Providing Sight & Sound to the Entertainment World for Nearly 30 Years

In 1977, Gary Parr started keeping the beat on his drums and singing lyrics with his voice in his first rock-and-roll band. He and his musical buddies played mainly local gigs in those early years and then hit the road.

 “About a dozen bands later, I hung it up in 1990,” Gary said. “It was mostly local in the beginning but the touring started in the late ‘80s. I would be gone a month at a time.

 “With little kids, that didn’t work out so well,” he added. “It didn’t coincide with raising a family.”

So, he put all that musical expertise to work on the production side of the business and started what is now called Parr Sound and Lighting.

While Gary and his wife, Cindy, still serve the local market, they also travel the state and the country to provide sound and lighting for fairs, festivals, concerts and bike rallies. They also attend a half dozen convention/trade shows each year to advertise their services and meet up with old friends.

Wall of Fame - Over the years, the Parr family has accumulated quite a collection of autographs. "This wall has only a fraction of the dozens of autographs I've gotten," Parr says. "After a while, I stopped framing them because there were too many to fit on the wall. I could probably wallpaper my whole house with autographs if I wanted to."

It was those earlier years of playing with fellow rockers that served as Gary’s on-the-job training.

“That absolutely led to this business,” Gary said. “It is how I got my training. The band experiences give me a better perspective from having been on the other side of it. It is an advantage over the other guys running sound for events.

 “I can usually anticipate what they need before they ask,” Gary continued. “I was there for 20 years.”

In the Big Time - Parr Sound has helped out on shows for dozens of big name artists throughout the years. Pictured above is infamous band Lynyrd Skynyrd performing on a Parr Sound stage with a Parr Sound set-up.

The business’s name was changed to Parr Sound and Lighting a few years ago; it had been Up to Parr Sound. “I had heard that ‘up to par’ phrase many times,” Gary recalled. “That’s how it got started. But then as time went on we became even more professional and started handling much bigger artists.”

Those artists include Styx, Kansas, Blake Shelton and Josh Turner. Parr Sound and Lighting also provides services at the Wichita River Fest, and a major account is Broken Spoke Saloon in New Hampshire, Florida, and Sturgis, S.D., home of huge-motorcycle-rally fame.

Local events include the Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet and Big Bend Bike Rally, along with events for Eagle Radio and the Dominican Sisters.“We try to sponsor all we can locally, including Hoisington,” Gary said, noting the business provides in-kind sponsorships to make it as affordable as possible.

The Crew - Pictured at right is owner Gary Parr seated next to his son, Aaron Parr. At left is Matt Koch, one of the part-time crew members that helps out when needed. "The core of our business is all family. My sons, my wife, and I are the main crew, but we have extra help when we need it," Parr says.

So far this year, the Parrs have provided services at 90 events, which involved about 300 performances. For example, the Kansas State Fair was one event but it lasted ten days and featured numerous performances, including opening acts and headliners.

“Ninety-eight percent of our business is word of mouth and most are repeat customers,” Gary said. “We demonstrate our sound and lighting at the conventions we attend. We make sure our clients know that we believe our success depends on theirs and a professional production ensures that.”

Parr Sound offers their customers various options for their event production. Gary’s son, Aaron, has been working full-time with the company for over three years along with the help of several local individuals working part-time.

Backstage - Parr Sound crew members run the sound board backstage at a large outdoor concert. "Being in this business definitely has its perks," Parr says. "We get backstage passes to all sorts of awesome concerts, and we meet some really cool people."

“A typical set-up takes three to five hours and we could have three to eight people on a crew,” Gary said. “It all depends on the system and the venue. It could be a roofed structure (truss), plus sound and lights. We build the truss from the ground up and then do the sound and lighting.”

Illustrating one option by showing a picture from a previous venue, Gary noted that a light package with 140 fixtures was built right into the truss.
Parr Sound and Lighting also provides sales, installation and service of public-address systems at schools, churches and convention centers. And those who attend outdoor events such as air shows might also be listening to a Parr background-music system.

Gary, who was born and raised in Great Bend, has five children, and Cindy, a Nebraska City, Neb., native, has two. Gary’s brother, Randy, used to run Parr Construction but is now a missionary in Mexico.

“I love Great Bend,” Gary said. “Great Bend has been a great place to grow up and raise a family.” He adds, "I attribute much of our success to the love and support of family over the years and to the many friends and business associates we have the privilege of working with."

Ready to Rock - The immense arena above is just an example of the huge caliber of shows that Parr Sound is responsible for. "I think a lot of people would be surprised by the size and professionalism of our shows," Parr says. "We've done everything from backyard weddings to concerts with 50,000 people in attendance. We are definitely ready for anything."

The city also has been good for business. “We had thought about moving closer to the interstate but the cost of business would have increased,” Gary said. “Great Bend is more cost effective than Salina or Kansas City and we have family here.”

Gary started the business out of his garage in 1992 and now has 7,000 square feet of warehouse space. The company owns some equipment and leases the rest.

The fringe benefit of working behind the scenes at performances and visiting trade shows is the friendships that have developed over the years, Cindy Parr noted.

“We are extremely blessed to meet people and make the friends we have,” Cindy said. “We see about 75 percent of our clientele at conventions and have become good friends over the years.

“We were sitting at The Rack here in Great Bend one night and a Head East song was on the jukebox. We were sitting there listening to it, knowing that we were going to Roger’s wedding the next week,” Cindy recalled, noting Roger Boyd is a founder of Head East. “Who would have thought?”