Q&A: Relix Live Music Conference Panelists, 2019
Photos by Marc Millman
On May 14 and 15, the third annual Relix Live Music Conference was held at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl.
Discussion topics at 2019’s RLMC ranged from social media to hospitality to activism, and attendees will also witnessed a number of one-on-one interviews between Relix Editor-in-Chief Dean Budnick and Moonalice’s Roger McNamee as well as Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro and 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz.
Rolling Stone’s David Fricke was also on hand to examine John Moore and Jim Glancy’s tenure at Bowery Presents and chat with Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes about his long, established career.
Read our RLMC Day One recap here, and our Day Two recap here.
Below we asked a few panelists a little about themselves and their experience at the RLMC:
Rachel Baron, Dayglo Ventures
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro.
What concert are you seeing next?
Bonnaroo.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
More people are interested in the overlap between music diversity and activism which is such a nice surprise.
Christina Ventura, Live Nation
Who is your music industry hero?
Ron Delsener.
What concert are you seeing next?
The Who.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
SMS is still a viable marketing tool for certain demographics.
Gogi Gupta, Gupta Media
Who is your music industry hero?
Ken Blunt at Disney and Ton Carson from Warner Brothers.
What concert are you seeing next?
Vampire Weekend in Boston.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
What I always learn at an event like this is how many smart people are working trying to solve the same problems. Also, seeing the deep passion people have for music.
Erica Hernandez, Brooklyn Bowl
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro.
What concert are you seeing next?
String Cheese Incident at The Cap.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I learned more stuff on how to manage old and new audiences.
Christopher Ragan, BML-Blackbird / Raygun Designs
Who is your music industry hero?
Irving Azoff, he’s a jack of all trades and a financial genius.
What concert are you seeing next?
Phish in Connecticut if anyone has any floor seats…
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I thought Jeff was going to wear white pants too.
Jefferson Waful, Umphrey’s McGee
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro.
What concert are you seeing next?
Umphrey’s McGee.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
This was my first panel I saw so just learning from these other industry peers.
Marc Janowitz, E26 Design
Who is your music industry hero?
I’m not sure.
What concert are you seeing next?
Whatever is the next concert I’m running. TAB Florida.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
When you get a number of like-minded people to talk about something they’re passionate about they can talk for a long time.
Ari Fink, SiriusXM
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro, Bob Marley and Howard Stern.
What concert are you seeing next?
Andy Frasco.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
Just how interconnected we all are whether we knew it or not.
Roger McNamee, Author (Zucked) and Musician (Moonalice)
Who is your music industry hero?
Music Business hero? Peter Shapiro. Musician hero? Paul McCartney.
What concert are you seeing next?
Dead & Company.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
How many people in the music industry care about our digital future.
Cameron Sears, Rex Foundation
Who is your music industry hero?
I would say Danny Rifkin.
What concert are you seeing next?
I’d like to go see Jamestown Revival.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
That I learned a little bit about digital marketing and better ways to approach it.
Dean Budnick, Relix
Who is your music industry hero?
George Wein is foundational. Peter Shapiro is living the dream.
What concert are you seeing next?
I’m triangulating between Nels Cline, Tal Wilkenfeld and the String Cheese Incident, although not on the same bill, alas. But who knows, a friend of mine has been pitching me on some travel for our Tedeschi Trucks Band fix.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I was thrilled to see how many people were responsive to what Roger had to say. Everyone should read Zucked and take his concerns to heart as matters of personal and public policy.
Jennifer Justice, The Justice Dept
Who is your music industry hero?
Stevie Nicks
What concert are you seeing next?
I just went to Cher.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I think that we’re all aligned in wanting to make the music industry better.
Marilyn Laverty, Shore Fire Media
Who is your music industry hero?
Bruce Springsteen’s co-manager Barbara Carr.
What concert are you seeing next?
Wrabel at the Beacon.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
How much experience we shared even though all panelists were from different areas.
Ryan Miller, Guster
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro
What concert are you seeing next?
Karina Rykman
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I learned that we changed Michael Corcoran’s life.
Brian Rosenworcel, Guster
Who is your music industry hero?
Seymour Stein took time to sit in the studio with us and give us human connection.
What concert are you seeing next?
Bjork.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I learned that Max Creek is a household name in the Relix community.
Dan Berkowitz, CID Entertainment
Who is your music industry hero?
Peter Shapiro.
What concert are you seeing next?
Metallica in Ireland.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I should’ve been a Guster rep.
Jed Hilly, The Americana Music Association
Who is your music industry hero?
There’s a guy named Dan Beck at Sony in the 90’s. He was the first one who thought I had something to offer. He put me on a Michael Jackson campaign in 1994. Dan wanted me to be part of that. It was for the History album.
What concert are you seeing next?
Brandi Carlile in Vermont and Brandy Clark.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I just love the community. I love seeing those pockets.
Curtis Cheng, DTI Management
Who is your music industry hero?
Michael Rapino.
What concert are you seeing next?
Simon and Garfunkel.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
The Torso events aren’t getting as much attention, resources, all of it.
Peter Shapiro, Dayglo Ventures
Who is your music industry hero?
Living? Ron Delsener. Deceased? Bill Graham.
What concert are you seeing next?
Dark Star Orchestra at The Cap.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
That Seth Hurwitz has never worked out of an office for his 40-year career.
Michael Dorf, City Winery
Who is your music industry hero?
George Wein.
What concert are you seeing next?
The Head and The Heart in Forest Hills.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?I learned that the temperature on stage at Brooklyn Bowl is really cold.
Annabel Lukins, Cloud 9 Adventures
Who is your music industry hero?
Bruce Hornsby.
What concert are you seeing next?
Béla Fleck and The Flecktones at Red Rocks.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
That there are young women who are majoring in music business in college who are inspired enough to come to this, walk up to me and ask about the music business.
John Moore, The Bowery Presents
Who is your music industry hero?
Jim Glancy and Bill Graham.
What concert are you seeing next?
Juice WRLD.
What’s one thing at the RLMC that was surprising or unexpected?
I learned that Chad at 9:30 club is responsible for the moving stage.
