Brian Slattery Photo
“We have to move back to a knowledge-based society. You know, giving away knowledge instead of trinkets.”
So said Hashim Allah of Hallah Edutainment about the Elm City Music Fest, a multi-genre extravaganza of shows, talks, and workshops that ran this past weekend at Cafe Nine, the Space complex in Hamden, and LoRicco Towers on Crown Street.
Behind him, DJ Roo and DJ Egads had just finished setting up their gear and were already getting things going for the festival’s second day.
The festival sprang from a collaboration among Vic Steffens of Horizon Music Group and Elm City Music; Brian Cronin of Mirror Image Media and THAT MAG, out of Philadelphia; Michael Caplan, head of Elm City Music; Jim Thorpe of DVT Events, also from Philadelphia; and Allah, The Space, Cafe Nine, and many others.
Michael Caplan, Hashim Allah, and Vic Steffens.
In addition to putting on a string of shows that rocked multiple venues at once for the entire weekend, the festival scheduled daytime workshops and panels where musicians from all over the Northeast — and as far away as Colorado and California — could meet and network, with each other and with people in the music industry, possibly leading to future collaborations and touring opportunities.
In other words, it was about making music. But it was also about the business of making music, and the ways that business could help everyone.
All that was in evidence on Saturday at LoRicco Towers. The schedule started with a DJ demonstration by Egads and Roo, championship-winning New Haven musicians who passed breaks back and forth over a beat that drove pretty damn hard for 11 a.m.
“We’re here to revive DJ culture here in New Haven,” DJ Egads said. “We want to show that it’s not just people pressing a button, playing with technology. It’s an art form.”
Allah then introduced Roo and Egads to DJ Shiftee, a world-champion DJ who was visiting to appear on a panel. Roo and Egads were clearly excited to meet him. Shiftee threw the love right back. Roo and Egads also drew admiration from Jay Griffy and Rich Quick, two hip hop artists from the Philly area who were up to do shows and meet their peers.
“You got to do what you can to spread the gospel,” Griffy said.
“We don’t get up here often,” said Quick, “but when we do, we network our asses off.” He nodded toward Roo and Egads. “Those two are good.”
“It’s just great to be around such positive energy,” Griffy said.
Toni Harp.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, along with Steffens, Caplan, and Allah, stressed how bringing the festival to New Haven could help out both the musicians in attendance and the city.
“Thank you for coming here to do your work,” said Harp to Steffens and Caplan.
The festival, after all, wasn’t just a chance for musicians to meet each other and people in the industry; it was also for everyone from out of town to meet the Elm City.
“On Friday, Rowboat Casino was on fire at the Space,” Allah said. “They were just killing it. And they said it was the first time they had been in New Haven.”
Not long ago, Allah was quick to remember, New Haven was a stop for major touring acts, whether it was P. Funk playing at Woolsey Hall or the Rolling Stones doing their surprise show at Toad’s in 1989. And then there’s that show Nirvana did at The Moon in 1991, mere weeks before they suddenly became superstars.
“We can create the buzz again,” Allah said. “It seems like there’s a group of like-minded people who remember what New Haven was and how it can be.”
With efforts like the Elm City Music Festival, reclaiming New Haven as a spot on the national musical map seems a little closer.
Who knew that video of Nirvavna at the Moon even existed!? Whoever taped and edited that and uploaded to YouTube: Thank you!!
Also the Elm City Music website leads one to believe that Matisyahu is part of the roster of recording artists. Can this be true?? What's his commitment to ECM, I wonder?