Get the latest gossip
How LadyLand, the Scrappy Festival That Could, Is Shaping Queer Culture & Live Music In NYC
LadyLand: How the queer Brooklyn music festival navigates problems and is changing LGBTQ culture in New York City.
“We don’t want people standing in front of stage for 20 minutes waiting for the next performer, ruining the vibe.” She mixes in LGBTQ legends with up-and-coming artists, and spotlights local talent while also bringing in names who rarely make it to NYC. To fill out the lineup — and bring in artists outside the NYC nightlife realm — Baron and her team spend months sending each other clips of singers, DJs and rappers, debating their musical merits and keeping an eye on who’s buzzing on queer socials. Plus, there’s “boring festival stuff with agents and managers, arguing about the run of the show, the size of the name on the poster.” To ensure each day’s lineup has an organic flow and isn’t solely based on least-to-most Instagram followers, there’s oftentimes an extended back-and-forth with artist reps, who care less about sonic juxtaposition and more about optics.
Or read this on Billboard