes to putting on a tour, people bid on certain cities … but very few bands will consistently come through the Midwest in the same area,” Stewart said. “Everybody's going to play Chicago, but the cities and states in between, it's kind of a toss-up as to which bands go where.”

Stewart now lives in Indianapolis. While the city of 882,000 has more music venues than his former home of Cedar Rapids, “still, there's a big discrepancy as to (which) artists actually come through here and play,” Stewart said. “And do they play often?”

“I want people to understand that the Midwest, there's a lot worth exploring,” Stewart said. “And I think Cedar Ridge taught me that the best kept secrets come from the Midwest. It's just a matter of exposing outsiders to those big little things.”

The company

Stewart's interest in taking care of touring artists led him to manage artist relations for the first time All IN Music Festival at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Because of this contract, Not So Flyover was registered as a limited liability company or LLC. Summer music festivals funded the business for a year, and Stewart continues with a donation-based business model.

Stewart realized years ago that he could monetize his service through a pay-to-play model where he could guarantee that a product or brand would be in front of a VIP.

“I just haven't bitten the bullet in that regard yet.” Stewart said, “I think I'm more concerned about an artist who thinks I have ulterior motives beyond giving and just taking care of them.”

Stewart credits his philanthropic spirit to his parents — Amy and Greg Stewart, who host a mammoth toy drive from their Fairfax home at Christmas — though it's hard for him to put into words.

“I would say it's my existence, it's really like my existence,” Stewart said. “I think I'll be a musician forever, but I don't play music anymore and that's the life I've always felt most comfortable in and I've felt I belong to some degree.”

Building bridges, solving problems

Stewart describes himself as a problem solver with the ability to get things done at a moment's notice. Over the years, he has built relationships with venues and crew members by fulfilling “rider” requests.

The rider is a list of items artists want in their green room or on their tour bus. The most famous example is Van Halen's request have bowls of M&M's in the band's dressing room with the brown candies removed.

Stewart said it can be an exciting job.

The goal is to get the requested item, such as Kroger brand French Onion Dip for American rapper Post Malone. Last year, a crew member called Stewart from Boston after realizing the nearest Kroger was far away.

Stewart had two hours to fulfill the request before the overnight shipping deadline.

“And there I was at about 3 o'clock at night eight pounds of French onions in Boston for $450 so Post Malone could have it at 10 in the morning in Boston the next day,” Stewart said.

Sometimes, rider requests need substitutions. In these cases, Stewart returns to his Cedar Ridge roots. When a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 12 year old was not found in time, a Cedar Ridge Bottled in Bond bourbon was sent in its place.

“It's never great to have to alert managers and talent that something couldn't be found,” Stewart said. “But … it's really nice in those moments to have talent leave the venue or the festival with all their supplies with them.”

What's holding him back?

While a bottle of bourbon or a platter of local meats and cheeses may seem like a small gesture, Not So Flyover has made an impact on artists.

Over the years, Stewart has maintained a relationship with Modest Mouse, the indie band that started it all. While dropping off a care package at a show in Indianapolis last year, drummer Jeremiah Green (who died in December at age 45) approached Stewart.

“There's Jeremiah after I unloaded a bunch of stuff, and he's in tears and he's like, Zach, why are you doing this for us?” Stewart said. “And at that moment I was like, man, this guy has the same reaction every time I do this. These guys have sold millions of records. That's how much this means. … It was hard for me to understand.

“I've seen so many people that you just don't expect, but they want to be just as welcoming to you as you hope you were to them.”

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com