Don Mischer's Garage Band

Legendary event producer Don Mischer is helming the Primetime Emmys for the tenth time on Sept. 20 (see related profile, “Primetime Emmy’s Man with a Plan”), and among the tweaks he has in store to liven up the flagging broadcast is putting a live band on stage for the first time in five years. Mischer’s passion for live music goes back to his days growing up in Texas in the 1960s. A native of San Antonio, Mischer played the steel guitar for a country band while attending the University of Texas (that’s right, in Austin, the “Live Music Capital of the World”).

When I spoke with him a couple weeks ago, Mischer said he still has that old double-neck Fender up in the attic, though it’s a bit rusty. And while he doesn’t play the steel much anymore, he’s still playing music. And he’s got a new band-his teenage kids.

“I converted part of my garage into a little recording studio,” he said. “My son plays drums and the keyboards. My daughter plays keyboards. We have vocal mikes, a little mixer and we go out on weekends and do the garage band thing.

“It is so much fun,” Mischer said. “When we get in there, I just lose track of where I am.”