The late summer sun was shining. Shades of sky blue and kelly green draped over the Canadian landscape, as I drove into Ontario by way of the Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit to Windsor.
I — and UMC — had never been here before. Not only did I find myself in another country, but I was there on behalf of this plucky little platform I started with a USB mic, laptop, and idea in my childhood bedroom 11 years prior. Surreal.
I still had a few more hours to go before I’d arrive to my destination: Cookstown, about an hour north of Toronto. Gussapolooza — an emerging festival for independent artists — was set to begin.
I arrived shortly after 5 p.m. ET, where I was greeted warmly by organizers and volunteers. After getting camp situated, I grabbed my camera and walked up to the festival’s dual main stage setup.
Suddenly, we were off to the races.
Throughout the evening, I found myself remarking at the talent and diversity on the lineup. It felt that, with each new performance, I had found my new favorite moment of the night.
Moreover, all of us in attendance were free and encouraged to create and enjoy it all. It became evident quickly that Gussapolooza is more than a festival; it’s a community that brings us back to the fundamentals, while providing meaningful opportunities for artistic expression.
Certainly, to build a career in this industry, there is a necessary emphasis on the business side that we all must embrace. However — if just for a weekend — Gussapolooza invited us all to drop the pretense, come as we are, and find unity in the art form that inspired our creative journeys.
Gussapolooza was here for another year, and it was ready to remind us why we do what we do.
Note: I tried to get to every performance, but there were a few I missed throughout the weekend, in the flow of things. If I missed yours, I offer my humblest apologies. Let’s make it up sometime!
7:09 p.m.: Don’t sleep on Canada’s country artists! Angelica Appelman performed in the barn today, and her combo of vocals and stage presence is a winning one!
6:25 p.m.: Lots of powerful vocalists throughout today’s lineup, and Vanessa Lio is no exception. Have a listen!
5:07 p.m.: Our Sunday adventure continued with glam rock cowgirl Jessica Sevier — and her noticeably fantastic songwriting!
4:27 p.m.: Onto today’s performances! Blackstock kicked things off, and those vocals were STRONG to start our Sunday!
2:52 p.m.: Simply put, last night rocked. If you need further evidence, check out this moment from Cigar Club.
2:27 p.m.: The Blues Emergency brought big energy to Saturday night’s lineup — and they’re fronted by Andy Du Rego, whose Black Suit Devil project has been featured here on UMC before. Small world!
2:00 p.m.: Speaking of last night, look at how Fortunate Losers had the whole place rocking! Tremendous set — shades of Tool, Deftones, and early Our Lady Peace (think Happiness… and earlier).
1:40 p.m.: My upload speeds have been a little slow out in the field, as well, which is contributing to the backup in updates.
BUT… we’re going to get caught up, and it starts with this clip featuring the mega-talented Harley Olivia, whose performance lit up a picturesque late summer evening in Ontario.
Sunday, September 15 | 1:23 p.m.: Oh man… I’m behind the 8-ball here! I guess that’s what happens when you fully immerse yourself in an event this epic. There are lots of videos on my phone, which we’ll be rolling out here, Instagram, and YouTube.
While I get caught up, I want to thank everyone who attended and empowered my Perfect Your Pitch seminar this morning! I’m grateful to have been on this stage, and for the connections made!
8:16 p.m.: What do you think? Should Tyler Lorette come hang in Nashville sometime?
7:07 p.m.: Things just got HEAVY with Burning Bridges!
6:22 p.m.: Seattle psych legends General Mojos delivered an impressive set, showcasing their seamless musicianship earlier this afternoon. The audience took notice — a LOT of people came up to the front for a closer look.
5:50 p.m.: Lots to update you on, starting with the fun brought forth by alt-rock trio Wishwell.
4:42 p.m.: A couple more performances coming in! The first is Italian-born Alessandro Montelli rocking the afternoon crowd, followed by folk trio Wild Bloom covering Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
3:17 p.m.: One thing I appreciate about Gussapolooza is not only the dedication to showcasing original music, but original music from across genres. With that in mind, here’s a little snippet from pop/R&B artist David July.
1:54 p.m.: Plenty of great insights from Matt Bacon. Here’s one for any artists reading this to digest…
How is content making your audience FEEL? What emotions will your audience experience coming to a live show or engaging with you?
1:07 p.m.: “It’s never been easier to get the word out about yourself as a musician.” Matt Bacon emphasizes that while marketing platforms may change, the strategies behind marketing are timeless.
12:44 p.m.: And, as a friendly reminder, a familiar face presents tomorrow at 11 a.m.! 😉
12:41 p.m.: Easy start to the day, about to take in Matt Bacon’s social media marketing seminar before the (musical) games begin for the afternoon!
Saturday, September 14 | 12 p.m.: Top of the afternoon to ya!
Let’s kick today’s coverage off with last night’s closing performance from CMAGIC5, who brought out all the bells and whistles to conclude Night 1!
11:20 p.m.: Still coming down from the spiritual experience The Manic Boys & Girls Club gave us…
9:45 p.m.: Feral Minks with one of my favorite sets of the night. A lot of groove in their music — reminds me quite a bit of Kings of Leon.
9:26 p.m.: If you know me, you know the level to which this is high praise: Gussapolooza reminds me of the stories I’ve been told about the early days of Musikfest (which is now the largest free, non-gated music festival in the US). There’s clear passion, vision, and attention to detail, and you can tell that everyone in this community believes in this festival.
9:01 p.m.: And, just like that, Ashley Gilmore & Friends are here to show that an all-acoustic arrangement can be just as powerful!
8:45 p.m.: Cudbear is the truth! They didn’t stop bringing the energy in torrents for their entire set. In fact, they seemed to only gain more power as the set went on.
8:12 p.m.: Stumbled upon a party in the barn with Usual Suspektz!
7:14 p.m.: As I was making the previous update, I was uploading this fun little snippet from Gussapolooza veterans, Freightliner. Come get some!
7:09 p.m.: Been making my way around, and caught In Your Walls playing a new tune inside at the MTAV Barn Stage!
6:14 p.m.: Sweet chili Thai chicken pouting from Foodiez Barrie. I’m already in love.
6:03 p.m.: We are underway! I set up my tent and came back up from tent city, just as Barrie, ON native Brigitte Eve kicked off Gussapolooza 2024.
12:26 p.m. ET: We’ve arrived in Canada! This thing that started with a USB mic and a laptop in my childhood bedroom is officially an international movement.
Friday, Sept. 13 | 9:42 a.m. ET: Woke up like dis…
I pulled into the lovely Monroe KOA in Petersburg, MI shortly after midnight last night. Day 1 on the road took a little longer than expected; I had to stop for new tent poles, and when I couldn’t find what I needed, I ended up buying a new tent. That, plus a missed turn that briefly took me into Indiana, led to a slight delay.
After all of that excitement — and setting up my tent in the dark — I woke up like dis…
Nonetheless, it’s onward to Gussapolooza from here!
Thursday, Sept. 12 | 12:17 p.m. CT: The Blog-a-Thon is back, baby!
We only pull this one out of our arsenal for the most epic of quests. I’d say our first trip to Canada — for UMC, as well as my first trip to Canada ever — for an independent music festival unlike any other is an adventure worthy of live updates, all weekend long!
We have the opportunity to mix it up with 40+ artists and scores of creatives this weekend in Cookstown, Ontario. And so, I’ll be chiming in to give you the sights and sounds — plus anything interesting I find along the way.
I’m about to get on the road, so buckle up, as we take you for a thrilling ride! Keep checking back here for updates, and if you need some traveling music, here’s what I’ll be bumping on my way up north…
Finding true love means not giving up when times are tough; it means weathering the storms and resolving to find the brighter days ahead.
Nashville-based soul singer Beth White takes us through these ups and downs with her new single, “Pretty Baby,” a dreamy R&B offering that smooths out love’s rougher edges.
“‘Pretty Baby’ is a dichotomous song about the peaks and pits of love,” White said. “The verses navigate negative intrusive thoughts regarding one’s relationship and its future, while the choruses are the resolution to questioning, and reflect understanding and calmness in the one you love.”
“Pretty Baby” was recorded at Skinny Elephant Recording in East Nashville, and was co-produced by White alongside Ryan Connors. White performed all vocal duties on the track, while Connor serves as its sole instrumentalist.
Cannabis products have become more prevalent in American society. Many states have fully legalized their sale or use, either for medical or recreational purposes, while cannabis products have also been decriminalized in other municipalities across the United States.
Today, we welcome Marley Sims (a.k.a. CannaBae Marley) for a lightning quick edition of The Quinn Spinn, who discusses the different types of cannabis products (CBD vs. THC) and their therapeutic uses.
There are times when a song is more than just a song; when it is a statement of arrival, and a significant step on one’s healing journey.
“Try Hard” — the new single from Nashville-based songwriter Emma Driver — is one of those moments. The first single from her forthcoming EP, Ashamed to Admit This(coming spring 2025), the tune unveils a new sound from the former Fresh Lady. Combining anthemic pop sensibility with a robust pop punk edge, Driver sings about confronting one’s insecurities and using them to serve others facing similar struggles.
“Try Hard” also marks a significant life milestone for Driver, who faced mortality in the form of a lymphoma diagnosis at age 27. Lyrics like “what a nightmare to be perceived” — written before her diagnosis — took on an entirely new meaning, as she lost her hair to chemotherapy and became unrecognizable even to herself.
In the end, music ultimately helped her transform her fear and shame into art — while still allowing her the room to be vulnerable and accepting of her own humanity.
“I used to think that I would get to a point when I just didn’t care; like a switch would flip, and I’d just know who I was and be good. But now in remission, I still catch myself,” Driver said. “I fully beat cancer and am over here worried about if a random person thinks I’m cringe. I’ll always care, because it’s human to want to be liked, understood, and validated. Finally putting this song out feels like owning this part of myself I used to feel shame about, and that’s so freeing.”
Free yourself from your own fears of judgment when you play this one at max volume!
In case you’ve been under a rock for the past few years, turn-of-the-millennium rock influences are everywhere these days. It’s never long before we hear about another reunion tour — or entire festival — meant to appeal to our Gen X and Millennial tastes.
Of course, the late 90s and early 2000s are showing up in plenty of new music as well. Take Nashville-based duo Lips Speak Louder for example; their new single, “Hype,” draws its instrumentation and swagger from some of your favorite high-powered grunge tunes, while frontwoman Rachel Brandsness’ vocals remind us of Gwen Stefani — with just a wee bit more of a sullen edge.
“‘Hype’ unapologetically calls out and confronts the inauthenticity of those who sell themselves for their own gain, whether it’s social, financial or political,” Brandsness said.
If you want to hear more after listening to this — and we’re sure you will — Lips Speak Louder is about to embark on a fall tour across much of the US, both in support of their own project and as the backing band for Emily Wolfe, who produced “Hype” alongside the band’s forthcoming album. That tour includes an Oct. 19 date at Nashville’s Lipstick Lounge, beginning at 7 p.m.
For now, believe the “Hype” on this one — because it’s here, and it’s real!
Lonely Little Kitsch released their latest single, “Vices,” on August 21. A tense introduction — hallmarked by low-end guitars and a thunderous bass drum pattern — sets an ominous tone, as frontwoman Kristen Goetz lists some of the ways our humanity gets the better of us.
However, upon a closer listen, one realizes that “Vices” serves a deeper purpose — to celebrate the beautiful imperfections that make each of us human!
“The song is about bad habits, and how we all have them,” Goetz said. “Some can be serious, and some are innocent and fairly innocuous –- and, in some cases, our vices are other people. But, no one is vice-less. ‘Vices’ is about recognizing that, and coming together and being open about it. Perfection is a farce. Let your freak flag fly!”
Described by the band as “Veruca Salt meets Jack White, with a little (a lot) of Cobain in the bridge,” “Vices” takes the best of 90s grunge and applies a modern filter — complete with a melody sure to leave a lasting impression.
“I had been playing around on a keyboard and came up with something that felt catchy. Nolan immediately created a killer guitar riff based on that, I sang a melody with it, and that was that,” Goetz said. “The bones and structure of the song came together extremely quickly.”
What do you say to the organization that has given you every meaningful start in your chosen industry, 10 years later?
I came to ArtsQuest in the summer of 2014. I was 27 years old, trying to find my way after fizzling out as an internal communications specialist for a Fortune 500 company in New York. I had started a music-centric podcast in the prior year that was trying to find its legs. I was underemployed (and pretty broke), but felt the brimming potential of purpose from this platform that was in its infancy. I just needed a chance, and I was granted one back in my college town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I had the opportunity to work the same festival that, at that point, had become an annual appointment for me – and I had the chance to see it through fresh eyes, as I sought inspiration for the road ahead. I had the opportunity, in my small way, to be part of the magic this time of year, in the city my soul had come to call home.
I think of the road since then. I think of the ups and downs, and how good it felt to be back home, even as the ensuing months and years would bring about great loss, and no shortage of professional and personal transitions. “Sure things” would fade from view, while the unexpected would present new opportunities (and the challenges that come with them).
That never rang truer than in the fall of 2015. Mom had just passed and, after my beloved Cubs were bounced from the playoffs by the Mets in emphatic fashion, I found myself once again in need of an outlet. The Quinn Spinn, having been on hiatus for several months, needed the support of a stronger platform, and I had recently begun to dig into the local music scene in my new (old) city. I decided that I, at the very least, could do something to support local artists who were releasing music and playing shows.
Within a couple of months, the blog – then known as Lehigh Valley Underground – was born. A couple months after that, a piece I had written about the popular, yet highly-contested Lehigh Valley Music Awards (LVMAs) gave us our first moment of quasi-virality. The region’s musical power players had quickly become aware of this plucky little blog I had started, enough so that we were asked to lend media partnership support to the LVMAs’ showcase at that year’s Musikfest.
All the while, I found my job at ArtsQuest becoming so much more than a job. It became a family, complete with a variety of personalities and relationship dynamics. It became a place to sound out my ideas, and find listening ears and new perspectives.
One such moment that sticks out to me occurred one weekday night in late spring (or early summer) of 2016. I had just begun my shift – and was minding my own business – when I overheard a conversation during my shift about this “Lehigh Valley Underground” thing that had just started. My ears perked up, as a *very* high ranking official within the organization was involved.
I was conflicted. This was my pride and joy, and people were talking about it! On the other hand, I was raised to *never* bring up my outside interests in a workplace setting.
Regardless, I decided that if I was ever going to flip the script, the time was now…
“Do you know who runs that?” I asked.
“Who?”
“Me.”
I received some amazing, encouraging feedback on LVU. Although it was brief, our interaction ended with that same official gesturing to our surroundings within the ArtsQuest Center, saying the following…
“Remember, this all happened because somebody had an idea…”
Over time, I would find more new opportunities within those walls – to collaborate on fresh ideas, and to connect with new people and organizations. Some of the first meaningful media coverage opportunities I and LVU had were because of ArtsQuest and Musikfest. Soon, we would find ourselves crossing paths, collaborating on events and festivals. No matter what, I’ve always felt like my voice mattered as a member of our community.
Then, in 2018, I felt a pull toward something different. Nashville came calling. My team – my family – encouraged me to pursue that calling. They let me know that if I ever wanted to come back – for Musikfest, for good, or for anything in between – that the door would always be open.
That’s why I come back. That’s why I’ll put life and business on pause for a few weeks every summer to take part in this unique, magical experience that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth but Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Although Nashville certainly claims ownership to several chapters in this story, those chapters would have never been written if it weren’t for these 10 incredible, timeless days in August that bring me back home.
This year is perhaps the most special yet. First of all, today (August 1, 2024) marks 10 years to the day that I clocked in for my first Musikfest shift, which I spent directing traffic at the intersection of 2nd St. and Founders Way. Tonight, I have the honor and privilege of joining my team once again – including many of the people who were here that day – to kick off the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival with Greta Van Fleet at the Wind Creek Steel Stage. Then, on Friday evening and continuing through August 11, you’ll catch me on the North Side, leading our Event Staff operations on that side of the festival for the fourth year in a row.
(To those of you who know what time it is, I can’t wait to see you over there. It’s one of the highlights of my year, every year.)
In addition, the organization that has given me so many opportunities keeps on giving. I am honored to be a presenter at the first-ever Musikfest Industry & Education Conference. I’ll be in attendance both days – August 1 and 2 – with my seminar, Perfect Your Pitch: Building Authentic Connections as an Independent Artist, taking place this Friday, August 2 at 1:30 p.m. inside the Red Cinema at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. I’ll be presenting on behalf of that plucky little blog that has since become so much more. If you’re nearby, I hope to see you there.
To my ArtsQuest Family, thank you for giving me this stage – your stage – to begin this exciting next chapter in the story of Underground Music Collective (and, at its core, Lehigh Valley Underground). I hope that everything I’ve learned in the past decade-plus of building this platform – so much of it alongside many of you – can inspire the creative minds in the room to dream just a little bigger, and strive for more than they previously thought possible.
After all… *gestures around*
…this opportunity happened because somebody had an idea. 😉
Last month, I had the honor and privilege of returning to IHeartMedia headquarters in New York City to record a follow-up interview on the Passage to Profit Show. Hosted by Richard and Elizabeth Gearhart of Gearhart Law, the Passage to Profit Show showcases innovative entrepreneurs from a wide variety of industries, and is syndicated on more than 30 radio stations nationwide.
In this episode, I discuss why it’s important for artists to think and function like entrepreneurs, and how the UMC Academy equips them to do so. We also analyze what prominent artists like Taylor Swift and Bon Jovi have done to build their creative ecosystems and withstand changes in popular music trends.
Joining me on this episode are brilliant entrepreneurs, including:
Geofencing experts Ernesto Cullari and Barbara Wardell from Cullari & Wardell agency. Discover how GPS technology is revolutionizing targeted marketing, allowing businesses to attract the right customers at the right time. Learn the secrets behind geotargeting, from capturing foot traffic to sending personalized ads, and find out how even small businesses can leverage this powerful tool to boost their ROI. If you’re curious about the future of marketing and want to stay ahead of the curve, this episode is a must-listen!
Remi Leibovic, MCM., the founder of RCL Media LLC, a woman/Latina (Cuban/Argentinian) owned social media agency that specializes in data-driven social media management and content creation for small businesses. Remi bases her outreach on meeting new people and creating problem-solving solutions for today’s businesses via social media and the stories told through visual content creation.
Ender Bowen is a Nashville-based musician, author, podcaster, husband, father, and Aspiring Compassionist who is using his creative ecosystem to foster and build a community of “little lights.” The goal? To create a more compassionate world.
Before that was possible, he had to learn who those “little lights” truly are.
This Wednesday, July 24 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, Ender Bowen joins us for a live fireside chat where we’ll dive into the ways he uses data to understand his growing audience, and deliver more of the content and experiences they want. This is a must-attend for ANYONE looking to build a thriving creative enterprise!
This conversation is being offered to the public for FREE by the UMC Academy. Watch it below!
