The Hudson Valley has always been a live music hotbed. Though the scene has ebbed and flowed over the decades, our lofty cultural pedigree is the stuff of legend. The local musician cup runneth over.
Thousands of Hudson Valley musicians enjoy a bounty of live music venues that, per capita, make many major cities look like backwater towns. Music surfaces in breweries, backyards, secret spaces, city blocks, libraries, parks, cafés, restaurants. Our region hosts literally thousands of live music events each year.
Enter James Kwapisz, impresario of the DIY Kingston Instagram account. For the last several years, he’s been on a mission to connect the music scene and facilitate its growth. Many factors have contributed to the saturation of live music in the Hudson Valley. Kwapisz, with his diligent social media presence and production of local band and venue directories, surely counts among the catalysts for pushing the scene forward. We spoke to him to get behind the scenes of his efforts to keep live music thriving.
What was the inspiration to start DIY Kingston?
James Kwapisz: I created the account back in early 2021 when people started having shows again after a long pause due to COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, I noticed there was a lack of organization in the Kingston music scene. I never knew when shows were happening, so I thought it’d be a good idea to make a page where every event (or most) going on around town could be found in one place. I was inspired by the @diynewpaltz Instagram account, which promoted all the shows going on around New Paltz. What sets DIY Kingston apart, though, is that it’s not catered to just college kids like DIY New Paltz, nor is it as location-centric — the shows I promote on DIY Kingston take place all over the Hudson Valley, and they appeal to crowds of all ages (depending on the show). My main inspiration to create DIY Kingston was to do something for others that I would appreciate someone else doing for me and my band (A Whole Nother): helping spread the word about upcoming shows and album/single releases.
How has the public reacted to the account, and how do you feel about it?
The public’s response has been very positive. I think what people have responded to most are the directories I created to help bands help themselves as they’re booking: One is a venues directory, which lists a bunch of venues all over the Hudson Valley, as well as in other regions in the Northeast, like New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, etc., as well as booking contact emails and/or Instagram handles. The other is a bands directory, which lists DIY bands by their location and their contact info so that touring bands can find local bands for bills in order to increase draw. It feels great to have created something that so many people, both musicians and fans, find so useful.
What motivates you to continue to do DIY Kingston?
The charitable element keeps me going at it with DIY Kingston. It feels good to help others who are pursuing the same or similar thing that you’re passionate about. A few people have Venmoed me a few bucks here and there to show their gratitude for what I’m doing, which I definitely appreciate because it can be pretty time-consuming, but it’s not expected. Most musicians are pretty broke anyway, so it’s all good — I get it.
Do you consider yourself a “content creator,” or is there a better way to describe what you do?
Not really. I find the term “content creator” kind of cringey. Also, I don’t really create most of the content — it’s mostly other people’s bands’ flyers and album/single art that I’m just helping get out there to a wider audience. I have designed flyers for bands before in the past, so I guess technically I’ve created content. I suppose “promoter” would be a more fitting title. A lot of people mistake me for a booking agent and expect me to book shows for them — it’s painful enough booking shows for my own band, dealing with scheduling discrepancies and self-important bookers who think that their mediocre bar venues are MSG or something. So yeah, I’m definitely not doing all that work for free. I usually just point them to the venues and bands directories in the link in my bio so that they can put the pieces together themselves. In a way, I’ve already done a bunch of the work for them by compiling the information. I’ve learned to set boundaries and not overextend myself, because unfortunately, when you give ’em an inch, they often try to take a yard. I mean, come on — it’s free promo, so don’t be greedy or audacious, you know?
What have you learned in the process of doing DIY Kingston?
I’ve learned how rewarding it can be to help others pursue their passions. It’s nice to know that I’ve created something that a lot of people in the region refer to when they’re looking to see what live music events are going on in the area.
If I could impart one thing to anyone reading this now, it’d be to think about all the things you do to serve yourself or your band, and then think about how you could do that for others. For example, I originally made the venues directories for my former band (Grampfather) so I wouldn’t have to dig through venues’ websites every time I’d send out booking inquiry emails, and then I thought, “Why not make this public?” If you have the capacity to help others, do it. Why not, right? It feels good. It’s better to be community-oriented than to think of your peers as competitors, because, well, the latter is just weird, and the former would make the community better on the microscale and the world better on the macro if everyone were doing it.
What do you like about Kingston and its music scene?
Kingston is a great place to live — though I feel like I shouldn’t say this on a public platform because the last thing Kingston needs is more city people coming up and crowding the streets with their Teslas and BMWs, driving up the rent. But despite all that, I love living within walking distance of Kingston’s music venues. The music scene is interesting, for sure. The cliquey gatekeepers definitely don’t make the scene feel warm and fuzzy and inviting (bookers, improve your emailing/general communication skills!), but for the most part, there is a great music community in the area. I don’t mean to be negative, but I just want to be accurate — the scene is checkered with good and bad aspects, like in any other town or city. Having lived in New Paltz for five years before moving to Kingston in 2019, it’s nice to see that the DIY spirit still lives on beyond your college years and your 20s. Music is for all people — it’s what brings us together. It makes me happy to see so many bands in the area looking out for other bands. A rising tide lifts all boats. We’re in this together, not against each other. If your band needs help getting the word out about an upcoming show or music release, hit me up!
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