By Star Beat
“To me, a music scene is a community, a group of bands and fans and writers and clubs,” says Jim Testa of Jersey Beat. “It’s a very inter-connected system, all the different parts support each other. A lot of creating a good music scene is just a matter of the right people being in the right place at the right time.”
A scene is only as strong as the resources it has to keep it going. The New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene has held up pretty well albeit police stopping shows, limited spaces for shows, and trying to promote them. To that note, one might add that a record label helps the scene by exposing music not just within that scene but all over as well.
Such is the case with Don Giovanni Records. The New Brunswick based indie label was formed by Joe Steinhardt and Zach Gajewski in 2003. Joe was into the New Brunswick music scene and with the lack of real label support for its bands, he felt the need to do something. He wanted to see bands getting more distribution. That's where Don Giovanni comes in. The label showcases bands that reside both in and outside of New Brunswick, that includes parts of Brooklyn and the area around the Jersey shore. Catering to punk and hardcore music the label signed some of its first acts including, Talk Hard and Kamikaze. Most of the releases were 7-inch EPs, but by the time they started working with The Ergs! in 2005 release their first LP.
“We focus on that scene because that's where the most exciting bands are playing,” Steinhardt says. “There's a saying in writing that goes: you write what you know. If I'm going to put a lot of energy, time, and money into it, then I have to go with what I know, not what I think I can sell.”
The passion him and his team of five have put behind the label has shown over its 7 year history. While the label may not work with a ton of bands, the bands they do work with they are dedicated to.
Read rest of the story below.
2008 Showcase
By the time the label held their first official showcase on Feb. 2, 2008 at the quaint Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, thinking they were a little over their heads, it had sold out. That show featured The Ergs!, Dustheads, Hunchback, For Science, The Measure (SA), The Steinways, Groucho Marxists, and Hellhole.
“I think it sold out because it's a show that we were able to promote,” he says. “A big time goal of the label is to get enough money and clout in order to make a legal space for these bands to play in New Brunswick that we can promote.”
These bands were used to playing in basements where 50 of their closest friends and fans would gather. Joe says that while there are “better more exciting shows in these semi-legal spaces, it hurts the scene to.” He continues, “It's exciting in a lot of ways to see a band in an intimate setting, in a sort or honest way. But the downside is it makes the shows harder to organize. People find out about the show the day before, it could get moved, you can't say the name of the house, you can't post about it, can't say the address. So only a small handful of people can come to it. But if you had a venue where you can really promote there's a show at this venue a month in advance, it'd be better.”
He envisions a venue that's “closer to an art space than a bar or something similar to Maxwell's in Hoboken where it's all ages, but you can drink there.”
“You have to sort of meet everyone's needs. You don't want a place to be all kids. Art spaces usually bring in 21 and under crowds. Bars, obviously, are 21 and older. All ages usually means 21 and under. I don't like that. I want a true all ages space. People of all ages. A lot of money and help with the city. would be needed. I feel like if New Brunswick had that it would put New Brunswick on the map. The label's been doing that in a small way.”
2009 Showcase
That's why Maxwell's was the ideal venue for the showcases, but as the shows got bigger they realized they had to aim for something bigger. Despite having a first sold out showcase, they still held their second one at Maxwell's. That one was held on Feb. 7, 2009 and featured Screaming Females, For Science, The Measure (SA), Cheeky, The Steinways, Pregnant, and Groucho Marxists. Both For Science and The Steinways played their last shows at the showcase, while Groucho Marxists released a full-length called Manifesto! and Pregnant released their Wanna See My Gun? 7''.
2010 Showcase
This year the label changed locations, moving to the 550 capacity Bowery Ballroom in New York City, where the show is 16+ or under with parent/ guardian. So technically all ages. Headlining this year is Shellshag.Get ready for a night of punk, rock 'n roll, and dancing.
HOW TO GET TICKETS
Tickets for the showcase are available for $13 in advance here or at the Mercury Lounge box office, or the day of the show for $15.
“Ahead of the showcase, we are posting a free 11 song sampler featuring songs from our current releases including songs from the to-be-released Screaming Females Singles CDEP, Shellshag Rumors In Disguise CD/LP, and recently released Black Wine LP.”
“We're committed to putting out meaningful releases by meaningful bands.”
-Don Giovanni Records
THE BANDS
Shellshag (Brooklyn guitar and drum punk duo)
Forgettors (Blake Schwarzenbach's new band)
Screaming Females (groovy, garage-punk, rock 'n roll)
Jeff the Brotherhood (ex-Be Your Own pet brothers garage-rock band)
Black Wine (f/members of The Ergs! Hunchback, and Full of Fancy)
The Measure [SA] (dual male/female, pop/punk)
Groucho Marxists (New Brunswick pop/punk)
since when did joe have a team of 5
ReplyDeleteNot sure since when, but he works with Zach, Lisa in Marketing, Joan in publicity, and David in college radio. I should've said "team of 4." It's a 5 person operation altogether.
ReplyDelete