The soundtrack:
In a booth high above the rodeo arena, Chuck Lopeman stands in front of his laptop and selects the music that’ll keep the crowd going and give a boost to the competitors. Miley Cryus’ “Wrecking Ball,” Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Mark Ronson’s and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” blast across the arena. If it’ll jazz up the crowd, Lopeman spins it.
A decade ago he built homes in Red Bluff, California where he still lives. But a friend asked him to spin records for a local rodeo, then another and another. These days, he’s on the road about 200 days a year, playing music that revs up crowds around the country. He says he has anywhere from “8,000 to 80,000” tunes on his computer.
“I use a lot of ’80s rock ‘n’ roll,” he says before Sunday’s competition. “And I’ve been listening to some hip hop—I want music that makes the toes tap.”
Switching from homebuilder to record spinner was a no-brainer. “The interest rate doesn’t govern my career now,” he says.
