courtesy Jeff Blue
Audio By Carbonatix
Dallas artists, you may soon be able to skip the flights, expenses and the begging for a chance to speak with music bigwigs in Los Angeles: Jeff Blue is bringing them to you.
Blue, a Lava-Universal Republic artist and repertoire (A&R) representative and author of One Step Closer: From Xero to #1; Becoming Linkin Park, is opening The Creative Factory’s stage July 22-24 to local artists for the inaugural One Step Closer A&R Music Industry Showcase.
One Step Closer is a one-of-a-kind collision between industry and artistry with opportunities for networking and education. The three-day event will offer artist showcases, consultations, panels and prizes valued at over $20,000.
“I’d like to bring back the A&R that was of yesteryear, which I was part of back in the ’90s, where I can find artists like Linkin Park or Macy Gray and sign them off their first show to ever play and develop them, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” Blue says. “I like to get in and discover unknown talent that has that potential and to really help build that because I think that’s what music is about. Music is a community. It is a creative process, and you need people, if they’re going to be on the business side, to understand that and to nurture it.”
As Blue knows firsthand, talent is but one part of the equation to success. Blue and Linkin Park experienced 44 rejections before the band went on the earn massive fame in the early 2000s. Blue met lead guitarist Brad Delson for a band then named Xero, when Delson was a college student who confidently announced he would be Blue’s intern. There was no internship position available. Instead, Blue helped steer the band into the Grammy Award-winning Linkin Park.
There is a method to the madness that turns a mountain of rejection into a 12-time platinum album, such as Blue and Linkin Park did with Hybrid Theory. It begins with finding the talent. When Xero needed a new lead singer, Blue had to find someone who would complement Mike Shinoda’s gritty rapping with the same ferocity, but who could also give the band emotional range. Enter Chester Bennington. Blue’s artist, Grammy-winning Macy Gray, brought Bennington into a rehearsal and the singer impressed Blue as he harmonized with Gray’s soulful voice.
Blue knows the probability of finding the next star in Dallas is high.
“I always felt that Dallas was underappreciated as a hotbed for great talent,” Blue said in a press release. “When people think of music they tend to think of other cities in Texas, and I think we should change that! I would love to work with the city in expanding Dallas’ place on the map for the go-to place for new music!”
The North Texas talent is top-tier, but it all begins with showing up. The event begins with two days of showcases in front of a panel of music executives including Blue, Grammy Award-winning A&R executive Amir Windom, artist development coach Big Mike Rob and life coach and former wife of Chester Bennington, Samantha Bennington. Each day will have designated genres and eight artists will be able to perform. July 22 is reserved for rock, alternative, pop, acoustic and singer-songwriters. July 23 is reserved for hip-hop, R&B, rap, soul and singer-songwriters.
The opportunity to be one of the 16 artists to perform comes at the price of $199. That includes use of The Creative Factory’s professional sound stage, a one-on-one consultation with one of the music executives, five tickets to the show for the day of the performance, a professional live recording of the set, red carpet photos and four tickets to the third day of the industry panel.
“No A&R person ever really sits down with an unsigned artist after a show and goes over their strengths and weaknesses and how to improve; that just doesn’t happen, period,” Blue says. “I’m in a position that I’ve learned enough and developed my own talents over the last 30 years, where I can actually go and sit down with artists and discuss the future and give back to the community.”
For Blue, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for local musicians.
One of each night’s eight performers will win free studio time courtesy of The Creative Factory. The top winner will receive a songwriting session with Blue, which he values at $4,000. Judges will consider songwriting, performance and audience participation. Winners will be announced on the third day. But before, Blue will dive into the wealth of wisdom he’s picked up throughout his career. As a lecturer, Blue has traveled globally speaking on artist development and the ins and outs of the business side of music.
For Linkin Park fans, day three is a must. Blue and Samantha Bennington will be hosting a no-holds-barred Q&A about Linkin Park covering the early days of the nu metal band and Blue’s book after the panel.
“Linkin Park was a very pivotal band in every culture, every genre from hip-hop to rock, hard rock, to pop, and I’m open to discussing everything,” Blue says.
“No A&R person ever really sits down with an unsigned artist after a show and goes over their strengths and weaknesses and how to improve; that just doesn’t happen, period.” – Jeff Blue
He says that his book and journey with Linkin Park are about inspiration, adversity, perseverance and drive and hopes to take the lessons from that journey and encourage Dallas artists to push past the hurdles that come with breaking into the music industry. Blue will be signing copies of One Step Closer: From Xero to #1; Becoming Linkin Park at the event.
With the showcases, consultation, panel and prizes, Blue hopes to find the artists on the brink of stardom. His ears are open for that sound that will make the hairs on his arms stand up straight. A portion of proceeds will go to MusiCares, a nonprofit dedicated to health and welfare services for the music community.
One Step Closer centers its mission on mental health awareness. Blue understands how the pressures of the music business can impair an artist’s well being, especially after the loss of Bennington, who died by suicide on July 20, 2017.
“As an artist, we all have a special level of authenticity within us that we put out in the world to be judged, and that’s really difficult,” Blue says. “It comes from a lot of turmoil that we’re able to express and put it out in the world to be judged. A lot of people have a hard time dealing with that and it turns into some mental health issues for some people.”
Spectators can purchase tickets for each day of the event on Eventbrite. Tickets will also be available at the door. Artists who want to participate in the showcase must register at centuryparkent.com and email Blue at jeff@centuryparkent.com to arrange payment.
