This interview with Daniel Stover, Director of Programming and Talent Buyer of Pittsburgh independent music venue Spirit, is part of Hypebot’s In The Trenches. The series spotlights the unsung heroes fighting to keep independent live music alive, and is sponsored by live music marketing solution, Bandsintown PRO.
Hypebot: Hey Daniel, thanks so much for taking the time. Can you just introduce us to your work and your career?
Daniel Stover: "I came to Spirit with a fairly eclectic background. For years I worked for various NYC marketing firms as an art director. All the while I was very involved in the street art scene, running an arts & culture website & organization, and working with galleries and DIY music spaces."
From there I spent some time in Virginia, founding a public arts non-profit, a popular speak-easy and mini venue, a farmhouse recording space, and my own take on a food truck. The list goes on and on, but in a nutshell, any opportunity I get to bring creativity and big ideas to the table is the sort I gravitate towards."
H: What does Spirit do well, and right, for the community here in Pittsburgh, and what are some of the unique challenges a venue faces in this area?
DS: "We always aim to be a hub of the local scene, and work to do all that we can to support local artists in putting their music out there. I’m proud to say that we are a go-to for local bands to have their album release shows in our space. And we also always work to make connections between local and touring bands."
The biggest challenge is all the competition. Pittsburgh has an incredible number of venues and music spaces for a city this size. But really that speaks to the vibrancy of the city’s local music scene, so it’s a good challenge to have."
"As much as we collectively are aware of the harm it does to independent spaces, and that it lines its pockets to the detriment of artists and consumers, we look the other way for the sake of convenience."
H: On community-building, how does Live Nation and the monopolistic takeover of live touring impact work like yours in terms of building something big on a local level?
DS: "Live Nation is just another example of unbridled capitalism, isn’t it?"
It’s another Amazon, and as much as we collectively are aware of the harm it does to independent spaces, and that it lines its pockets to the detriment of artists and consumers, we look the other way for the sake of convenience."
As long as artist managers and agents keep taking the easy way, going to Live Nation, musicians allow it, and people keep buying those tickets, we’re stuck with it."
H: Regarding Pittsburgh, as a touring musician myself I’ve always thought of the city as off the beaten path locationally, but a big enough market to try to make time for, knowing there’s such a good live music crowd here. Is that a perception you’re actively battling against when it comes to booking touring acts?
DS: "From my standpoint, it’s almost perplexing that any band would sleep on Pittsburgh when routing a tour. This city is very much the gateway to the midwest, and in a sense, its supposed isolation is a benefit."
Fans will come from far and wide to see a show in Pittsburgh, as this city sometimes serves as people's only access to certain shows. Every time I see a band pass us by on their way from Philly to Detroit, I see an opportunity missed on their part."
H: What percentage of the bookings are local headliners versus touring headliners? And has that changed much in recent years?
DS: "I’d say we’re fairly balanced between the two, and as far as I understand, Spirit always has been. A good mix is the way to go, in terms of supporting and also inspiring the local community."
H: If this was 1985, who would be headlining Spirit?
DS: "These answers almost seem too obvious but I can’t help but think along the lines of Tom Waits, The Cure, Talking Heads, The Pogues, Violent Femmes, Dead Kennedys, and so on, which very much matches Spirit’s alternative and punk sensibilities. Hell, I’d still gladly book any of these still surviving acts."
"Long before we had recording capabilities and anything resembling a music industry, we had live music. It was one of our first methods of storytelling."
H: What do you love about live music?
DS: "It’s the experience of it. We live in a time where music can be taken for granted. It’s so easily accessible, its background sound, it can be almost disposable and easily forgotten. Live music is music's original form."
Long before we had recording capabilities and anything resembling a music industry, we had live music. It was one of our first methods of storytelling. We built communities and cultures around it. Live music is in a sense a tribal activity, and can capture us in a way that hitting play on Spotify never will."
H: Do you think live performance and touring is essential for artists today?
DS: "Really it depends on what an artist is trying to accomplish. There are no wrong answers. I know plenty of amazing musicians who don’t share a single thing they write, and there are plenty that are satisfied with simply putting their songs online."
There is nothing wrong with creating music for the love of music. If an artist wants to leave an indelible mark though, tour. That is the only way."
H: What ‘go to’ tools, strategies and platforms do you use to market shows?
DS: "We very much use Meta (Facebook, Instagram) quite often, and try to focus on original video based promotions. Though we don’t sneeze at a good old school press release, or flyering the area. I’m always exploring new strategies to better reach potential audiences. People are now inundated with constant content, so getting their attention is always a challenge."
H: What’s your typical lunch order?
DS: "I often get so wrapped up in my work that I can forget about lunch entirely, and end up going for whatever is the fastest and easiest option. A very typical go to for me would be from a local establishment, Moonlit Burger, which has a burger called the Big Mick, which I can’t help but love."
Learn more about Spirit and check out the calendar on Bandsintown, or on Facebook/Instagram.
