Ask anyone about music in New Orleans and you’re sure to get a variety of responses.

From local bands to national acts playing at local venues, New Orleans offers a wide range of musical escapes for the bored and the curious.

RUSTY Productions has only been involved in the New Orleans music scene since earlier this year.

The group has already had a lot of experience.

The three-member team has worked with Los Hombres Calientes, Bonerama, Papa Grows Funk and Theresa Anderson.

RUSTY was originally the creation of Mike Ciardi A’03, a music business graduate.

He wrote a business plan for a production company in a music business class, he said.

He then contacted Heather O’Brien and Yuri Kwon, current music business juniors, to help make his school project into a business.

“For us, it started as an experiment to see if we could do it,” Kwon said. “And now it takes up a lot of our time,” O’Brien said.

“It is our lives, pretty much.”

As production manager and CFO, Ciardi deals with getting the bands and their equipment to the venues.

He also makes sure that the bands get what they ask for in their contracts.

“Basically, after (O’Brien) books the show, I am the liason between the band and the venue,” Ciardi said.

O’Brien, as talent coordinator, coordinates and negotiates dates, times, opening acts and the financial aspects of a performance.

Although Kwon’s official title is promotions director, she was quick to explain that promotions is not a one-person job.

“We all share the responsibility, because (promoting a show) is a big area,” she said.

Similarly, the other job titles are not clear-cut.

“It’s not like I just book it, and Yuri goes out and promotes,” O’Brien said.

“We all go out together, make it a fun night. They also help me with booking; I ask them what band they think will go with this.”

The first event RUSTY produced was “Love Yo Ladies” at the Maple Leaf.

It raised money for women who are victimes of domestic abuse.

They have also produced a hip-hop night at House of Blues called “Urban Sounds Lounge” and a “Friday Night Fish Fry” at TwiRoPa.

RUSTY has been working hard in the promotions part lately, in preparation of tonight’s show at Tipitina’s.

Los Hombres Calientes, featuring Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers, will perform.

Natural State will also perform.

The show starts at 10 p.m.

“We’re not trying to stay with one genre (of music),” O’Brien said.

“We’re really open right now. We’ll do hip hop, then jazz, then rock. Eventually, we want to have a certain market ,once we learn what type of shows we do best.”

RUSTY handles all parts of the production and promotion, but working with the band is the biggest part of the process.

Sometimes a band will come to RUSTY and they will work to get a date and a venue for a performance.

Other times, a venue will have an opening, and RUSTY will produce an event based on what else is going on in the city.

“We’re in it to make it easier for the band,” O’Brien said. “There are a lot of bands that have to do their own bookings an promotions and don’t have time to concentrate on their music.”

RUSTY has more shows planned for the rest of the semester.

“We have a date at The Boot – October 4,” O’Brien said.

“We definitely want to bring more music Uptown and to the college scene.

“It’s all about the music,” she said. “That’s why we do it. We want there to be more opportunities for people to see good music.”

They all stressed that getting into the production business is not as glamorous as it seems.

“We start working when everyone else is going out,” O’Brien said. “When everyone’s partying, we’re hitting the streets working. You’ve always got to be on top of it. Don’t do it because you just want to meet musicians.”

“The reason I wanted to do this,” said Kwon, “is because the best part of the show for me isn’t watching the band. I mean, I love the music, but it’s turning around and watching the audience during the show and watching people feel the music, seeing them get so into it.”

“And then realizing that you’re part of it,” added O’Brien.

“Knowing that you’re doing something that gives people so much pleasure is just amazing,” Ciardi said.

RUSTY invites newer bands comprised of Loyola students to contact them if they would like to work with RUSTY to possibly set up shows.

Students are also invited to work with RUSTY in order to gain a real life experience different than they get in the classroom.