Hospitality Heroes Keeping AREA 506 Top Tier

AREA 506 hits the big 1-0 this weekend, lighting up Uptown Saint John with music, energy, and a whole lot of behind-the-scenes magic.

While the crowds cheer and bands rip it up on stage, the real MVPs might just be Jeff and Cynthia Liberty, the festival’s hospitality heroes quietly making sure touring acts aren’t just fed but downright spoiled during their short stay in the port city.

Backstage riders are usually kept under wraps, but every now and then you get a peek at what artists really need and it’s not always what you’d expect.

Cynthia laughs, “It’s kind of funny when they list underwear and socks. You think, okay, sure. But then you overhear them say, ‘Oh, that’s clutch, man. You have no idea what it’s like having to do laundry and not having underwear.’”

Jeff nods, “Yeah, imagine being on the road forever. They don’t even hit the hotel when they arrive. They come straight here.”

“So, it seems like, why would they need that? Well, when you’re on the road, it makes all the difference,” Cynthia adds.

Jeff’s been in the music game for 35 years and has handled hospitality at AREA 506 since the very first festival. Cynthia joined in Year Four after seeing firsthand how hectic things could get. Together, they’re a perfect team. Jeff brings seasoned tour experience and understands how tired artists feel when they arrive, while Cynthia’s catering and design skills smooth out the rough edges. As she puts it, “It’s kind of like the difference of the laundry being clean, but is it folded and organized?”

After this many years, Jeff and Cynthia live by a simple hospitality motto: check everything, then check it again. “Santa checks his list twice,” Jeff jokes. “We check it six times.” Their attention to detail rivals legendary rock demands like Van Halen’s infamous brown M&M test. One memorable artist even requested a laminated photo of their favourite wrestler, Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Jeff found the perfect picture, laminated it, and placed it in the green room. The artist’s verdict? “Top tier. Top tier.”

Requests can be unpredictable, and that’s kind of the point. “Some people have champagne taste, some have beer taste,” Jeff says. “We’ve had everything from PB&Js to a curated charcuterie board with local cheeses.” The range is part of the fun. “You’d be surprised,” he adds. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. A punk band could roll in and say, ‘we’re booze snobs,’ so ya can’t miss that kind of thing.”

And sometimes, the extra effort really sticks. Jeff and Cynthia aim to "give that wow factor" and surprise artists. Some riders even include lines like: “Tell us your favourite snack and surprise us.” One year, they had cakes made for every band, names and all. That kind of attention doesn’t go unnoticed. Jeff recalls a recent artist whose team started rewriting their rider on the spot just to include things they’d been surprised with at AREA506.

Beyond the backstage hustle, hitting the 10-year mark has made Jeff and Cynthia reflect on the bigger picture, and they can't help but feel AREA 506 has helped shake something loose in the city. “I heard a comment a few days ago that people were trying to go out to eat and everywhere was booked. 35 to 40 minute waits,” Cynthia says. Jeff nods. “That energy is palpable now. You can feel it when you’re down here.”

Cynthia remembers when that wasn’t the case. “Years past, if family visited, we’d head to St. Andrews or St. Martins. Now the uptown has that energy. People want to explore it. There are places to go and do that.” And artists are noticing too. “We just had Boxcar and one of the country headliners said, ‘I just figured out I gotta play here more. I don’t get here enough.’ That was cool,” Jeff says.

The Libertys live that local pride, stocking green rooms with farm-fresh produce, stashing Julius Pizza for late-night cravings, and even booking restaurant tables to keep the uptown scene humming with visiting musicians.

In a city that’s learning how to host again, Jeff and Cynthia are the ones making sure the chaos stays charming. “If the band’s happy, they go on stage happy,” Jeff says. “And guess what? The audience is happy.”

So while you’re soaking in the AREA 506 vibes this weekend, raise a can to the folks working behind the curtain. And if you happen to wind up backstage, ask where you might find one of Cynthia’s charcuterie boards with red pepper jelly. It’s “to die for,” according to Jeff. Just don’t steal any socks.