Elsewhere: A Symphony of Community, Culture, and Music
Issue I Distortion April 11 2024
Elsewhere
Writer: Joven Delay
Editor: Jiani Wang
In the bustling metropolis of New York City, where every borough boasts its unique cultural tapestry and an endless array of venues, bars, and experiences for both tourists and locals alike, Elsewhere emerges as a unique enclave in the midst of Bushwick. Amidst the glitz and glamor of mainstream venues, this multifaceted haven comes to the forefront as a place of all labels—music venue, art space, underground nightclub, and local hotspot.
Diversity is the heartbeat of Elsewhere, proudly showcasing an eclectic range of musical genres, from metal and rock to folk, techno, electro, pop, funk, and rap. This venue stands out not just for its musical offerings, but for its commitment to creating a safe space that welcomes everyone. Their unwavering commitment to the local community and fervent support for diversity in the music world have given a stage to artists often overlooked by conventional venues.
Situated within the walls of a sprawling 24,000+ square foot converted warehouse, Elsewhere's three stories of dance floors and terrace host a staggering 600+ shows annually, drawing in around 300,000 attendees to witness thousands of diverse artists. As the crowds continue to swell, Elsewhere has expanded its horizons, transcending the limits of its colossal space to present events in larger venues under the banner of "Elsewhere Presents."
In an era where the digital realm intertwines seamlessly with the physical, Elsewhere adapts to the evolving landscape by reaching across both spaces to connect with audiences and performers alike. Recognizing the omnipresence of online platforms, they've launched a zine to document the unique music scene they've fostered and maintain an active presence on various social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, Discord, and Spotify.
While Elsewhere officially opened its doors in 2016, its roots delve deeper into the rich soil of Brooklyn's music scene. Glasslands, Elsewhere's predecessor, established itself as an intimate art gallery in 2006 within a Williamsburg warehouse. By day, it was an art haven; by night, a "psychedelic venue partyhaus." After eight vibrant years, Glasslands closed its doors, but the close-knit music community it fostered endured. Two years later, Elsewhere stepped in, seamlessly connecting with the underground scene that had taken root.
In a city where corporate giants clash with locally-owned community-backed spaces, Elsewhere draws inspiration from the nightclub legacy of the past five decades. CEO and co-founder Dhruv Chopra sat down with us for an in-depth Q&A, offering insights into the venue, the thriving community surrounding it, and the genre-defying essence that defines Elsewhere's spirit. As the ceaseless urban symphony rages on, Elsewhere stands tall—a testament to resilience and a torchbearer for the next generation of music lovers and creators.
Dhruv: Elsewhere is a beloved NYC music club dedicated to new music and community, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. We are quickly growing beyond our physical space with our membership program, digital newsletter and Zine, and our digital Discord channel – essentially championing new music and community in the digital space. We also host artists across the city at other, typically larger, clubs and venues as Elsewhere Presents.
Regarding niches – I love that this is the first question. We live in the niches, and in fact believe that “the future is niche.” Culture is no longer one-size-fits all! We live in a post-genre world where people are musical omnivores and where global superstars rapidly occupy less and less of the airwaves. Just like TV, radio, and publishing have fractured into thousands of smaller channels, culture is fragmenting and is no longer an “oligopoly” of a handful of media outlets or mainstream genres. Furthermore, thanks to digital streaming platforms (DSPs) and the proliferation of music production tools, the barrier to entry of making music is lower than ever. And thanks to social media, artists are rising in prominence faster than ever. As a result, we are seeing an explosion of micro-genres supported by superfans.
Our job is to recognize the best artists of this new era, help them connect with their fans, and give those fan communities a home. With over 120,000 songs uploaded to DSPs daily, there’s a lot of amazing new music out there, but, of course, it is mind-boggling to keep up with. We have to evolve at the speed of the internet.
:iidrr Mag: What does the term “indie” mean for you and your business?
Dhruv: I’d actually love to wax poetic on this with you all – it’s a concept that has evolved so much over the past decade and a half since my co-founders and I have been doing this. It used to mean you didn’t have any corporate backers and that you didn’t take any money from brands. But it’s so damn expensive to build and operate any small or medium business today, that money has to come from somewhere. And music communities across the country are not oblivious to the fact that sponsorship is often what’s keeping their favorite places afloat. They also don’t mind so long as those brands are aligned with our core values. So I’m not sure if today that line of thinking is applicable anymore, as much as the old guard may wish it were possible.
I think these days, for us anyway, “indie” represents creative freedom outside of mainstream norms. For example, the independent artists performing at Elsewhere are a representation of pushing creative boundaries. We take pride in showcasing diverse and unique talent that appeals to a wide audience. Indie for us means allowing both our talent and guests to express themselves individually.
Dhruv: We love to amplify the voices of our local NY artists just as much as we showcase national and international artists. As culture continues to fragment, you’re seeing a trend where local “niche-stars” are taking up more space vs. international superstars. We’re always on the lookout for local talent to perform at Elsewhere.
We also love to champion local parties and progressive music scenes like Papi Juice, Laylit, Everyday People, and even the reunion events for the legendary Paradise Garage. We look up to the clubs of the last 5 decades in NYC, and aim to be champions of the next generation of musical communities, which often rally around a certain sound and various intersectional niche identities.
On a personal note, one of my favorite parts of doing what we do is seeing how collaborative we are as a city and as a community of nightlife businesses. As busy and as competitive NYC can be, we all help each other out with problems ranging from figuring out how to replace a broken ice machine last minute, to navigating complex city, state, and federal policy issues. It truly is a community, and it’s a privilege to be in the trenches with such brilliant and dedicated operators.
:iidrr Mag: What makes Elsewhere different from other clubs in the city? How do you compete with other, more mainstream, venues? What sets you apart?
Dhruv: At the risk of sounding like a broken record – we evolve at the speed of the internet to support niche communities and micro-genres. That inherently means we support smaller, more up-and-coming artists than mainstream competitors. The way we see it, since culture is no longer monolithic, we actually serve a diverse range of progressive music communities (plural), connecting all types of young music lovers and superfans. We help underserved and fragmented superfans connect with their favorite artists, and connect with each other.
In doing this over the past 6 years or so since we opened, what we found last year is that one of those communities we serve is in fact a community of folks who love Elsewhere. People are getting Elsewhere tattoos! So last year we launched our Membership and Ambassador programs, alongside our digital Discord community. We were surprised to see that Elsewhere is one of the only venues out there using tools like Discord to foster community and facilitate peer-to-peer connection URL. We’re now able to connect our communities of artists and fans before, during, and after events.
We also launched our Zine, a new digital offering that goes behind the artists who play our stages, and livestream Hi-Fi, our weekly YouTube show that gives audiences a closer look at emerging music.
So I guess fundamentally our approach to both A&R and community is just different.
Dhruv: Culture and values.
We are, of course, fundamentally a culture company dedicated to nurturing the new music ecosystem – but even to build a good company and survive all the challenges we have (not the least of which was a 15 month COVID shutdown) – you have to have a solid company culture built on real values. Even in the business world, Peter Drucker said “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” But truly understanding what company culture means, and how to build it, are insanely difficult to conceptualize and execute.
We have a handful of fundamental pillars. We put our team as our primary stakeholder – without exceptional and fulfilled people at Elsewhere, nothing can happen. We then need to take care of our artists and help them bring their vision to life. Together, our team and the artists can serve our fan community. And through it all, we need to make sure that we are supporting our local neighborhood in which we exist.
Next, you have to have a strong set of real values, and you need to be able to truly live them every day. Our core values include respect, optimism, diversity, inclusion, and kindness. We have written all this down in a Workplace Philosophy that has been vetted and signed off on as a company, and we continue to improve holding each other accountable in living out these fundamental principles.
In both business and in culture, you truly don’t know what’s going to happen next. Stick to your mission and your values, and make the best decisions you can for who you are.
Dhruv: The New York community is obviously huge, and with that comes an abundance of businesses and events. Small businesses can have trouble standing out amongst the crowds, but we’re always up for the challenge. Differentiation is key. We look at what we offer and how it’s different from other venues. We plan for how we can welcome new communities and engage our current attendees by inviting new artists into the space, and diversifying our event lineup.
We also emphasize that the importance of community goes beyond the walls of Elsewhere. Currently, our Discord has 4,000 members who chat about everything from their favorite new artists they’ve discovered, to the outfits they’re coordinating for an upcoming show.
:iidrr Mag: What local or independent organizations are you a part of or support?
Dhruv: Supporting our local neighborhood is a fundamental part of our mission. We work with a multitude of local Bushwick organizations that support local artists, student music programs, affordable housing, immigrant rights organizations, etc.
I also work with NYC as an advocate and policy advisor for nightlife and small businesses, via my board seats at the NYC Hospitality Alliance, the North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn Allied Bars and Restaurants (BABAR) and various work with the Mayor’s Office. I’ve also worked with Senator Schumer’s office in helping champion the SVOG bill which helped fund venues during the pandemic.
Elsewhere is a part of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) which is composed of independent venues, promoters, and festivals across the country who have rallied together to save independent venues who were on the brink of collapse due to COVID-19 shutdowns. NIVA did the heavy lifting on making the SVOG happen.
Dhruv: I love all of it – working with our passionate team, collaborating with local businesses, working with the city, seeing young fans with ear-to-ear smiles, and being able to pop into Elsewhere on any given night to see some amazing new artist I have never heard of before. Whenever any sort of existential dread sinks in, these are the things that give me life.
:iidrr Mag: Is there anything you wish more people knew about your business and the people that help run it?
Dhruv: Honestly it’s not about us - it’s about the artists and the fans. That said, many of us are artists ourselves, and, of course, everyone is a fan, so at the end of the day we are all part of this community we foster. It’s a very genuine effort on everyone’s part.
Our team is now over 100 people - it takes a village to do what we do, and everyone here works insanely hard and is unimaginably passionate. I can think of a million easier ways to live and earn money these days - people do it because they love music, they love NYC, and (hopefully) they love working here.
Elsewhere can be found at 599 Johnson Ave Brooklyn, NY and online at elsewhere.club or @elsewherespace.