'Made In America' [Exclusive]: From The Eyes Of A Production Assistant

Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia will never be the same, thanks to Jay Z's Budweiser Made in America festival. The annual concert will be a journey to remember for artists, 120,000 fans, the City of Brotherly Love, and production assistant Shaun Hines.

Day one of the sold-out concert started off pretty dry as Hines, a full time Marketing and Events Coordinator for the Delaware River Waterfront and MIA's production assistant, gets ready to endure his second year around helping artists with special requests and running errands in the scorching heat.

"The worst part is definitely the long, hot hours. There were days that we worked from 7AM to 1 or 2AM in the morning only to be right back the next day," he said. "The best part is literally watching it all happen around you. Seeing all of these people come together to make such a massive event happen and run smoothly. I also love seeing 60,000 people in Philadelphia for an event that can't be seen anywhere else in the world. That is by far the best part!"

While fans chugged $11 Budweiser cans and ate $10 Chickie's and Pete's crab fries, Hines did have some off-time in the back as celebrities hung out and conversed with the work crew. Hines recalled rapper Wiz Khalifa and his wife Amber Rose - a Philadelphia native - skate boarding with fans after his set.

"Wiz Khalifa is by far the most down to earth star I've ever met. While all of the other artists disappeared after their setts, Wiz actually chilled outside the gates at the back of the art museum for hours just chilling and skate boarding. It was open to pedestrians and the general public back there," Hines recalled. "He shook hands and talked to people and was just nice to everyone. He stayed back there so long that people stopped paying attention to him and allowed him to just hang out."

Hines added that some of the most memorable moments to date involved eating dinner with artists such as, Miguel, Solange, and Ab Soul. On the other hand, Hines recalled singer and headliner Beyoncé having the most difficult celebrity rider request for her titanium straws.

"The performer's riders are always the most off the wall requests, but I guess it's the perks that come along with being rich and famous."

Although, to some, Hines' position may seem glamorous, the outgoing production assistant admits that it's all work and no play trying to have the show run smoothly and on-time as performers bounced off of each other's sets on the Rocky stage or the Liberty stage.

"Made In America, endures some of longest and most hectic work days you can imagine. During the festival we work anywhere from 15 - 18 hours a day, on our feet and in the heat. There's constantly an errand to be ran, a problem to be solved, or a task that needs to be completed at a very specific time," Hines added. "Working during Made In America you don't really get to see the show but there's definitely a feeling of pride and accomplishment knowing that your hard work contributed to 60,000 people enjoying themselves and living in a moment they will never forget."

As a humble and returning worker of one of the East Coast's biggest festivals, Hines proudly said he wouldn't mind being a part of Philadelphia music history and work for the annual festival again.

"Every year, absolutely! I'm a Philadelphia native who has worked the first and second Made In America. I'm proud of this event as if it were my own and as long as I'm awarded the opportunity to, I will continue to lend my services to contribute to the success of Made In America here in Philadelphia."