NEW ORLEANS – NOLAxNOLA and Relix have announced the second annual NOLAxNOLA Talks music conference, taking place October 2-3 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Ave). The Oct. 2 timing is from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. and the Oct. 3 timing is 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The conference features two days of FREE conversations and panels with an emphasis on the New Orleans music industry, venues, musicians and cultural artists. Noteworthy speakers and moderators include Ben Jaffe (Creative Director, Preservation Hall), Tank Greenberg (Tipitina’s General Manager), Anwar Nasir (Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Creative Director), Pell (Producer/Artist), Tom Russell (Founders Entertainment Co-Founder), Reid Martin (Co-Founder, MidCitizen), Pamela Blackmon (Programs Manager, Preservation Hall), Sig Greenebaum (Founder, NOLAxNOLA and Sigfest Events) and many more.
NOLAxNOLA Talks is a part of NOLAxNOLA’s NOLAxNoCover initiative, offering free music and events at venues on Frenchman Street and now at the Jazz Museum with NOLAxNOLA Talks. This year the event hosts over 90 free shows and 7 conversations.
Now in its fifth year, NOLAxNOLA continues to generate significant economic and cultural impact — bringing business to venues, celebrating every genre of music, and preserving the vibrant traditions that make New Orleans a global cultural capital.
“NOLAxNOLA is focused on being a positive voice and advocate for New Orleans musicians, venues, creatives and cultural artists” said Sig Greenebaum, founder of NOLAxNOLA. “We see NOLAxNOLA Talks as an opportunity to zero in on topics that will benefit the further growth of our local music industry and create new music industry career opportunities in New Orleans. Every topic, every conversation and every panelist is chosen with this goal in mind.”
NOLAxNOLA Talks Conference Schedule
October 2-3 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Ave). The Oct. 2 timing is from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. and the Oct. 3 timing is 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2nd Doors at 2:00 p.m.
- Protecting Fan Experience in Challenging Economic Times (2:30 – 3:30 p.m.):
The panel will examine how artists, venues and festivals are finding ways to engage their customers in a way that acknowledges their fandom, secures their longtime support and gets them to return.
Panelists: Brian “Tank” Greenberg (Tipitinas General Manager, Tipitina’s Record Club / Free Friday’s), Micah Burns (owner of Gasa Gasa & No Dice/ Breezys Patio Bar), Ben Jaffe (Creative Director & musician, Preservation Hall) and Jason (OBX).
- A Penny for Your Thoughts: Financial Wisdom & Insight for Today’s Touring Musicians (3:45 – 4:45 PM):
“Despite all the headlines about sold-out shows, IPOs and stock prices, and millions, if not billions, of dollars being spent on new venues, the reality of making a living as an artist, venue or festival is as precarious as it’s ever been,” said the organizers of the event. “Our panelists share insights, wisdom and experiences from the front lines to help provide guidance on how best to navigate the economic challenges of being part of the live entertainment sector.”
Panelists: Reid Martin (Co- Founder MidCitizen), Tom Russell (Founders Entertainment), Pell (Artist Producer) and Andrew Pancamo (PSB Management).
- Grammy Street (5:00 – 6:00 PM): What Makes New Orleans So Award-Worthy?
“Over the past decade, New Orleans has become home to a number of Grammy Award winning albums and artists,” said the organizers. “While it’s no surprise the city is brimming with top talent, the fact that the Recording Academy and its members seem to hold a special place for New Orleans-derived music has fostered an environment of creativity and drive that continues to New Orleans routinely being considered for music’s most prestigious award. Hearing from previous Grammy winners, this panel explores the unique nature of the city and why it seems to foster so many award-level artists.”
Panelists: Anwar Nasir (Creative Director, LPO, Grammy Winner), Jamison Ross (Singer, Song Writer, Drummer, Producer, Grammy Winner, multi Grammy Nominations), Craig Klein (Trombone, Preservation Hall) and Ari Teitel (Guitarist, The Rumble, Grammy Nominated).
Moderator: Howie Kaplan – Rebirth Brass Band Management, Grammy Winner.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd Doors at 11:00 PM
- Idea Village Metronome Pitch Day (11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.):
This pitch event will feature eight local founders focused on developing music industry platforms and businesses . The list of start-up companies includes:
- Cosign – a gamified music app that reimagines streaming by making fans feel just as important as the music, turning discovery into a social, competitive, and rewarding experience.
- Giigs – a tech-driven platform that is quantifying trust between artists & venues.
- Lativerse – connecting brands with Latino audiences through authentic narratives that drive cultural and economic impact. Our platform transforms content into opportunities, fueling innovation and business growth.
- Liftly – Liftly is a joy-first wellness app for Black moms—think singalongs, musical meetups, and mental health support that actually feels good.
- Spontaneous Free Tickets (SFT) – We connect people with live classical music experiences through our national/international concert calendar and our audience development tool called Spontaneous Free Tickets.
- Storia – Storia is an AI-powered platform designed to enhance reading experiences by creating soundscapes that align with the mood and plot of the book being read.
- WhosLive – WhosLive is a centralized hub for live-stream discovery, aggregating streams from Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Rumble, and more into one seamless platform.
- LuteLab – LuteLab makes affordable, performant digital (MIDI) guitars that can interface with computers, allowing guitarists to expand their sound palette and express themselves in new ways.
- Keepers of the Flame: Are Traditional Forms of Music at Risk?
As older generations of musicians age out of performing from musically rich areas like New Orleans, other areas of the South and Native American tribal lands, a younger generation musicians are leveraging digital technology and social media to help preserve and ideally expand the distinctly analog forms of music their performing by creating engaging content for newer, broader audiences.
Panelists: Emily Madero (French Quarter Festivals), Chief Dr. Gerald Paige, Nate Cameron (Them People Production & glbl wrmng) and Aurelien Barnes (Cha Wa).
Moderator: Soul Stu (WWOZ radio).
- Beyond the Music: Managing Hospitality & Venue Vibes (2:30 – 3:30 p.m.)
While the music being presented onstage is the motivating factor why someone walks through a venue’s doors, the experience within plays a factor in how someone experiences a show. Great bartenders, dirty bathrooms, friendly security, overpriced food and bad sightlines are factors that venue operators have to navigate with varying degrees of agency. Here we look inside what venues are doing, with what they have, to make the show experience a memorable one in the best ways possible.
Panelists: Pamela Blackmon (Preservation Hall), Abby Jones (ASM / Legends), Anny Ayers (Brooklyn Bowl) and LayNasha Sallis (City Winery Atl, Pitt, StL).
Special thanks to our NOLAxNOLA partners: New Orleans & Company, New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation, WWOZ, Stella Artois, TIXR and Headcount.org.
For more information on NOLAxNOLA Talks and to view the full schedule, visit www.nolaxnola.com.
About Relix
Relix, founded in 1974, is the premiere music magazine in America, and an innovative and trusted resource devoted to the best of the live music scene for more than 50 years. Published by legendary concert promoter Peter Shapiro, Relix draws together a passionate mix of writers, photographers, videographers, event producers, musicians, and industry professionals to articulate and amplify the vibrant voices of a robust concert community. To help further extend its voice and catalyze community, Relix launched the Relix Music Conference in 2017 as an annual forum that fosters discussion around the live music business.