I was born in Mendota, IL on July 22nd of 1972. I now live in Grand Prairie, TX. It's very nice. I have a two car garage, two cars to put in it, and our house looks like a gingerbread house. I have a lovely wife that keeps me in line named Elizabeth and two children, Everett who is 9 and Ephraim who is almost 2.

Scotoma Promotions started back in 1996 when I needed a name for my management company. I mean, you need a name, right? I didn’t want to be so vain as to call it Eric Shirey Promotions. Give me a break. Before that, I was managing and booking my own industrial band, Primary Censor, quite well. We were in negotiations with REX Records (Living Sacrifice, Circle Of Dust, Sixpence None The Richer, Believer, etc.) when I decided to quit the band. After taking some time off from the music world, I began managing an electronic rock band by the name of Situation Taboo, who had just been signed to Flying Tart Records, which was basically a front for a corporate distribution company who wanted to sign indie bands. I actually booked and managed the band for a year. That’s also when I had the idea for the first time to start a record label of sorts. I put out a remix tape (yes, tape) of remixes from their album on Scotoma Records. It sold pretty well.

I opened my own record store in 1997 called Pluto Records in Austin, TX. At the same time, I booked national hardcore / metal / indie acts into many of the different clubs in the Austin area. After moving the store to Dallas in 1998 (very much influenced by the naggings of Embodyment and Travail-who I had become wonderful friends with) and joining forces with my long-time friend Brian Cobbell, we sold half the business, closed the store, and started Pluto Records the label. I also booked national and local acts for Club 412 in Fort Worth, Tx. Besides the direct management of Embodyment, Society's Finest, GODS, The Kirby / widows&orphans, Hundred Year Storm, Everything You Hold Dear, MAHTEO, The Birth, and Situation Taboo I have managed the business affairs and done A&R for Travail, Luti-kriss, Thirty Called Arson, As I Lay Dying, Beauty To Ashes, Canterbury Effect, Evelynn, Dreaming Of The Fifth, Knockout Kings, My Son My Executioner, The Secret Handshake, The Birth, In The Face Of War, This Endearing, as well as others. I quit Pluto in 2002 to get away from the business again. But, as usual, I decided in 2003 that direct management and relations with established and up and coming bands is where my heart was. I have stepped away from the music business again, mainly because I can see the death of the industry from a thousand miles away.

I now coordinate charity events under the name Scotoma Events that are tributes to great films I am emotionally attached to with vendors and celebrity guests. I am the webmaster for the Amicus Productions website that covers the iconic studios classic and new filmwork, which anyone seriously into horror would be familiar with. I also do ad sales for a company called Multiview and write for this site.