Dallas Stars: How Michael Gruber Became A DFW Sports Personality

The DFW sports world has been known for producing some flashy superstars. One of the city’s biggest stars, however, currently resides behind the music board at Dallas Stars home games (along with a bunch of other places). The journey he took to get to where he is now is truly something special.

Dallas Stars music director Michael Gruber isn’t one for expecting things.

For instance, he didn’t expect himself to become the next Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez when playing catcher on the junior varsity baseball team at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas back in the early 2000’s. But on a different note, he also didn’t expect to have bobbleheads resembling himself riding a unicorn or in the form of a centaur sitting on desks and trophy stands all across the metroplex.

And he definitely NEVER expected himself to be the music director for the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. But that’s just another part of his winding and unexpected adventure.

“You can’t predict anything in this business,” Gruber, otherwise known as ‘Grubes,’ told me on a hot Monday evening last week at a Jimmy John’s in Irving, Texas.

And he should know. After all, Grubes has been in the sports media business for quite a while, specifically in the DFW area.

Chapter One: The Early Days Of Grubes

Grubes grew up in the Dallas area where both of his parents had lived for the majority of their lives. He attended Jesuit for high school and kept up with most of the local sports teams (though the 1996 Texas Rangers really solidified his love for baseball).

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He played catcher for the Jesuit baseball squad but never cracked the varsity roster. And unlike with many athletes, that was okay for Grubes. To him, being a team player and an encourager to his pitchers and other teammates was what mattered most.

“I played catcher because there was more of a market for it for a guy my size,” Grubes said with a chuckle. “I didn’t play very well, but I always did my best to keep people focused, energized, and motivated. And, like I do with all of my jobs, I didn’t want anyone to ever worry about me in my role. I wanted to be reliable.”

And though his play on the diamond didn’t earn him a big-time scholarship or a spot in the MLB Draft, it did lead him to meeting Danny Lowry, the head coach of the JV team at Jesuit as well as a salesman at 1310AM/96.7FM The Ticket, the local sports radio station in Dallas.

“Near the end of my junior year, I asked him if he knew of any jobs available up there at the station. I didn’t have to get paid, I just wanted to work at The Ticket.”

But, even at that point in his life, Grubes didn’t know he wanted to work in sports media.

“All I knew was that I wanted to be the guy playing drops for The Hardline. I thought it sounded like the most fun thing ever, and it turns out I was right. I just loved sports and comedy, and that was The Ticket.”

Grubes got his first big chance working with longtime host Norm Hitzges two months before his 17th birthday, an opportunity that is unheard of for most 16-year-olds nowadays.

“I got lucky,” Grubes admitted. “Things were a lot different 16 years ago. But I was passionate and willing to do anything they needed.”

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This opportunity led him to meeting many of the different hosts and working with the different shows, such as The Hardline and BaD Radio. Those new chances helped him gain a reputation at the station. Not only did people know about his dedication and knowledge for the craft, but they also knew about his talent. It also led him to making a lot of great, but random connections.

For example, he met Jeff K (the current public address announcer at Dallas Stars home games), who had been a DJ at 93.3 The Bone. He met Jason Danby (the Stars’ SR Director of Game Presentation) through a mutual connection when the band of Danby’s brother opened for Grubes’s Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band (that he’s been playing with for 11 years now). He also happened to come into contact with Jason Walsh (who was the VP of Production and Entertainment for the Dallas Stars before becoming Executive Producer at Fox Sports Southwest).

“You just never know how those connections are going to play out,” said Grubes.

He was right.

Chapter Two: The Dallas Stars Come Into Play

On April 6, 2012, Grubes closed a significant chapter in the previous ten years of his life when he left The Ticket with hopes of returning to school at the University of North Texas and pursuing his degree. But after taking some summer classes and beginning work as a freelance audio operator at Fox Sports Southwest (a position he still holds to this day), he felt yet another calling in his already entertaining journey. The Dallas Stars were in need of a new DJ and had expressed interest in him.

“I first heard about interest in the summer of 2012 just after leaving The Ticket. Jeff K was kind of the guy that was in the most contact with me when the Stars first expressed interest in going with a different DJ. He had been the DJ up until 2010, I think, before moving to PA.” -Grubes

Grubes was one of the final candidates on the Stars’ list. But with the lockout settling in and cutting the 2012-13 season in half, Dallas decided to go with the late DJ Whiz T, who had been the Dallas Mavericks’ DJ for years. They chose him because the turnaround from the end of the lockout and the beginning of the regular season turned out to be such a short period and Whiz T already knew the system well.

But as the lockout season came to an end, they once again reached out to Grubes. And after letting his connections carve a path for him, he assumed the role as the Stars’ newest DJ.

It did come with some growing pains, though. For starters, Grubes didn’t have a detailed knowledge of the game of hockey going into his first season.

“I told them that I kind of knew hockey from working with Bob [Sturm] and Dan [McDowell] and had picked up some of the storylines. But it’s different watching the game on TV versus running a live arena show with hockey going on.”

Learning the rules of the game and different parts of each one such as warmups and intermissions while also running a new audio system turned out to be a sizable task for the new DJ.

He had possessed a love for music ever since his dad would regularly play it throughout his house as he grew up and especially since he had learned to play the guitar. But that didn’t seem to be enough at first.

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“I made that clear and thankfully, they gave me some breathing room and time to learn through panic moments,” he said. “I almost resigned a few weeks in. It wasn’t because I didn’t like doing it, but because I didn’t think I was doing a good enough job. Luckily, Walshy and Danby and Jeff helped talk me off the ledge.”

Throughout all of the different stops in his life, Grubes stuck to one common mantra: doing his very best in whatever role he was presented with.

“At the end of the day, it’s my job and I want to do as well as possible and make it my own,” he said. “I want people to hear it and think, ‘I know that’s Grubes playing.’”

It turned out to be a challenge doing that with the Stars, at least at first.

“The job itself was very intimidating, but everyone in the organization made me feel so welcome,” Grubes said. “It didn’t hurt that I had my time at The Ticket to get some latitude and experience.”

"“At that point, I was too far into it to get an office job. I realized that I needed to be creative like I was able to do at The Ticket and keep grinding and taking every opportunity. That’s how you have to be. If one is there and it’s worth it, you take it. And once you’re there, you look around and help others out. Obviously, you look out for yourself, but you should help others and pay it forward. It’s just the way this business is. You have to keep that positive karma.” – Grubes"

In his first season behind the audio board, the Stars broke their five-year playoff drought and returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2008. It was a big season for the team, but also turned into an incredible experience for Grubes, who was still a new hockey fan trying to learn the ropes.

“My first season, we made the playoffs, and the video the guys made included the song Survival by Muse,” said Grubes. “Any time I hear that song now, I immediately go back to that. So, that was a big moment, too. Even though I did nothing to get the team to the playoffs, it was cool because I felt like I was truly a part of it. It became more real and I gained a lot of confidence.

“It was fun and we still got to be creative, but we rose to the occasion. We pushed the presentation limits. We made sure it was at an 11/10 the whole time. We were going to rock.”

And now, here Grubes is, entering his sixth season with the Dallas Stars as their musical director. For a guy that hopes for a one-year contract each offseason, that’s an impressive streak. It shows both through the work he does and the dedication he puts forth to make his presentation one-of-a-kind.

“I’m constantly paying attention for anything new that could fit in,” Grubes said. “It’s funny because I’ve always had the ear to listen for potential drops and now I combine that to listen for any songs that come on that I might be interested in and pull out Shazam. I might be at lunch with my mom and if I hear something that I could play, I say, ‘Hold on,’ and pull out my phone to Shazam it. I’ve got a running list of songs and ideas in my Notes app and just constantly keep it going.”

The Dallas Stars have given him a new home to once again do what he does best: express his creativity, make something unique, and do his absolute best work.

“[Jason] Danby always tells me that he gets bored easily and wants things changed up. He wants our game presentation to be ridiculous and weird and never wants me to play a song because I heard some other arena play it. I’m not the most creative guy in the world, but once I wrap my head around the job at hand, I can usually do a good job and make it work.” -Grubes

And as a result, Grubes would now rather try something goofy instead of playing Welcome To The Jungle at a critical moment. If it works, great. And if it doesn’t, he knows he’ll hear about it from some of his favorite people in the world: the Dallas Stars faithful.

“You basically have a focus group of 18,000 people,” Grubes said with a smile. “So if we’re doing something like playing Nickelback every song in a period, people know where I’m working from and immediately I feel that kind of mob looking at me and I feel a little unsafe while everyone on the headset is laughing because they don’t have to worry about it.”

“It’s been awesome interacting with people through that, whether it’s people who work for the team, or the fans or whatever,” said Grubes. “I’ve always loved having that connection because in the end, I’m still a fan of the Stars. I know how lucky I am to get to do the things that I’m doing, so it would be silly of me not to listen to feedback or get advice or ideas from people who have been going to the games for 25 years.”

Grubes pointed out that the fan interaction has been his favorite part of the job. He feels as though he knows at least half of the season ticket holders now because of their frequency with visiting his work station at the AAC and wanting to take a selfie with his “un-selfieish” face.

“People have always been really cool and I hope I’ve been cool to them,” Grubes said. “I always try to be positive, silly, and helpful if they need it. And I always love hearing both their positive feedback and constructive criticisms.”

Chapter Three: Celebrity Grubes

Musical director for the Dallas Stars turned out to be just one of the many stops in a now busy life for Grubes (also known as ‘Shoopy’). And all of these stops have helped him build his status as, what many might consider, “the unofficial celebrity of DFW sports.”

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Maybe you know Grubes for his work at the AAC. Or maybe you’re one of his more than 40,000 Twitter followers (@tweetgrubes) that anxiously waits for him to live tweet a Rangers game (using the nicknames he has come up with for each player) or tell jokes about moths visiting the doctor. You might even know him from his elaborate collection of bobbleheads given out at Frisco RoughRiders games every year or from his mini-show The Dose on Fox Sports Southwest.

Whether you know it or not, Grubes is probably involved in your DFW sports consumption in one way or another. And that’s why he’s such a central and vital part of the sports community in the metroplex.

“It’s been nothing intentional. I just get along with everybody so that helps a lot,” Grubes said about the fame he’s acquired in the Dallas sports world. “If I see Emily Jones or Rhads [John Rhadigan] or Razor [Daryl Reaugh], they will probably wind up taking a picture with me. They’re happy to see me and I’m happy to see them. Fans are also generally happy to see me and want to take pictures and talk. It’s nothing I planned, but I’ve also been lucky to be in positions where you only see me doing fun things.

“I’m not usually talking about politics or serious stuff. If I’m generally involved in something, it’s always positive. It’s been a weird thing about the connections I have and the people I know. I get along with all of them. It trickles down to where even people I don’t work with can see that. I always try to put on a positive vibe and make people want to approach me. It’s not like I’m intimidating in any way. I’m 5’4 and not exactly muscular. I’m fun and all that and so I’m approachable.”

Grubes has become a core member in the Dallas Stars family over the past few years as well as in their in-game presentation. And not only is he always trying to do his best job, but he’s also looking for ways to improve his knowledge and overall scheme.

“I’ve learned a lot more about hockey than I ever thought I would,” Grubes said. “Especially in the past few seasons, it’s been fun at watch parties and whatnot and I can finally actually give a little bit of analysis and Jeff K will joke about it with me. I’ve learned a lot through osmosis and pick a lot up watching away games when I’m not focusing on the music.”

“There’s always work to be done and I’m constantly improving,” he said about perfecting his craft. “Having that support from the organization is really awesome.”

Chapter Four: The Journey Ahead

The 2018-19 season will be an interesting one for the Dallas Stars for a lot of reasons. They have a new head coach in Jim Montgomery, a handful of new players that will make the roster look moderately different, and a lot of expectations to once again live up to. Grubes will be there for all of it with some cleverly-timed tunes to kick off his big plans for 2018-19.

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“This year feels like it has the potential to be very refreshed,” said Grubes. “It’ll be really fun and I’m excited to see how the play goes on the ice. Everything I’ve heard about the new coaches is that they play the kind of hockey that the Stars should be playing.”

Grubes pointed out that it almost seems like a parallel to his life. Giving the young kids the space to make a mistake and learn from it is how he became proficient in both his old and current jobs. Hesitancy can be a major stumbling block, but Grubes learned how to get around it. He’s hoping that same lesson will translate to the Stars’ play this year.

“It makes it more fun, and I’m hoping that’s how they play. It won’t be predictable or boring. It will be fun and entertaining. And whatever the results end up being, you’ll be entertained on and off the ice with us.”

He’s also hoping for some more moments to add to his “Best Dallas Stars Memories” bank.

“Some of the best moments include Jamie Benn’s Art Ross, pretty much anytime [Antoine] Roussel fought and I got to play the French National Anthem, and playing the song All Star against Smashville last year. That was even better than the Nickelback one because it was less obvious that I was playing a remix that would include All Star somewhere in it.

“When I got to the last one, I think it was an Adele song, it started with the really slow piano and then, ‘Somebody once told me…,’ and everyone just starts to groan. That was the most magical feeling. It’s like, I never want to truly annoy people. But every now and then, it’s kind of fun to poke people with the stick. It’s all in fun and we’re just goofing around. It’s family. We can poke each other.”

And that’s what makes the Dallas Stars so special. They’re family.

“The hockey community here is so supportive,” Grubes said of the Dallas Stars organization as a whole. “The people I work with at the studios and the arena are so nice and I think we all realize how lucky we are to be in the positions that we’re in. It’s the fans that I’m working for and there hasn’t been anyone that I’ve interacted with that I don’t like, and that’s been so cool.”

Upon being asked for a word to describe the Dallas Stars from the team, to the staff, and of course the fans, one immediately popped into his head: unique.

"“Just doing the things that we do like playing Nickelback and having fake celebrities in the crowd. Being able to push the boundaries of what game presentation should be and then hopefully the same will be said about the team on the ice.” -Grubes"

As he wrapped up his elegant and enchanting tale through the Dallas sports domain, I asked him if he would trade any of his past 16 years for the world. He put on a bright smile, confidently shook his head, and answered:

“No, not at all. It’s been so much fun and better than I ever would have expected. When I started at The Ticket, I just wanted to be able to stick around in the fall. I never would have thought that after leaving The Ticket that I would find anything else in the sports media market. That’s why I decided to go back to college. I just assumed that was it for me. And now I’m doing all of these random things and it’s really weird because they were approaching me with each one. I haven’t had to apply for anything and that’s awesome.”