The Story
The first show Jake Zimmerman ever booked was at Huntington High School; two punk bands, two ska bands and two metal bands. The variety of genres showcased was a catalyst to the affirmation that diverse shows will always be some of the most important, interesting, and exciting shows that one can attend. That concept encouraged Zimmerman’s plan to have an affect on the process of evolution in music and business.  The next few shows Jake booked were at his house; “-either in my backyard or in my back porch. I learned a few things from booking these shows. I learned how important DIY culture was to a lot of people. People started to pay attention to what I was doing and why I was against “pay to play” shows. I think that people started to have more fun at shows, and bands were more content with how they were being treated (even if they were not making much money).”  Jake lost a lot of money at first, booking his first few shows at actual venues “-and from these mistakes, I gained a new mind for business that I never had before in my life.”

Zimmerman had evaluated all of his own experiences up until this point: he applied simple problem solving and hustle to get a solution off the ground. The idea was to address all issues that any party had to bear regarding live, local music events. This concept seems to stand alone as a mission statement and reason for East Coast Collective’s success.
 
Appeasement of others to earn success.
East Coast Collective purposes all forms of social media to maintain a direct connection to its target audience. When visiting ECC’s social media outlets, [Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr] upon arrival, you immediately observe the line of communication between the company and the consumer, as well, jump right in and participate. You’ll see Jake Zimmerman asking and answering questions and inciting conversation by fueling multiple interactions. “I like to interact with fans and not only know what bands they want to come to Long Island, but also what they want to see, what they liked about the show and what they think can be improved for future shows.”

He explained that many times he doesn’t have control over what tour package comes through The Island. Booking agents put together the tours and East Coast Collective tries to book the appropriate bands/venues, “I have a generally open line of communication with some booking agents, and we work together to plan when certain bands are going to play Long Island over the course of the year.”

As far as booking locals goes, “that is determined by a few factors. I look for the complete “package” when it comes to local bands. A few key components go into this “package”. I look for bands that are either currently musically talented or have the potential to become great song writers and musicians. But besides that, I look for bands who care about the music community, and specifically the Long Island music scene. If you are one of those bands that is quick to talk trash on Facebook about this or that band/show/promoter, than I will probably never book your band. Also, if you are in a band but never come to shows outside of the ones that you play, I will probably never book your band. There are exceptions, but generally these people are not the ones that care about making our music community a better place, and I have no incentive to book them, no matter how talented they might be. In the long run, bands that “make it” are ones that stick together to other like-minded musicians and equally work hard, and come up in the music scene together.“ Thus, if you’re a local band, keep said “package” in mind as your career progresses.
 
fest noun \ˌfest\ : a gathering, event, or show having a specified focus; usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival.
July 6-8 marks the first ever Today’s Mixtape Fest. The anticipated 3-day music festival came about from Zimmerman’s own eagerness to book a festival showcasing artists from a variety genres. East Coast Collective booked three consecutive days of shows at three separate venues for the fest; across Long Island, according to artists billed and expected crowd turn-out. This turns out to be a sensible move to ensure successful ends for ECC, participants, and attendees. “I’ll be honest, ideally, I would have liked each show to be at the same venue but due to different sizes of crowds that I am expecting and different kinds of bands on each show, it did not work out that way.” There is a metal/hardcore show, a pop punk show, a hip hop show, a punk/indie show, and one or two after parties with electronic dance music (EDM) artists.

“Living so close to a major music market, New York City, we are exposed to hundreds of bands of all different genres over the course of the year. I think that in 2012, the average music fan is listening to many different types of music.”…”Some people are giving new music a chance and I think that is a really exciting thing. Long Island has a rich history of a diverse music community and over the past few years, it seems like we are experiencing a return to those times.” Unless you are a truly close-minded individual, there is something for everyone to enjoy at any one, or more, of these three days of music.

LI Fest
In news of other East Coast Collective derived festivals; the highly anticipated Long Island Fest procured a line-up more impressive than the Long Island community has hosted in years. “We will have some of the biggest bands in hardcore/punk playing on a small stage in a small room to make an intimate and awesome experience. The Ethical Humanist Society is a favorite of many LI hardcore kids and even though I would have liked to have it in a bigger venue to allow more people at the show, I am thrilled to do the fest there. Long Island Fest 2010 at EHS is a weekend I will truly never forget.”

Now, we know Long Island Fest is going to be big this year. I asked Jake, “aside from the impressive lineup, what else does the fest provide?” “Hardcore is meant to be intense and in your face. That is exactly what this fest is about. We are only selling 400 tickets, and for those 400 people, they will get an incredible experience. We have several different hardcore affiliated clothing lines and record labels coming down to sell their merchandise. There will be cheap food and drinks served. I am very excited to have Long Island Vegetarian Eatery feeding the appetites of the vegan/vegetarian hardcore kids.” New York has the biggest and best hardcore/punk music scene of all time. During the later 80′s through the 90′s, Long Island experienced a huge explosion of genre-defining bands. There is a lot of pride in the NY and LI hardcore scenes, making Long Island Fest so important to Zimmerman and others. We don’t get big hardcore/punk shows every weekend on Long Island; people truly look forward to LI Fest every year and maintain high expectations. The positive feedback ECC has received thus far has been reportedly overwhelming. Zimmerman affirms, “Long Island Fest is about LIHC and supporting all things LIHC. […] I personally cannot wait to see Madball play Set It Off at EHS.”
 
Then & Now
I asked Jake to reflect on one of the craziest most trying experiences he has endured under the East Coast Collective brand. He brought up the fact that Long Island fest 2011 almost proved to be a disaster after a venue owner pulled out at 7am, the morning of the fest’s opening day. ECC worked on the fest for 10 months, fans and band members flew out for the reunions of Tripface, Skycamefalling, and Mind Over Matter. Luckily, Jake didn’t let his frustrations get the best of him, secured a venue, and the show went on.

Another incident occurred at the “last” Crime In Stereo show at the Ethical Humanist Society. The short of it goes as follows: During the first band, a line out the door drew the cops attention. They tried stopping admission and shutting down the show. It was decided that of the 75-100 still on line, foreigners who flew in for the show we granted admission and plans for another show were promised to those turned away. Many understood but several were extremely discouraged and pissed off.

These circumstances served as tremendous learning experiences for Zimmerman; true tests to his business sense and individual character. He explained, “ECC has taken me to places I never thought I would be four years ago. I always had an interest in working in the music industry for a living, but as of recently I have been given some serious opportunities to make a name for myself.“
 
Last Dish & Record Label Rumors [Answered!]
“Lots of exciting things are happening for ECC. Obviously, we are booking shows for the fall already and those will be announced in the next month or so. A lot of different bands that you would not normally expect us to work with. The first tour that we are booking/sponsoring is called Today’s Mixtape Tour and it is happening all of July with Second To Last, American Verse and Bellwether. Sam Gursky has been working on a ton of video stuff for ECC and a lot of that will be released throughout the summer. Because of Sam’s immense talent, we are going to do more exclusive live and acoustic videos with bands throughout the year. And the record label rumors are true, East Coast Collective will start to put out records this year. The first thing we are doing is called “The Long Island Mixtape”. It will consist of mostly bands playing Today’s Mixtape Fest. That will probably be out by the time you are reading this! If you are passionate about music, stay involved with your local music community. Start a band. Shout out to Sam Gursky, WaalArt, Nick LaGrega and hatebrigade.”

To come full circle, I asked Jake one final question: Pick one – 2008 or 2012?
His response: “2012 and 2008 are extremely different points of time for me, but I would definitely pick 2012. As simple as everything was in 2008, I believe in progression and I wouldn’t trade these last four years for anything.“

 Most notably, East Coast Collective is about to hit the first of many high points in its existence. ECC offers everyone a chance to have their expectations blown out of the water. Jake Zimmerman at East Coast Collective is providing an opportunity to buy a ticket to see music of your choosing to AND lending free exposure to live music that you may not choose (without some motivation). If that isn’t a low-budget philanthropy, then what the fuck is? 

Make sure to participate in your community. Can’t get your ass up and out?

Visit East Coast Collective’s  >Twitter  >Facebook +  >Tumblr

An abstract Abstract: This bio/feature on Samuel Gursky was left 99.5% unedited because he participated so genuinely, fully and passionately. I’m glad to share, encourage, and contribute to something one does enthusiastically and honestly, and who will put himself out there to a stranger. I’ve been staying up to date on Sam’s videos because he has built a platform among friends with good faith and been granted opportunities via good honest character. He is devoted, does what he says, and thanks everyone along the way. I was glad to hear from him when I asked to do the feature and tell me his story any way he’d like or to get right to the good stuff…this was his response:

My story (unedited, written at 1am)
I was born on October 9th of 1991 on Long Island. I spent the first 17 years of my life in Woodbury, NY before moving to Brooklyn, NY. From the age of 12, I found myself drawn to music and film making. My Mother has always been my biggest advocate, from dropping me off at the Downtown, to picking me up from the skate park, to not yelling at me (too much) for playing music loud music while editing my jackass-esque home movies that I made with my friends (it was the early-mid 00s!) late into the night. I had a teacher who I took a class with almost every quarter at Syosset High School, named Mr. Favilla, who encouraged me to explore my interest in film making, specifically editing, going on to show me Sony Vegas and eventually Final Cut Pro in high school (the program I now use every day for work). I developed a deep love for editing and went on to attend The School of Visual Arts though my family fought me on it every step of the way (with the exception of my mother). I am currently still at SVA in my Junior year in my spring semester.

Last January (of 2011) I applied to an assistant editing job on Craigslist, the response changed my life. Dylan Steinberg was the name of the editor, we cut 59 episodes of a cooking show called “Gorgeously Green” for eHow.com, over the course of a few days. It was a great crash course/introduction into the world of freelancing. Dylan now owns a production company called Dream Machine Creative (and a sweet RED Scarlet which I got to play with today) an we’ve continued to work together. I’ve gone on to shoot and/or edit for him ever since, on projects for Atlantic Records, Arizona Iced Tea, NASA, RachelRay.com, eHow.com, Fueled By Ramen Records and many, many other companies, all of which have been amazing learning experiences. I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to work on many of these projects. Through him I’ve shot and/or edited on pieces for friends of his and on my own for Vogue Magazine, Men’s Fitness Magazines, XXL Magazine and more…

Side step. I have been producing two music documentaries recently. One which I started in the January of 2011 called “Brooklyn Rocksteady” about the history of ska in NYC and the current uprising of new bands creating a new flavor of this traditional music. It has received an overwhelming amount of support from people inside and outside of the community and will hopefully be completed soon, which I couldn’t be anymore thrilled for. Last April all of my gear was stolen (thankfully I had insurance) and it took so much for me to really “get back on the horse” and keep producing it. Besides that, I have also been lucky enough to have been asked to create a behind the scenes documentary series for The Bamboozle Festival 2012, working with the brains behind it all, the one and only John D. It has been an amazing experience and I can’t even believe that I am doing it, or that it is called “The Gursky Project”, it feels like a dream! I met Christian McKnight (a talent buyer for The Bamboozle) through Jake Zimmerman, who I have run a promotional company with since 2009 called East Coast Collective. Jake is an amazingly talented promoter, check out what he’s been doing while I’ve been doing my thing lately and get stoked on the fact that he booked H2O at the smallest venue on LI for 2 shows, which are both going to be extremely exciting.

Shows and touring have always been a huge part of my life, touring with Tomahawk Chop, Royal City Riot, The Forthrights and most recently The Slackers (another experience I feel extremely lucky to have, not only because they’re an extremely nice group of dudes, but also because it’s the fucking Slackers!) I am excited to see more of the world and just enjoy my early 20s. I feel so lucky to have gotten the opportunities that I have and I never even for a moment forget that, life is a beautiful gift, we’re all lucky to have it.

I feel so lucky to have the most amazing, supportive, beautiful girlfriend in the world, Nicole Onorato. She’s just super real and isn’t afraid to tell me when something sucks, girl is perfect. Also! I recently directed a music video for Broadcaster they are some of my best friends in the world and I am head over heels in love with their band, keep your eyes peeled for that because we had a lot of fun and they are hilarious people who did a bunch of goofy stuff that you’ll get to enjoy (hopefully). I guess that was a rant?

Find Sam’s work at SamuelGursky.com, interact on Facebook and view hand-selected shooting/directing/editing work by Samuel Gursky below.

The Bamboozle 2012 (three-part documentary)

Ingrid Michaelson (Army of 3) covers “We Found Love”, an original by Rihanna

Broadcaster – Tightrope Walker (Official Music Video)

The gig is at the Jake Starr Cafe at 8:30.

The restaurant is directly across the street from the Stony Brook train station.

Drunken sing-a-longs with friends!

Detailed Event Info

One of our community’s most decent and hard-working friends, John Stengel puts together stacked line ups for all kinds of shows and pulsing late night after parties on Long Island. Stengelfest began as the annual birthday celebration of our gracious pal, where everyone is welcome to enjoy the monster festivities and celebrate Stengel’s birth and the general congregation of friends from all over the area. Stengelfest 2012 is looking to be the most exciting yet, with shows ALL WEEKEND, April 13-15 starting in the afternoon, with local after parties raging through the night! Be sure to check below for detailed ticket and event info and read the behind the scenes interview with Stengel himself!

I started planning this year’s fest in mid December 2011. I knew around that time I wanted to do something big for my birthday. I wasn’t expecting it to turn into a 3 day event. Planning this festival has kept me very occupied over the past 4 months and a lot of people don’t realize what goes into making this possible. First of all, it is taking place at a temple. The Smithtown Masonic Temple has no sound, no stage, and no special lighting. Come this weekend, it will have all of that along with 29 bands and 15 dj’s spread out over 3 days. I love putting things like this together. 3 days of good music, best friends and good vibes. At times it can be so stressful and there are so many curveballs that come your way by planning something so big, but I have learned how to deal with it over the years. This started out by booking a few bands and dj’s I wanted to see for my birthday. But knowing me I should’ve expected myself to go above and beyond.

First of all, none of this would be possible if people didn’t support music. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with all of these amazing bands. I have to thank my partner Joe Nolan for helping out, without him this would not have been possible. Thanks to all of the sponsors that are backing this fest hard: Shatterproof Clothing, Imagine Clothing, K. & WaalArt and Just Tee-Zing. All of the bands involved. Shout out to the promoters that have been keeping the scene on the Island strong by providing quality shows: Jake Zimmerman and East Coast Collective, Matt/Clay and Haymaker Productions, Charlie Mertens over at the EI Lanes, Derek Maranzano and Big Mosh Booking. I also have to give the most thanks and a shout out to all of my close friends that have supported me since day 1.

Shatterproof Clothing plants a tree for every t-shirt they sell. They are great people and they are doing positive things for the environment. Imagine Clothing has a deep meaning behind their shirt designs.Those guys are all about following your dreams. I’m so stoked they chose to back us. K. is providing you with this reading material and WaalArt is the sickest flyer designer on Long Island. Together, they provide everything from logos and t-shirt design/screen printing, studio photo shoots, artist feature/write-ups, handmade custom clothing, even manicures and pedicures. I want a pedicure. The Just-Teezing guys are my good friends from high school with a new clothing company that prints everything from Jeremy Lin shirts to Boston Sucks shirts. Bad Rabbits might be upset with some of their designs haha. The daytime shows are all ages and offer a drug and alcohol free environment so it’s a safe place for the younger kids to enjoy a show. If you believe alcohol is necessary to have a good time you can hit up any one of our after parties which are being held at Cheers of Smithtown. The after parties will provide you with a fun night of dancing, cheap drinks and as always the best atmosphere. All in all, this weekend has something for everyone.

Stengelfest is a 3 day festival and after parties of mostly local bands and artists all put together by my good friend John Stengel for Live Source Long Island! The festival is scheduled for April 13-15 and I can account for the assurance that this will be an ‘end of the world’ kind of festival, the line up is absolutely stacked everyday and night. K. and WaalArt have put together a bunch of promotional things to offer at the fest:

>Studio photography appointments/consultation, logo/flyer/poster/t-shirt design and consultation, local arts/culture write-ups on a suggest/request/submit basis for the site, custom clothing + accessories for sale, salon quality manicure appointments, and snacks!!

Visit the AZ K. Blog or Facebook Page to check out all products/services by yours truly and the WaalArt site for examples of beautiful, reasonably priced design work! Stengel throws the best parties and puts together some of Long Island’s best local events, so BE SURE TO ATTEND! Pre-sale tickets are still available but going fast at LiveSourceLI.com.

The large scale festival has reached far beyond its ancient Hindu origin. The festival has roots in Hindu legends associated with the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness; a concept everyone can relate to and celebrate. Holi is celebrated like many festivals with food, bonfires, singing, dancing, and overt camaraderie. Special to this celebration, participants exchange poofs and smears of brightly colored powders with anyone and everyone they cross. The scene becomes a canvas of iridescence and joy.  Holi is celebrated on the Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon) in the month of Phalgun (usually late February, early March) according to the Hindu Calendar.

Video of Holi Festival of Color in Utah.<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/zqsRFAJVN9c&#8221; frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

Wish someone a Happy Holi and find a Holi Festival near you and celebrate until the weekend!

In honor of  Women’s Day, one of Daniella’s favorite poems celebrating the female body:

listen,

you a wonder,

you a city

of a woman.

you got a geography

of your own.

listen,

somebody need a map

to understand you.

somebody need directions

to move around you.

listen,

woman,

you not a noplace

anonymous

girl;

mister with his hands on you

he got his hands on

some 

damn

body!

          Lucille Clifton

Since I discovered jazz and Marilyn Monroe, I’ve always had a deep passion for the past, particularly the mid 40′s to early 60′s era. The culture, the art, and the music of that time has captivated me with its elegance and simplicity quite similarly to the way the 1920′s fascinates the Midnight in Paris lead, Gil Pender (Owen Wilson). So, upon seeing Woody Allen’s latest film, I was thrilled to live vicariously through Gil’s magical encounters with a beautiful, unforgotten era in one of the most striking cities on earth, Paris.

Gil Pender is a successful screenwriter in Hollywood, but his real aspirations lie in writing a novel about a man who owns a nostalgia shop. He is vacationing in Paris with his uptight fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her wealthy parents. While walking the streets of Paris at midnight (much to his fiancé’s dismay), he stumbles upon a Ford Model T that picks him up and unknowingly transports him into the era of Paris in the 1920′s. During his many unexplained adventures through that period of time, Gil meets an array of his idols such as Hemingway, Salvador Dali, The Fitzgeralds, & Picasso, to name a few.

Midnight in Paris offers a beautiful screenplay, which just happened to win the Academy Award for Best Screenplay this year. The dialogue is wonderfully smart, amusing, and memorable. Woody Allen has certainly created an amazing fictional character that meshes well with the non-fictional character portrayals. Wilson plays the part of Gil perfectly, with an honest and boyish astonishment to the crazy experiences he is faced with. As for, McAdams, she makes you hate her so well that you can’t help but applaud her for it. Something must also be said for Marion Cotillard’s enticing performance as Picasso’s alluring, artistic muse, Adriana.

Although the story is clearly a fantasy, it doesn’t seem out of reach as a potential reality, which is partly what makes this film so appealing. This is especially true for those viewers who have been lucky enough to taste the surreal feeling that Paris welcomes its travelers with. It’s an inviting and enjoyable film for anyone who has a love of vintage culture and art. Oh, and a love for Paris— because this film offers exquisite shots of the city at day, night, and in the rain leaving you with no doubt that, “Paris is [indeed] most beautiful in the rain.”

Watch the entire clip for Woody Allen’s idea of understated hilarity, and restrained emotion in effect. In this scene, Gil Pender (Wilson) meets artists Salvador Dali, Man Ray, and Spanish film maker Luis Buñuel.  

You are certainly familiar with the phenomenon that occurs when you listen to music on a set of headphones. You may be still in a chair, in the middle of a crowd, on a computer, treadmill, or sidewalk listening to something you’ve chosen, and eventually get the feeling that you’ve intimately and individually become part of what you are listening to. You develop a mood, develop a running pace, zone in to or zone out of what you are doing, and all the while the music registers. This occurrence just scratches the surface of ‘what music does’ and, at the same time gives meaning.

If you wonder why music does things to you, spins you a tale, surrounds you, envelopes you from the inside out, this is why:

Facts: The human brain is networks of interconnected neurons performing computations that trigger functions like thoughts and consciousness. It has been mapped by neuropsychologists; motor skills live in a certain region of the brain, personality in another, ‘making sense’ in a small region somewhere else, vision in the occipital lobe, emotions in the cerebellum, and so on. But uncannily, musical activity involves nearly every region of the brain that we know about, and nearly every neural subsystem. That said, it is vital.

Out of K.’s hometown of Huntington’s emerged Gabe Perez who has followed a passion of his to successful ends. Identified as Protector, he muses from the potential of the future. “We’re in a very interesting state of electronic music. A lot of people are looking out for what’s next in almost every genre. I think this is a great opportunity to really break down the elements of what makes great music. I think music is going to become more of an emotional coloring tool to bring leverage to the state of being you choose to be in.” As well, it seems to come from a knowledge of the aforementioned facts, knowledge and experience in a wide range of musical genres, and a deep personal understanding of continuous exploration. “I think people are going to begin to take the vibe of tunes a lot more seriously. I want my music to be deep, compassionate and energizing. That’s how I like to live and that’s what I’ll represent.” Thus, the original electronic music he produces under the alias Protector is striking the right chords in all types of people.

Talk about the name Protector, what is the significance? “Protector’ has a very safe and comforting connotation. You can get a sense of trust and reliability in just the name alone. I think thats a perfect foundation for a positive, strong, and encouraging music. Music can be incredibly influential on the psyche, mood and environment. I believe that musicians should have more responsibility in altering the airspace with loud frequencies as it’s technically altering who is present at that moment.

How would you describe your sound? The Protector sound is something that is evolving and growing, but I do my best to let the music reflect feelings of endurance, strength, heartfelt passion, pride, dexterity, deep love, really just all aspects that I would imagine someone would want as their personal “protector”. [...] the songs reflect on a colorful character with a compatible personality whose an explosive sprinter, a berserker style defender, a reliable and good companion to have around you who can get the job the done and tell you that he actually cares. I want my music to feel like that. Like a guardian archangel standing by your side, and the actions it can take. I strive for that feeling.

If you like your insides to vibrate, your emotions moved powerfully and dynamically, and your environment lively and positive, you will consent with Protector. I had the opportunity to help make it rain glow sticks and experience his show at The Paramount in Huntington, NY (among others) opening for DATSIK and Steve Aoki. Rad. In leaving the venue, I was actually thanked by a few heavy breathing ragers for making that moment so special.

Protector is playing The Bamboozle this year in ASbury Park, NJ! Check out the Protector website for all show dates, info, and downloads. Be sure to DOWNLOAD PROTECTOR’S 2 EP’S FOR FREE! 

Links:   >Protector Website    >Facebook    >Twitter

photo: Maya Bengston

John Farifax + Sylvia Cook

NYTimes

BY Margalit Fox

Published: February 18, 2012

Printed: February 19, 2012

John Fairfax, Who Rowed Across Oceans, Dies at 74 – NYTimes.com

So happy to see this band on New Year’s Eve and start 2012 dancing drunk to music but a bunch of gypsy punks. Also, laughably appropriate for the tone of Fairfax’s life. Enjoy.

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