How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?
One sec - we gotta check the group text and figure out our schedules!
By the time our music hits the streaming sites - prints that first CD - or vinyl (stay tuned), a great deal of coordination goes into it…
And when it’s time to take it to the stage - to perform this music - we return to the text thread and do it all over again!
Taking the band from studio to a live setting is a whole other journey- and we could not be more grateful to DJ Crystal Blu for helping us bring the music of Kingston & GreyStarr to NYC!
Off the heels of a super successful debut together at Berlin NYC- we’re excited to announce we’re teaming up with DJ Crystal Blu once again, but this time with an all female fronted lineup at The Mercury Lounge on September 5th! With Sleepy Kitty and How Tragic.
Crystal is not only the DJ for the event, but the promoter- the glue that holds it together. We recently caught up with Crystal to learn more about the secret sauce behind her events. The ingredients are shockingly simple: a love for music and a desire to share it.
“I’ve loved music since a young age…I used to work years ago for Little Steven’s Underground Garage…I was a new music scout there, so I was always listening to new talents and going to shows since the 80’s. It’s just been my thing, my passion.” Crystal explains.
Crystal’s tenure at Little Steven’s lasted for 11 years, eventually expanding into the festival circuit.
“I recently got involved in the Mile of Music festival the last three years…I talked to Kingston & GreyStarr who were referred by a friend…I listened to them and thought they might want to try out…it’s in Appleton Wisconsin, it was around the holidays so it was hard to get everything together in time. But then I heard their rendition of ‘Don’t Change’ by INXS and thought ‘Wait a minute… I think WE should work together’.
It came naturally with Kingston & GreyStarr - hearing them and thinking “well, I love spinning New Wave and I love spinning 60s Garage, I have all those records”.
That intital conversation led to a fully curated evening at Berlin NYC - alongside fellow indie bands The Ritualists and Dirty Lover.
DJ Crystal Blu spearheaded the event as a promoter, while DJing between sets… making for a cohesive night of curated music to a packed audience.
“It was a great crowd. All the bands were really good…brought their fans…just a really well received night, so it was exciting for all of us.”
Crystal took us back to her early days of record collecting - her first vinyl was Cheap Trick- Live at Budokan.
First 45? “Go all the Way” by The Raspberries.
“I’ve been collecting records for a long time.. I used to work at Beauty Bar (Friday Happy Hours) for a lot of years before the pandemic, Otto’s Shrunken Head… one of my favorite things was doing South by Southwest for Little Steven’s Festival…. that was really exciting… but now I’m doing more one offs and partnering with bands. Doing Showcases. It’s been working out well.
And while Femme Fatale may be a new venture, it does hold roots in Crystal’s past promotion efforts with “Chicks and Broads” a Little Steven’s Underground Garage showcase featuring female fronted acts, hosted by Genya Raven.
And like most New York City creatives, Crystal is a true multi-hypanete: blending her passion for music as a promoter, DJ and rock photographer (having photographed Blondie, Kiss and Rod Stewart to name a few) - with her career as a rock and roll hair stylist.
I moved here to work at Bumble and Bumble which is a big salon… I loved it for a long time…. 17 years… then I went to some smaller salons. Since the pandemic I’ve become more freelance which allows me to do all these great music things which is my other big passion. I wanted to work with Sleepy Kitty - I cut the drummers hair!
And her advice for someone just coming to New York?
“Start going out and seeing the bands you love. Meet the bands, the people who work there…it’s a natural progression once you submerge yourself into the scene. When people have the same goal in mind- just loving music - you may want to eventually promote it if that’s your cup of tea.
And how to ace that first gig? Communication.
“Keeping in touch with the bands, keeping them informed of what they need. Motivating them to promote themselves. Getting their merch together- and expressing support. Whatever they need help with and being there for them. And just believing in them.
As for the Mercury Lounge show on September 5th:
“It’s going to be a great evening of music- strong female rockers. Come out and hear some new music and have a great time. I believe in all these bands and I think it’s a great launching pad for things to come in the future”
We couldn’t agree more. And that lightbulb we mentioned? Sure one or two musicians could change it, but it’s so much more fun when others come join the party. So we’ll see you on September 5th!
Come early to catch the whole crew: Kingston & GreyStarr, Sleepy Kitty, How Tragic and of course, DJ Crystal Blu!