VIA PRESS RELEASE | Phillip Kriz has been a go-to road warrior for a slew of legendary acts, donning the roles of Crew Chief, System Engineer, and Front of House Engineer for over 15 years. Now, he’s off the road and his journey has taken a literary turn with his debut as an author this Friday, December 1 with the release of the fictional thriller The Roadie Cartel. Earlier this year, Kriz signed a publishing deal with W. Brand Publishing to release the action-packed novel. The story delves into the world of a family entangled in drug trafficking, cleverly concealed beneath the facade of the music industry.
“It’s the struggle between good and evil set in a world I know very well,” says Kriz. “It follows a character who believed one path was her destiny, only to find out where she was really meant to be all along.” It’s about what could go on behind backstage… Editorial Director Daniel Kohn with SPIN praised the novel saying, “The Roadie Cartel provides an entertaining glimpse into what the rigorous world of touring could be like. This action-packed story is a must-read for any music fan.” “It’s not just a book for music lovers or thriller fans,” Kriz continues. “It’s for anybody who has gone through a hard period in life, whether it’s losing a person you love or facing an issue where you don’t think you can ever win. It uses two big extremes to get the point across, but it’s not what you would expect. It feels like a new beginning.”
OVERVIEW | What lengths would you go to avenge your fathers death? Would you take on a billion dollar empire? What if that empire was the music industry? In this new crime thriller fiction series, the vivid imagination of Phillip Kriz brings the elusive backstage concert experience to life. The Roadie Cartel keeps you on the edge of your seat with a story that combines America’s love of going to concerts with its odd obsession with the lavish and dangerous cartel lifestyle.
This is a detailed journey of three immigrants forced to flee their small farm town in Czechoslovakia and start all over in the land of opportunity, America. This exciting tale spans multiple decades laying out just how these three siblings changed the live music industry and drug trafficking world forever. Come inside this wild ride of good and evil found in each person as these immigrants search to unlock the key to riches where they believe happiness is found. The Roadie Cartel: A story that finally grants everyone that very exclusive ALL ACCESS pass where only your wildest dreams and fantasies had access before.
ABOUT PHILLIP KRIZ | Born and raised in El Paso, TX, he discovered music through his parents. Beyond spinning classics by Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan, mom even played Howard Stern on their drive to school. Predestining a future in the business, she also brought Phillip to his first concert—U2 and Public Enemy at the Sun Bowl. Not to mention, he caught Robert Plant & Jimmy Page with Alan Jackson when they rolled through town. However, a Pink Floyd gig would be the point of no return.
“When I got home, my stepmom asked me how the show was,” he recalls. “I replied, ‘I want to do what they do.’ She thought I wanted to be in the band. I said, ‘No I wanted to be on stage doing what those dudes standing there were doing,” he laughs.
After a stint in San Antonio, he graduated from Full Sail University in Orlando where he also worked his first production gigs. Eventually, he landed his “dream job” at production powerhouse Clair Global. Coming full circle, his first assignment placed him on a jaunt with Guns N’ Roses in 2010. He hit the road for the better part of the next decade. Clients included Alicia Keys, The Scorpions, Justin Bieber, Florida Georgia Line, Paul Simon, Carrie Underwood, and Queen & Adam Lambert, to name a few. At the onset of the Global Pandemic, the business shutdown, and Phillip found himself at home in Nashville.
After hearing former Navy S.E.A.L. and bestselling author Jack Carr guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he decided to write a book of his own. “I never wanted to write an autobiography about myself,” he states. “Life on the road is amazing, but it’s not as glamorous as you think. People don’t see the boring side of it. So, I thought, ‘What if the music industry was attached to a cartel? What if all of the tickets, buses, trucks, and shows were hiding billions of dollars in drug money?’ So, the book follows an immigrant family who changed the entire music industry through drug trafficking. Most importantly, it’s a father-daughter story with elements of revenge.”
He landed a deal with independent publisher W. Brand Publishing and will support The Roadie Cartel with a tour of his own—of course! “My decision to sign Phil and his story was truly a no-brainer after his pitch of the intricate storyline,” shares JuLee Brand, the founder of W. Brand Publishing, “but it was the immigrant backstory that sealed the deal. His background in production and fantastic imagination of the ‘what ifs’ many concert goers wonder about regarding backstage life and the production industry meld seamlessly with the fast action cartel world. Who wouldn’t be a fan of The Last Waltz meets Narcos?”
AUTHOR PHOTO: JAMIE WENDT
