How A Grassroots Movement Morphed Into One Of New York’s Most Beloved Independent Music Venues
Credit: Luis Nieto Dickens | @nietodickens
"Community extends into the digital world too. Thousands of people flock to Elsewhere’s official Discord to arrange meetups, discuss events and share music. While Elsewhere’s team is active on the venue's Discord server—and even has ambassadors and community managers to spur conversations—members have taken off on their own to cultivate a community.
“Anything that we do, we’re sort of the dinner host or the coffee table book,” Chopra says of Elsewhere’s unique position in the local community. “Whether we're programming in the physical or digital space, we're giving people prompts, reasons to come together and initiate conversations.”
Chats on Discord aren’t limited to Elsewhere. Members discuss books, film, TV, fashion and art too. “That to me has been really heartening,” Chopra gushed. “It's not like some sort of branded community, it really is just people who want to be a part of the music and culture.”
“It's almost a return to the origins of the Internet where things were kind of done for the good of people and it’s really refreshing to see that,” Haykal said of the laissez-faire environment Elsewhere embraces.
For Elsewhere, community isn’t just tied to its programming of emerging artists or cultivation of patron connections. The venue strives to represent the music community’s best interests in the industry at large."