![]() During this time, Chopra saw-and continues to see-a number of changes in how melophiles consume music. Notably, Glasslands even booked some of these artists’ first shows, as seen with Lana Del Rey. This includes Grimes, Disclosure, FKA twigs and Greta Simone Kline, who was known by her former stage name, Frankie Cosmos, at the time. The team’s first venue venture was known for its early support of rising acts and international artists, many of whom are now considered top-tier talents. ![]() “Eventually, the writing was on the wall that the neighborhood was changing and Glasslands was bursting at the seams. “We brought everybody together at Glasslands, and that was a small 300-cap venue,” Chopra says. Glasslands, like Elsewhere, was known for booking performers across the vast spectrum of music. Chopra was an informal advisor on the finance side and attend all of the venue’s shows. you're not working with your local community and really being a part of that conversation, that evolution, you're not going to be around for long,” he says.Įlsewhere opened its doors in 2017, following the 2014 closure of Glasslands, the previous club endeavor of Rosenthal and Haykal-Manning. “ you don't have happy staff, you don't have happy artists and you don't have happy audiences. The inclusive space, Chopra says, has a team of over a hundred employees, creating a “well-oiled machine steeped in all the values that we're also trying to promote.” In addition to building a strong internal company culture, Elsewhere has built a community with its art, its audiences and its local neighborhood, which is Bushwick. It's like, ‘Why are you here? Why should we let you in?’.We’re very antithetical to that.” “I think this is changing a lot, but you still have this holier-than-thou thing in music, particularly clubs. “Optimism is a very interesting one that we've actually taken a while to figure out is at the core of everything we do, particularly when we were starting,” he says. Outside of championing communities within the music space, the independent venue prides itself on “optimism, open-mindedness, respect and taking care of those key stakeholders,” Chopra says. “We help people find their music, find their people and find themselves,” he says. The first two tiers include perks ranging from free coat-check to unlimited half-off tickets, while the all-powerful Patron Saint membership not only provides the benefits of the first two options but also unlimited free entry to the venue's “biggest nights.” Additionally, the music space has formed a digital editorial program dubbed Zine.Ĭhopra says these three installments have helped the venue achieve its goal of bringing people together around new music, adding that he sees a “burgeoning need” for this as it assists people with discovering new music and finding their “tribe.” Certainly, Elsewhere is ahead of the curve and has accomplished its goal of forming something notable within New York City’s music scene. The membership offers three tiers: “Freak with Benefits” for $5 a month, “Sonic Explorer” for $10 and “Patron Saint” for $40 a month. The club has also created a membership program, which the co-founder says has made Elsewhere more accessible. Chopra says people talk about new music, books and art on the Discord, helping to not only foster an online community but also an in-person one that brings its members together on the dancefloor. His previous work within this sphere gives him the insight and tools needed for the financial and operational side of the business.Įlsewhere, which celebrates its six-year anniversary this month, sees itself as a cultural institution driving the future of communities with both in-person events and online discussions via Discord. For example, Chopra comes from an investment management background specifically focused on sustainability and climate change. Chopra adds that the three co-founders each have a different skillset that compliments one another, making for a “lighting in a bottle” moment. “I felt that, for me, being an operator would push me to grow and become a member of this city in ways no other job could.įinally, it was founded with the goal of building something “really special” with fellow music lovers Jake Rosenthal and Rami Haykal-Manning-whom he’s been friends with for 30 years. The second is achieving the challenge of creating something new that was “a calling and was going to make me a better person,” Chopra says.
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