Now, this might be the most long overdue interview in my publication’s history, going all the way back to the Metal Webzine days. Greg Burt is what you might call “a man of the people” or a “pillar of the community” in the WNY area. He’s the mastermind behind For the Music Productions (FTMP Events), lead vocalist of Digital Afterlife, and just an all around prolific dude. Greg usually has multiple shows of varying genres booked every night at different venues all starting at around the same time, so it’s possible that he possesses some kind of cloning technology that only high profile citizens of Earth have access to. Anyway, I feel confident that I asked Greg all the important questions I should be asking a first-time interviewee, so here we go…
1. Tell us all about the beginnings of For the Music Productions, and also explain to us how FTMP ties in with ALL WNY. We’d like to know how it started, some of the major accomplishments of the past (milestones), current happenings, as well as where you see the company going!
– So the very beginning was me joining 91.3 FM WBNY at Buffalo State College while I was going to school and taking over The Local Show. That’s what introduced me to all of the music being made right here in Buffalo, and I fell in love with it all! I wanted to find ways to get involved in the “music business”, and first tried putting on a show myself. Not a single person came out to the show, but I thought it was still so cool, haha. After that I joined Incite A Riot who put on shows around town at venues such as Club Diablo, The 40/8 (Club Rein), The 138 Lofts, Guerilla Gallery, etc. That’s where I really learned how it works, and we brought some cool shows to town like having Twenty One Pilots at a veterans post before they blew up, and having Hawthorne Heights at Diablo way back in the day. Nick Ramirez was the one running things, but it became too much for him and he decided to back out and settle down with family life. I wanted to keep doing shows, so myself and Nick Newcomer (who had also been working for IAR) started up For The Music Productions.
The beginning was just some storefront shows at Guerilla Gallery/Allentown Music Two & Filigrees along with mini-BYOB-fests at The 40/8 (Club Rein), but we quickly started booking as well at Broadway Joe’s and later The Forvm which is what led me to getting hired there. Nick had to back away as he joined the military, and shortly after Cory Coleman hopped in and we booked more and more. Working for The Forvm is what really got me in contact with agents who had bigger names. As a primary booking contact for the venue, I would field show inquiries and created relationships with agents & bands that continue to this day.
/ I don’t do much at all with All WNY, I moved the awards over there after I graduated and wasn’t involved with WBNY anymore. But then let that go many years ago, Scott Leffler has continued them though and still often reaches out to me for input as well
Major accomplishments : There’s a lot of acts I’m amazed I was able to book, but my biggest accomplishment is Stamps The Bar. We’ve been able to make that into a great venue that everyone can enjoy!
Currently I’m booking too many shows as usual, (laughs). Changes might be that I’m being more picky with bigger/more expensive tours. My personal goal has always been to work shows as a job, and it’s getting to the point where that’s possible (after over 10 years of losing so much money, drowning in credit card debt, working 40+ hours at day jobs plus doing all the work that goes into 3-4 shows a week, and having a family/performing in a band on the side, lol. Finally getting to a point where I don’t have to work the 40+ hours at the day job anymore and can cut that down, still need a day job, but not to fund the shows that were losing money)
2. Tell us all about Digital Afterlife. How was the band conceived? What stylistic changes have you made or incorporated over the years? What would you say is your best received material and why? How would you describe DA to a brand-new listener? What is in store for the band next?
– Digital Afterlife started as just me & my brother coming up with some stuff while still living at our parents. Paul had been playing with different programs and writing electronic music since junior high, and I wanted to start a band, so we made some songs together. For years it was just the two of us, but more recently we had Steve, Luis, & Anthony join. Then we also started incorporating a 10 piece horn section for some shows. I think our best material is still the live show, as we haven’t really gotten anything professionally recorded. We just do it for fun, and recording is expensive, (laughs). To people who haven’t heard of us I usually describe it as “a weird industrial/electronic band with horns.” We’ll keep playing shows locally, and eventually writing/making new music. Paul just sent a new track I’ve gotta get some lyrics written for 🙂
3. We want to know about the most memorable shows you’ve ever PERFORMED. These could be local shows or experiences on the road. What made these shows so special?
– When Optic Oppression opened for Fozzy at Rapids Theater, that was so cool. Also when Optic played the main stage at Music Is Art and the whole room was packed! Kendall lives in Nashville now though, so Optic only pops up here & there. Adventures out of town are always fun too, like opening for Dawn Of Ashes in Ohio and Combichrist in Syracuse. Also have a lot of great memories from when I was in my first band Tubestar and we’d play around Buffalo & Rochester. Digital is always fun too, smashing a typewriter at B Joe’s will always be a highlight, haha. Opening for Green Jello in Mansfield, OH was a blast too!
4. Following that up, tell us about the most memorable or successful shows you’ve ever BOOKED as a promoter. What made these nights stand out?
– O-Town and LFO is the first one that comes to mind, they were so great to work with and we sold out the venue. Luicidal was also so great at Stamps. Mike Busey & The Busey Beauties was an experience, haha. Super great people, but a bizarre and very entertaining show. My favorite shows are ones where the artists are having just as much fun as the people there for the show.
– If your tour manager is trying to cut my locals short, we’re not going to have a good time, haha. There’s multiple times I’ve had to literally stand at the sound booth to physically block a TM from cutting a local early. Local bands are what’s most important to me personally.
5. Walk us through the renovations at Stamps the bar! Many people don’t know what the condition of the venue was prior to your implementations, so for the sake of comparison, try to visualize one of those reality shows that do home or business makeovers and give us the before and after of Stamps as seen through your eyes.
– So where the stage is used to just be a wall, bands used to perform on the floor in front of that and bring their own speakers, the back room used to be a bedroom and single bathroom with shower (the old old owner used to live there). We ripped a lot out, built a stage, made a sound booth, put down new floors/rugs, put in a sound system, re-painted the whole place, and got to rocking! Aside from that though, the bar and such is pretty much the same as it was. The room always had potential, and we just gave it the lift it needed.
My favorite thing is that talking to the owners, they listened to my ideas and did everything to make it into a real venue. And it worked! The owners/staff there are so great to work with which makes all the difference. We’ve had shows at least every Thurs, Fri, Sat, & Sun for years now and they keep growing! Thank you also so much to the community for supporting us, and continuing to come back to perform and attend shows, that’s what keeps everything going!
6. Do your own personal ALL WNY awards where you are the only person voting for these THREE categories: Give us your favorite VENUE, your favorite BANDS by STYLE (out of your preferred genres), and the best SOUND GUY(S) you’ve ever worked with.. Basically, when thinking back over your years in the scene as both a musician and promoter, let us know your favorites in these categories and why. Also, feel free to include bands who have since disbanded, venues that have since shut down, sound guys no longer a part of the scene for whatever reason, etc.
– I haven’t really don’t the awards in years, (laughs). But my favorite venue is still Town Ballroom. So stoked I got to host a show there recently, it’s such a good set up. Favorite venues to work with are Stamps, Mohawk Place, Club Diablo (RIP)
– Favorite bands, oh man, I don’t want to pick favorites. There’s SO many that I LOVE working with!
– Sound guys : Everyone at Mohawk Place & Stamps are so great to work with! As well as Greg Alt-Winzig, Brandon Kirchner, & Nathan Gambino who I used to work with at The Forvm.
7. Who are your biggest musical influences? Who first inspired you to become a vocalist, and do you play any instruments we may not be aware of?
– I listen to bands that don’t sound like the bands I play in, haha. I wanted to be a vocalist because I don’t like practicing instruments, it’s quite boring to me. I like doing the back-end work, putting on/running shows. I barely play keys and whatever else Paul gives me, lol. Never learned guitar or anything, but would like to one day 🙂
8. Talk about any other musical projects you are currently a part of, or have previously been a part of OTHER THAN Digital Afterlife.
– Optic Oppression still exists, (laughs). Tubestar ended a long time ago. That’s about it 🙂
9. Do some more shameless promotion! Give us your entire online presence for anything you’d like to plug below:
– come to shows! ❤ | http://www.FTMPEvents.com
* Oh, I’ve been thinking about getting myself some equipment to do T-Shirt printing if there would be bands interested in having me print their shirts?
Maybe get into other merch options too, my gf already has a mug press at her house and made some cool Digital Afterlife mugs! What do you think?
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