Interview: A Portsmouth Sherpa Helping Independent Music Approach the Summit
The music industry is changing every day, and right now it’s the Age of Indie. More and more artists are taking control of their careers in ways they’ve never been able to before — from recording and releasing their own music to creating their own videos, touring, and more. While all of that is thrilling and empowering, musicians still rely heavily on the support of their community. Support like the Summit Indie Fest in Portsmouth NH, organized by art enthusiast and music lover, Joel Greer.
Though he has roots in Lawrence, MA, Joel is an instrumental part of the growing scene in Portsmouth. Lawrence may have less than a sparkling reputation, but Joel remembers the positive impact that the music scene had on his life and the community. “The start of hip-hop was sort of my discovery [of music]. I was there when people would bring down bootleg tapes of Grandmaster Flash, and the Furious Five, Fast Freddy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys. We would get bootleg tapes of that stuff in before it was popular.” Music was a source of pride for Joel growing up, and he started gaining an appreciation for its influence at a young age. “I carried a boombox with me. People think that’s cliche, but when you’re in those areas, you’re carrying that boombox with you because you’re carrying something that means something to you and you don’t have many things that mean something to you.” Many of us have vivid memories of music in our childhood and how it affected us. Joel’s memories of boomboxes and bootleg tapes may be different than mine or yours, but the common theme is the same — Music. “Music overall has been a real constant in my life. I think that the consistency that music has played in my world, the necessity of it for a lot of different reasons, is how I kind of fell in love with it along the way.”
The love of music led Joel down a path of being a fierce contributor to the music scene in his own way. Though he doesn’t play a musical instrument, he is a self-proclaimed professional appreciator of art and music. He regularly works to enrich the lives of everyone around him by showing them the power music can have. That’s why he created Summit Indie Fest. Several years ago Joel decided to work on a way to bring the Portsmouth community together around independent music with heart. Summit Indie Fest was conceived as a way for Joel to give back to the music community. Though the name initially came from the nonprofit Joel is a part of, he also found inspiration from the idea of the journey to reaching the summit. Like climbing a mountain, musicians are on a long, arduous, exciting journey to share their music with the world. That’s why the festivals mission statement is “to gather as a community in the spirit of philanthropy and share our love and passion for music.” And Joel isn’t alone in this mission. He is surrounded by people who saw his heart and potential to put together a great festival. “I just had people around me who were involved with music, and they basically said to me ‘with your energy and your ideas I think that you could really turn this into something. I think if you stay true to your heart, this could be fantastic.’ ” Joel had the vision to create a festival akin to a foodie tour for music lovers. He worked to curate a group of performers from different genres and styles who all played with heart.
And thus, Summit Indie Fest was created — and quickly adored by fans. The inaugural festival took place at the iconic Portsmouth Book and Bar and promptly sold out. “It’s really successful because of the musicians that are there. I think that they have fans who love and care about their music and they go to see them play. And the people who don’t know their music believe in the idea of a small intimate festival.” And now year two is upon us, and it’s going to be better than ever. Joel is excited about the opportunity to enrich more peoples lives with another great day of music. Another outstanding lineup of inspired, indie musicians, more super supportive partners and quite possibly some surprises in store for Summit Indie Fest 2019.
Def. Girls, Tyler Legare, Troll 2, Carissa Johnson, The Wolff Sisters, Kingsley Flood, Young Frontier, As The Sparrow, Gretchen Klempa, and Latrell James will play to a sold out Portsmouth Book & Bar on Saturday, May 11th. As the festival continues to grow, Joel said it’s important to stay focused on the mission of Summit Indie Fest. “I’m going to stay true to the name of the festival no matter what. So it’s going to be Summit Indie Fest, no matter what. To be that experience where people feel like it’s an intimate music festival, even as the numbers grow.”
Rad Plaid couldn’t be more stoked to see how independent artists continue to take control of their careers and their own artistry and look forward to seeing what’s in store for Summit Indie Fest, for the Portsmouth music scene, and for indie musicians everywhere as they slowly approach the summit.
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