World Cafe Live at The Queen Opening
Wow.!!! That was a party...the likes of which downtown Wilmington has not seen since the '70's rehabilitation of The Grand Opera House. The scintillating atmosphere reminded Aisle Say of the time he sneaked into NYC's legendary Studio 54 during its heyday in the '70's.
Energy of the packed house for the opening of The Queen on April 1 could very well have levitated the building. The guests were expectant of how this was to reinvent the former – the emphasis on former - urban equivalent of Death Valley. Euphoria overwhelmed developer Chris Buccini. There had been legions of naysayers on this project. He proved them wrong in a manner befitting royalty. This weekend was transformative for the city and the state.
The hallowed Queen, for decades a dilapidated and dank cavern reaching from Market to King Sts, has been transmogrified into a state of the art hall for music, food, drink and meetings. The pathways to the various spaces reminds one of the Roman catacombs, quickly opening up to a destination of an intimate bar or tricked-out conversation space. The interior design has retained the most interesting aspects of its original stature from over 100 years ago. The oversized original murals are so very cool. The meeting spaces on the 3rd and 4th floors look out over Market Street through 10 foot clerestory windows.
While sold as a VIP night (which one must question for I was allowed in without a disguise), I can testify that I recognized only about 25% of the assemblage...and I'm a native!. Considering this will open Wilmington to completely new audiences, that's a very good thing!
Our city has never seen such diversity in live programming as is promoted on their web site. Saturday mornings are devoted to children's events. All told, over 200 gigs have already been booked. Timidity is not in the vocabulary of this organization: jazz, blues, bluegrass, open mic, classical, folk, new world, you name it. The seating is flexible to cater to both large and small groups of guests at an event.
While The DuPont Theatre's mission does not conflict with World Cafe Live, there is overlap with The Grand. I would hazard a guess and suggest that the latter's demographics are a bit older. The artists at The Grand enjoy more national and international cachet, but that does not suggest that World Cafe is nothing if not Tonto with his ear to the ground listening for new talent. (Not many have heard of Josh Ritter, the entertainer at last week's donors-only soirée. That man is a pure poet and Aisle Say has a Pandora station dedicated to his music. It was announced that evening that philanthropist Tatiana Copeland gave $1 million in matching funds).
My point is regarding the bigger picture. Over one weekend World Cafe is the new elephant on Market Street. It is absolutely essential that the World Cafe and The Grand work together. The powers that be should have weekly powwows. In the past, Mayor Baker has trumpeted “world class city” for Wilmington. Until this weekend, that was all smoke and mirrors. Now we can make that phrase reality.
The Grand and The Queen have historic interiors, great acoustics, centuries old tradition and strong and passionate leaders. The mission must be to complement. Everyone benefits with a coordinated plan; the institutions, the musicians and most assuredly all Delawareans.
http://queen.worldcafelive.com/
Aisle Say wishes to thank Jayne Armstrong, District Director of the SBA for her “Great Idea For Delaware. We will run it next week. If you have a Great Idea, let everyone else know it. firestone@delaware.net
Showing posts with label world cafe live. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world cafe live. Show all posts
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
World Cafe Live will "Light Up The Queen"
Rob and Chris Buccini, Mayor Baker's best friends, have stated that the rehabilitation of The Queen Theatre at 5th & Market Street is their most important project ever. For two gentlemen who have radically transformed Wilmington's cityscape, who have multiple hotel properties in VA and MA and a presence in China, that's quite a quote.
In addition to what The Queen will offer to Delawareans, it's location is strategic as well – dead center in the middle of Market, linking the hub of the city to the Riverfront.
“Lighting up The Queen” is scheduled for April I. Having The Queen a satellite of Philly's popular World Cafe Live was crucial to the venture. Here's some background.
In 1998 music lover and lawyer Hal Real approached WXPN/88.5, U of Penn Radio Station. He was a huge fan of DJ David Dye's widely acclaimed World Cafe show, an eclectic blend of new music, live performances and interviews featuring local and national acts. The show was broadcast over 200 stations nationwide.
Real wanted to “radically change the landscape for contemporary artists and audiences”. His idea was to create World Cafe Live, a for profit venue for grownups that was the physical extension of the experience World Cafe listeners had in their homes.
Six years and $15 million later, World Cafe Live's concert and dining opened near the Penn campus. The radio station moved in the same building.
World Cafe Live employs 80 people, mounts about 550 shows annually showcasing 1200 artists. Meanwhile, on the non-profit radio side, XPN has grown exponentially, employing 25 people, embracing 25,000 dues paying members and 300,000 loyal regional listeners. It gains adherents by the very physical presence of the venue.
The two partners are under the same roof sharing a common passion for music but they operate independently. XPN licenses the World Cafe Live name to Real Entertainment for an annual fee.
This unique and innovative for-profit/nonprofit partnership has been so successful it has been dubbed the model for future relationships between public broadcasters and private enterprise.
I am not sure who sought out whom for The Queen, but having World Cafe Live installed here creates instant market credibility with both XPN's member base and the international music community. Thousands of Delawareans listen to XPN daily.
With the licensing money from the Hal Real, XPN has been able to extend their brand. They can offer higher quality, bigger bands and more bands. Musicians play at World Cafe Live and are interviewed on the station. That's convenience. Additionally, XPN is adding new affiliates; Dallas, LA and Milwaukee just this year.
For the consumer, how two separate entities with two disparate missions work together is irrelevant. The fact is they do...quite successfully. The commonality of purpose is born in their passion for music. Together they have created this tres cool 'clubhouse' for the music, the arts and the general community.
The Non-COMM Convention, a major event for the music industry, will be hosted by The Queen this year. Real had attended the conference for a decade and then acquired the rights. It is now wholly owned by WXPN. The timing was perfect for this year. Wilmington will be host to many important personages in the industry and some major music names; an energizing send off for the facility.
The Buccini brothers hope that The Queen will be the rock thrown in the pond; that The Queen will become the center of Wilmington's creative universe and the ripple effect will be felt by us all.
For the acts this year visit Queen.worldcafelive.com/
In addition to what The Queen will offer to Delawareans, it's location is strategic as well – dead center in the middle of Market, linking the hub of the city to the Riverfront.
“Lighting up The Queen” is scheduled for April I. Having The Queen a satellite of Philly's popular World Cafe Live was crucial to the venture. Here's some background.
In 1998 music lover and lawyer Hal Real approached WXPN/88.5, U of Penn Radio Station. He was a huge fan of DJ David Dye's widely acclaimed World Cafe show, an eclectic blend of new music, live performances and interviews featuring local and national acts. The show was broadcast over 200 stations nationwide.
Real wanted to “radically change the landscape for contemporary artists and audiences”. His idea was to create World Cafe Live, a for profit venue for grownups that was the physical extension of the experience World Cafe listeners had in their homes.
Six years and $15 million later, World Cafe Live's concert and dining opened near the Penn campus. The radio station moved in the same building.
World Cafe Live employs 80 people, mounts about 550 shows annually showcasing 1200 artists. Meanwhile, on the non-profit radio side, XPN has grown exponentially, employing 25 people, embracing 25,000 dues paying members and 300,000 loyal regional listeners. It gains adherents by the very physical presence of the venue.
The two partners are under the same roof sharing a common passion for music but they operate independently. XPN licenses the World Cafe Live name to Real Entertainment for an annual fee.
This unique and innovative for-profit/nonprofit partnership has been so successful it has been dubbed the model for future relationships between public broadcasters and private enterprise.
I am not sure who sought out whom for The Queen, but having World Cafe Live installed here creates instant market credibility with both XPN's member base and the international music community. Thousands of Delawareans listen to XPN daily.
With the licensing money from the Hal Real, XPN has been able to extend their brand. They can offer higher quality, bigger bands and more bands. Musicians play at World Cafe Live and are interviewed on the station. That's convenience. Additionally, XPN is adding new affiliates; Dallas, LA and Milwaukee just this year.
For the consumer, how two separate entities with two disparate missions work together is irrelevant. The fact is they do...quite successfully. The commonality of purpose is born in their passion for music. Together they have created this tres cool 'clubhouse' for the music, the arts and the general community.
The Non-COMM Convention, a major event for the music industry, will be hosted by The Queen this year. Real had attended the conference for a decade and then acquired the rights. It is now wholly owned by WXPN. The timing was perfect for this year. Wilmington will be host to many important personages in the industry and some major music names; an energizing send off for the facility.
The Buccini brothers hope that The Queen will be the rock thrown in the pond; that The Queen will become the center of Wilmington's creative universe and the ripple effect will be felt by us all.
For the acts this year visit Queen.worldcafelive.com/
Thursday, January 27, 2011
World Cafe Live will "Light Up The Queen"
Rob and Chris Buccini, Mayor Baker's best friends, have stated that the rehabilitation of The Queen Theatre at 5th & Market Street is their most important project ever. For two gentlemen who have radically transformed Wilmington's cityscape, who have multiple hotel properties in VA and MA and a presence in China, that's quite a quote.
In addition to what The Queen will offer to Delawareans, it's location is strategic as well – dead center in the middle of Market, linking the hub of the city to the Riverfront.
“Lighting up The Queen” is scheduled for April I. Having The Queen a satellite of Philly's popular World Cafe Live was crucial to the venture. Here's some background.
In 1998 music lover and lawyer Hal Real approached WXPN/88.5, U of Penn Radio Station. He was a huge fan of DJ David Dye's widely acclaimed World Cafe show, an eclectic blend of new music, live performances and interviews featuring local and national acts. The show was broadcast over 200 stations nationwide.
Real wanted to “radically change the landscape for contemporary artists and audiences”. His idea was to create World Cafe Live, a for profit venue for grownups that was the physical extension of the experience World Cafe listeners had in their homes.
Six years and $15 million later, World Cafe Live's concert and dining opened near the Penn campus. The radio station moved in the same building.
World Cafe Live employs 80 people, mounts about 550 shows annually showcasing 1200 artists. Meanwhile, on the non-profit radio side, XPN has grown exponentially, employing 25 people, embracing 25,000 dues paying members and 300,000 loyal regional listeners. It gains adherents by the very physical presence of the venue.
The two partners are under the same roof sharing a common passion for music but they operate independently. XPN licenses the World Cafe Live name to Real Entertainment for an annual fee.
This unique and innovative for-profit/nonprofit partnership has been so successful it has been dubbed the model for future relationships between public broadcasters and private enterprise.
I am not sure who sought out whom for The Queen, but having World Cafe Live installed here creates instant market credibility with both XPN's member base and the international music community. Thousands of Delawareans listen to XPN daily.
With the licensing money from the Hal Real, XPN has been able to extend their brand. They can offer higher quality, bigger bands and more bands. Musicians play at World Cafe Live and are interviewed on the station. That's convenience. Additionally, XPN is adding new affiliates; Dallas, LA and Milwaukee just this year.
For the consumer, how two separate entities with two disparate missions work together is irrelevant. The fact is they do...quite successfully. The commonality of purpose is born in their passion for music. Together they have created this tres cool 'clubhouse' for the music, the arts and the general community.
The Non-COMM Convention, a major event for the music industry, will be hosted by The Queen this year. Real had attended the conference for a decade and then acquired the rights. It is now wholly owned by WXPN. The timing was perfect for this year. Wilmington will be host to many important personages in the industry and some major music names; an energizing send off for the facility.
The Buccini brothers hope that The Queen will be the rock thrown in the pond; that The Queen will become the center of Wilmington's creative universe and the ripple effect will be felt by us all.
For the acts this year visit Queen.worldcafelive.com/
In addition to what The Queen will offer to Delawareans, it's location is strategic as well – dead center in the middle of Market, linking the hub of the city to the Riverfront.
“Lighting up The Queen” is scheduled for April I. Having The Queen a satellite of Philly's popular World Cafe Live was crucial to the venture. Here's some background.
In 1998 music lover and lawyer Hal Real approached WXPN/88.5, U of Penn Radio Station. He was a huge fan of DJ David Dye's widely acclaimed World Cafe show, an eclectic blend of new music, live performances and interviews featuring local and national acts. The show was broadcast over 200 stations nationwide.
Real wanted to “radically change the landscape for contemporary artists and audiences”. His idea was to create World Cafe Live, a for profit venue for grownups that was the physical extension of the experience World Cafe listeners had in their homes.
Six years and $15 million later, World Cafe Live's concert and dining opened near the Penn campus. The radio station moved in the same building.
World Cafe Live employs 80 people, mounts about 550 shows annually showcasing 1200 artists. Meanwhile, on the non-profit radio side, XPN has grown exponentially, employing 25 people, embracing 25,000 dues paying members and 300,000 loyal regional listeners. It gains adherents by the very physical presence of the venue.
The two partners are under the same roof sharing a common passion for music but they operate independently. XPN licenses the World Cafe Live name to Real Entertainment for an annual fee.
This unique and innovative for-profit/nonprofit partnership has been so successful it has been dubbed the model for future relationships between public broadcasters and private enterprise.
I am not sure who sought out whom for The Queen, but having World Cafe Live installed here creates instant market credibility with both XPN's member base and the international music community. Thousands of Delawareans listen to XPN daily.
With the licensing money from the Hal Real, XPN has been able to extend their brand. They can offer higher quality, bigger bands and more bands. Musicians play at World Cafe Live and are interviewed on the station. That's convenience. Additionally, XPN is adding new affiliates; Dallas, LA and Milwaukee just this year.
For the consumer, how two separate entities with two disparate missions work together is irrelevant. The fact is they do...quite successfully. The commonality of purpose is born in their passion for music. Together they have created this tres cool 'clubhouse' for the music, the arts and the general community.
The Non-COMM Convention, a major event for the music industry, will be hosted by The Queen this year. Real had attended the conference for a decade and then acquired the rights. It is now wholly owned by WXPN. The timing was perfect for this year. Wilmington will be host to many important personages in the industry and some major music names; an energizing send off for the facility.
The Buccini brothers hope that The Queen will be the rock thrown in the pond; that The Queen will become the center of Wilmington's creative universe and the ripple effect will be felt by us all.
For the acts this year visit Queen.worldcafelive.com/
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