The liveLIVE! crew: Nate Roberts, Daniel Sternstein, Trevor Dunworth, Dan Votke. Photo courtesy of liveLIVE!
Backstage Studio Productions has been one of Uptown Kingston's coolest spots for years: an indoor space the size of a city block devoted to arts and entertainment. Lately, the Lounge at BSP, a performance space equipped with bar and wifi, has a fresh look and feel. The director of Loose Change came by to screen and discuss his latest film, there are Occupy Kingston meetings, and a Vaudeville Circus and Masquerade Ball is on tap for this weekend. Then there are the cutting-edge bands several nights a week. It's all the work of liveLIVE!, a foursome from Oneonta who've taken over the Lounge at BSP.
We spoke with liveLIVE!'s Daniel Sternstein about their vision for the space, and Kingston's burgeoning local music and culture scene.
Watershed Post: What exactly does liveLIVE! do, and how'd you get started?
Daniel Sternstein: Just a few years ago, Trevor and Dan Votke were putting on local festivals in the Oneonta area. As these festivals began to balloon into a serious business, Nate Roberts and I were brought in to help cultivate the growing scene and manage the sometimes chaotic world of festival production. We were already involved with running the music at some of the venues in Oneonta.
It seemed like a natural decision to put our individual projects under one banner. We decided liveLIVE! could serve as a brand that stands for community, activism and great art and we could pool our resources and work as a team.
Before we knew it, we were making records in New York and Atlanta, managing bands in the Northeast, booking events, consulting and fund raising. [In 2010] we raised $1,000 for the St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and we have just begun an annual liveLIVE! Holiday Jam, where we will be donating to food pantries as well as local music programs.
WP: How did you happen to get involved with Backstage Studio Productions/the Lounge?
DS: Adam Armstrong, a good friend and amazing engineer, had been talking to us about a great space with lots of potential, that needed A LOT of work-'right up our alley. We had been considering the idea of having our own venue for quite some time, so we decided to take a look. The space seemed to be the perfect size for what we wanted to do and Kingston was in such good proximity with NYC.
The first thing we did was put a new sound system in and make sure the sound was up to our standard. Dan Votke and Trevor have done such a great job making that room sound wonderful and I believe all the artists that continue to come back can attest to that.
The Lounge is a work in progress. Our customers have already seen many changes going on in there, and over the course of the next year, we will be turning the Lounge at BSP into a premier venue. We want our place to exude the energy and reflect the ideas that liveLIVE! has set forth. It's kind of like painting an enormous picture and we are all excited about the possibilities.
WP: You're promoting entertainment in two very different towns, Kingston and Oneonta. Aside from a lot of driving, how's that working out?
DS: We can really see the similarities between the two. We worked tirelessly for years to bring the arts community back to "fourth gear" in Oneonta, and we see the fruits of our labor at every show we put on over there. We didn't do it alone; I think we just served as a catalyst to the collective artistic energy.
We see the same happening in Kingston. There is such a great vibe here and in the surrounding areas. We want to be the place where artists and music lovers alike can comfortably grab a drink, exchange ideas, and appreciate the great art all around us. liveLIVE! stands for something we believe to be universal; both communities have already begun to get behind these ideas, and we hope to see this continue to grow.
WP: What can we look forward to liveLIVE! bringing us in the future?
DS: We are in so many places at once, we like to keep our future plans under wraps until we are truly ready. We can tell you we have two albums coming out next year with some amazing talent on it and we are set to hit the road with NYC bluesman Geoff Hartwell this summer. Stay tuned... 2012 is set to be an exciting year!
BSP Lounge, 323 Wall Street, Kingston. 845.338.8700. On the web at bsplounge.com, or on the venue's Facebook page. Upcoming events this week at BSP Lounge: Songwriters' Circle feat. Peggy Atwood, Dave Kearny, Dean Batstone and Mike Amari, Tuesday, 1.17; Jeremy Bernstein and Maya Coppola, Friday, 1.20; Vaudeville Circus and Masquerade Ball, Saturday, 1.21.
Something fresh in your neighborhood? Let us know at editor@watershedpost.com.
