Tour manager Carlos “Loso” Turcios has done everything artists like Playboi Carti, Jill Scott, and Outkast asked of him to make sure their shows go off without a hitch. Sometimes, that included protecting the artist from themselves.

“We called [Playboi] Carti to the side [during Lollapalooza] and explained what was going on, and he immediately jumped on the mic and was like, ‘Hey, I want everybody to keep having fun. I don’t want my show to get canceled. Let’s step back a couple of feet and start helping each other. Let’s keep the show going,’” Turcios told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” the longtime DMANI professional talks about how he got Playboi Carti from a jet to the stage with only minutes to spare, Big Boi and Andre 3000’s friendship on Outkast’s reunion tour, and why it’s important to know which countries have beef with America when performing overseas.

Who was the first major artist you went on tour with?

I was the operational manager at House of Blues in New Orleans, and that’s how I met Silbert Mani, who owns DMANI [Entertainment Group]. The first tour he put me on was with Outkast. I was with Big Boi for the European run of their reunion tour.

What did you learn while overseas with Outkast?

I learned to keep in mind that when you’re touring, everything is subject to change. You don’t know what you’re going to get that day. [There were] some challenges out there with different language barriers. Traveling is different out there. It’s not something normal how it is in the States; it’s different.

What’s a rule you live by now after that experience?

Nothing bad really happened on that tour, but one thing I was getting from a lot of other people that I would meet on the road was to know where the embassy is in each country that you’re visiting. And always keep a good record, and don’t get into trouble in some of these countries. You need to find out which countries are not really getting along with America, or it could be hard for you to get out.

What was your role on that tour?

For that one, I was assisting Big Boi. I was learning tour management from Silbert and Gio, and I was helping out.

They were legends hitting the road for the first time in years. How did a typical performance go?

Man, Big Boi held it down all the time onstage. His outfits matched his Js. He and Andre [3000] onstage together was the right mixture.

What fan reactions stuck out to you and demonstrated the dedication of Outkast’s admirers?

They would come with mint-condition vinyl. Also, we could not understand what they were saying, but they knew how to recite every lyric easily.

What was Big Boi’s personality offstage?

He was a really good dude. He always gives you game. He had that real OG genuine energy. He was really chill and very approachable.

What did you notice about Big Boi and Andre 3000’s interactions backstage?

It was like nothing had changed. You could tell it was the same energy. They were always clowning and being happy. Big Boi quotes something from a movie or blurts out something crazy. He just walks on the stage and if he sees it’s too quiet, he will say something to crack somebody up.

Which of their songs got the loudest reactions live?

“Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You),” “The Whole World,” and “Player’s Ball.”

You were working at House of Blues when The Weeknd performed in 2012. What do you remember about him as a young artist?

That show was part of a small run that The Weeknd was doing. I was the manager that day for the venue, and it sold out so quickly. I remember a lot of women screaming… dude (laughs). There were a lot of women in there that night. It was a good show, I remember, with the live band. But, again, there was a lot of screaming, so he had earplugs (laughs).

What was your first domestic tour?

My first domestic tour was Jill Scott right after Outkast’s run. I did a run with Jill, which was a change because I was crossing from hip hop into R&B. With Jill, I started as an assistant tour manager and then in the second year, I was already doing tour management for her.

How involved is Jill in her live show production?

She’s involved in everything. Nothing’s a go until it goes through her. She’s hands-on with everything. She’s a very sweet person… down-to-earth. She’s someone I am always happy to be with on her tour, so it’s hard for me to say no. If I have to, I’ll put some other things to the side. But I’m always willing to go on the road for her.

Any special stories from your time with Jill that fans never got to see?

It was Essence Festival. Jill’s at Essence, and The Roots are backing her up. We were in New Orleans, my hometown. We go to rehearsal, and The Roots walk in. We’re all saying, “What up,” and then Anthony Hamilton walks in. Instead of rehearsing, it turned into a jam session. They told us no phones, no nothing. Anybody with a phone would get put out. Only management could stay in there. So, when Erykah Badu and Jill did “You Got Me,” I was blown away.

As a tour manager, you have to make miracles happen sometimes. What was a show that came down to the wire?

Playboi Carti at Lollapalooza. The jet was delayed because they had bad weather coming into Chicago. So, it kept getting delayed. Gio and I were there. Good thing Gio had a relationship with a lot of people from the festival already, so it helped smooth things out. But even the festival was getting worried. We got him on the stage two minutes after his set time, and we killed that show. I believe that was in 2019. He wants to hear the speakers; he likes to listen to that sound. His video wall is very particular. He’s hands-on with these shows, man. And the ideas he comes up with blow me away sometimes. Sometimes, when the moshing is getting too out of hand, we have to talk to the artists and let them know, “Hey, let’s help them out. I don’t want them to stop your show, but let’s just have people step back and let’s help your neighbors. All your friends are here to party.”

How did you manage to control that type of crowd?

It was Gio and me. Gio helped me out a lot with that. We called Carti to the side and explained what was going on, and he immediately jumped on the mic and was like, “Hey, I want everybody to keep having fun. I don’t want my show to get canceled. Let’s step back a couple of feet and start helping each other. Let’s keep the show going.” The audience is going to listen to the artists. And that’s what they did, man. So Lollapalooza was happy that we got everything straight, and we went back on with the show, and they let us finish.

What’s your proudest live show achievement?

When I did Super Bowl LIII. That’s when it hit me that I was really in this game now. It was in Atlanta with Big Boi, Maroon 5, and Travis Scott. The rehearsals were at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Big Boi was full of happiness because it happened on his birthday and it was in his city. What more could you want?

What’s coming up for you in 2023?

Just get ready. Some tours are coming. DMANI’s going to be busy in 2023. There’s going to be a lot of tours that people will be going to.