NOISE POP, SF LIVE, & SF OEWD PRESENT
Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2025
San Francisco's newest gathering for the Bay Area music community
Industry Summit
Fri Feb 28, The Swedish American Hall
Doors @ 9am
Photo credit: Paige K. Parsons
Summit Schedule
9:00 AM – 9:55 AM: Doors / Registration
9:55 AM – 10:00 AM: Welcome Remarks by Jordan Kurland, Brilliant Corners/Noise Pop
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM: Keynote Conversation with P-Lo, Rapper and Producer and David Kelly, Golden State Entertainment
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM: In Conversation: Mayor Daniel Lurie + Jordan Kurland
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Legends of the SF Sound: Stories from San Francisco’s Rich Music History
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM: Lunch Break — Support local business!
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM: Making Waves Now: San Francisco's Impact on Music Today
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Music Tech: How San Francisco is Reinventing Music Experience
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM: The Next Chapter: Shaping the Future of San Francisco Music
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM: Happy Hour
* All programming subject to change
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Keynote
Conversation with P-Lo, Rapper and Producer and David Kelly, Golden State Entertainment
P-Lo, Rapper and Producer
P-Lo is a multi-platinum songwriter/producer who is lauded as one of the architects of the modern West Coast sound. The Bay Area born Filipino-American rapper is a clear example that sticking to your own thing and doubling down on yourself makes you irreplaceable.
Solidifying his "Face of the Bay' status, P-Lo has become an ambassador for the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, & San Jose Earthquakes. Though a staple of northern California rap and sports culture, his reputation as a party starter is known on a national scale in light of placements on the soundtracks for Space Jam 2: A New Legacy, and Insecure, scored campaigns for McDonalds, Walmart, Toyota, and Wingstop, and is also a mainstay on the soundtracks for NBA 2K and Madden.
As a producer he is a BMI award winner with credits on a host of urban music's top talent, including YG, Wiz Khalifa, Kehlani, Yo Gotti, G-Eazy. Flo Rida and more. Most recently P-Lo announced his partnership with The Golden State Warriors entertainment arm GSE to helm and produce "For The Soil", an album showcasing the best and the brightest Bay Area music has to offer released February 12th in anticipation of NBA Allstar Weekend 2025 being hosted in the Bay Area.
David Kelly
David Kelly formerly served as the Chief Business Officer of Golden State Entertainment and Chief Legal Officer of the Golden State Warriors. His career spans music, law, and sports.
As a musician, Kelly was part of the Chicago rap duo All Natural, releasing eight albums and touring internationally. He earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law before joining the Warriors in 2012.
In 2022, the Warriors launched Golden State Entertainment, which combines sports and entertainment by producing documentaries, collaborating with recording artists, and organizing cultural events. Through this initiative the Warriors released albums featuring prominent Bay Area artists such as P-Lo, E-40, Saweetie, Larry June and more. Kelly's diverse background allows him to bring a unique perspective to his roles in both the sports and entertainment industries.
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
In Conversation: Mayor Daniel Lurie + Jordan Kurland
Mayor Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie is the 46th Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. He is the city’s first mayor since 1911 to win office without previously serving in government. Known for his innovative approach to solving entrenched issues, Mayor Lurie has dedicated his career to getting results in areas that demand bold action. He was elected with a mandate for accountability, change, and service.
As the founder of Tipping Point Community, Mayor Lurie launched the Bay Area’s largest anti-poverty organization, directing over $500 million toward solutions for housing, job creation, and essential services. Under Mayor Lurie’s leadership, Tipping Point spearheaded construction of a first-of-its-kind affordable housing building at 833 Bryant Street, a project that came in on time and under budget with good-paying union labor. Mayor Lurie also led the bid to bring Super Bowl 50 to the Bay Area in 2016, making it the most philanthropic Super Bowl in NFL history, and founded The Civic Joy Fund in 2023, bringing more art, music, and enthusiasm to our city streets.
Throughout his career, Mayor Lurie has set new standards for impact and partnership, including innovative public-private collaborations that uplift communities. Mayor Lurie's priorities include ensuring safety and vibrancy in all neighborhoods, as well as economic growth.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Mayor Lurie lives in the City with his wife, Becca Prowda, and their two young children. He is dedicated to creating a thriving San Francisco for all residents.
Jordan Kurland, Brilliant Corners/Noise Pop
Jordan Kurland is co-founder and partner at Brilliant Corners Artist Management, which represents several artists including Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, Toro Y Moi, Soccer Mommy, and Dan the Automator. Kurland is a partner at Noise Pop Industries, which produces and promotes events throughout the greater Bay Area including the annual multi-venue festival Noise Pop.
A San Francisco resident since 1995, Kurland currently sits on the board of directors of two local non-profit organizations: the independent publishing house McSweeney’s and the outdoor concert series Stern Grove Festival. He also recently joined the board of Seattle-based non-profit arts organization and renowned public radio station, KEXP. He served on the entertainment advisory committees for Barack Obama in 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Over the last two decades, Kurland has launched several democracy-focused projects along with prize-winning author Dave Eggers. In 2020, the two created the digital-only compilation label, Good Music. The series of four comps –made only available for 24 hours via Bandcamp– has grossed $1.2 million to date. The most recent offering, Good Music to Lift Los Angeles, was released in February of this year. It sold 12,000 copies, debuted at number five on the Billboard Top Albums Chart, and raised $275,000 to aid those displaced by the LA wildfires.
Kurland is an occasional writer and has contributed to outlets such as Billboard, San Francisco Examiner, McSweeney’s, and Boing Boing. He has appeared on numerous podcasts including Promoter 101, The New Music Business, Road Case, and Vinyl Emergency.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Legends of the SF Sound: Stories from San Francisco’s Rich Music History
Dive into the vibrant history of San Francisco's music scene with leaders who helped shape it. Hear firsthand accounts of iconic moments, the unique energy that has fueled local creativity, and the enduring legacy of the scene from the 1960s to the present. This isn't just a history lesson – it's a chance to soak in the spirit that still lives in SF music today.
Moderator: David Katznelson
David Katznelson is a 35+ year music industry veteran and Grammy-nominated producer, which included working for Warner Bros. as Vice-President of A&R, running his own labels and publishing company, working with young bands, older bands, and on reissue projects. He is also currently the CEO of Reboot, overseeing the media fund Reboot Studios, and the writer and publisher of’ The Signal’, a newsletter about art, culture, literature & poetry. He is a problematic record collector who lives among his shellack, vinyl, wax, books, wife, kids and dog in the mountains of Marin. David believes that art and artists will lead us to a better world more powerfully than anything else.
Aaron Axelsen, Popscene
Bay Area radio personality, DJ, concert promoter, and new music champion Aaron Axelsen, an East Bay native, got his start in the music world by working at local record stores in the early ‘90s, including Tower Records, Dublin and Mod Lang Records, Berkeley. Axelsen co-founded, and continues to run today, one of North American’s longest-running indie parties, Popscene (1995-current), where such notable artists as Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Florence + The Machine, Calvin Harris, Glass Animals, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Foster The People, etc., all made their Bay Area debuts. He also served on the Alternative Grammy Selection Committee at the Recording Academy for a decade in the early aughts, and currently works for Los Angeles based music brand/magazine, Flood, where he created and serves as program director of global indie radio station, Flood FM (2021-current).
Penelope Houston, Avengers
As a teenager, in 1977, Penelope moved from Seattle to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. Quickly her career in visual arts was side-tracked by the formation of the critically acclaimed proto-punk band, the Avengers. Since then she has performed over 1000 shows with the Avengers and her award-winning solo band throughout the USA and Europe. She has released thirteen albums on Warner Brothers and other independent labels with a musical career well-documented in publications from Newsweek to Slash. When not on tour with the reformed Avengers or her solo projects, she paints and draws at home in the Bay Area.
Michael A. Aczon, Author
Michael A. Aczon grew up in San Francisco, inspired so much by the diverse music scene that he became part of it. Michael has practiced entertainment law and personally managed clients for over four decades, representing a variety of clients in virtually every musical genre. From recording, music publishing, media, touring, and gaming industries, he has advised and continues to advise clients from unsigned independent artists to companies doing business worldwide.
Michael authored the book “The Musician’s Legal Companion”, was a columnist for Guitar Player Magazine, and a contributing writer for Electronic Musician magazine. As an educator, Michael has taught music business courses at a number of colleges, law schools, and artist workshops as well as served as a speaker and moderator for music industry events throughout the country. He's a father of two, has three grandkids, loves the outdoors, and now splits his time between the Bay Area and the Mendocino Coast.
Big Rich
Born and raised in San Francisco’s notorious Fillmore District, Richard Bougere, Jr. aka Big Rich was born with a love of music and dreamed of pursuing a hip hop career. As a teenager, he was mentored and began working with Bay Area rap legends like San Quinn, Rappi’ 4ya, RBL Posse and JT Tha Bigga Figga. Building on the success of his first solo album, Big Rich became one of the front runners in the Bay Area rap game, appearing on numerous remixes and mixtapes. Despite his success in the music industry, Big Rich never forgot his roots and always wanted to find a way to give back to him community. In 2012, Big Rich co-founded Project LEVEL with hip hop promoter and community activist, Danielle Banks. With a mission to educate, inspire and motivate at-risk and underserved youth through the arts, Project LEVEL provides the opportunity to learn all aspects of the entertainment business.
Bob Mould
Bob Mould is an American musician/singer/songwriter now in his fifth decade of making and performing music. Bob has released 15 solo albums since his 1989 solo debut Workbook, after forming and leading Minnesota punk rock innovators Hüsker Dü starting in 1979. Along with two albums in the group Sugar, Bob has redefined guitar driven rock across 24 studio albums over the last 40-plus years.
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Making Waves Now: San Francisco's Impact on Music Today
Hear from leaders who are helping to define the San Francisco music industry right now. Discover their journeys, the challenges and triumphs of working in music in this dynamic city, and how SF has shaped their unique perspectives. This is your chance to understand the forces shaping the scene today.
Moderator: Emma Silvers
Emma Silvers is an award-winning San Francisco journalist and a longtime champion of the local music scene. Born and raised in the Bay, she’s been an arts and culture editor at The San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, and both of the city’s late, great alt-weeklies (SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian). Her writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Pitchfork and more.
Dan Strachota, Rickshaw Stop
Dan Strachota has been the talent buyer for Rickshaw Stop for the past 20 years and the head of operations there for five. He also booked Noise Pop for several years, was the music editor at SF Weekly, cofounded the Bardot a Go Go DJ night, and was music director for KALX-FM in Berkeley. He’s lived in San Francisco for 35 years and he still hasn’t been to the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Danny Bell, Goldenvoice
Danny Bell is the SVP of Goldenvoice’s Bay Area office as well as the creator and talent buyer of San Francisco’s Portola Festival. Goldenvoice’s Bay Area office produces and promotes over 400 concerts a year regionally in venues ranging from 250-20,000 capacity, including the Warfield Theatre and the Regency Ballroom. Goldenvoice is also the exclusive booker at Frost Amphitheatre in Palo Alto, CA in partnership with Stanford University. Prior to his time at Goldenvoice, Bell was the head marketer and talent buyer for HARD Presents based out of Los Angeles, producing HARD Summer, HARD Haunted Mansion, and HOLY SHIP! From 2011-2016.
La Doña, Musician
La Doña is a solo artist, music educator, activist and cultural worker from San Francisco, CA. La Doña, born Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea, is a student, teacher and preservationist of Latinx traditional arts like corrido, bolero, cumbia, and mariachi. In her compositions, she combines these ancestral traditions with contemporary diasporic musics like reggaeton, hip-hop and jazz.
La Doña was chosen as one of YouTube’s Foundry Artists (2019) and she has performed at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands music festivals. Her song, “Quién Me La Paga” was the first of the New York Times Magazine’s “19 Songs that Matter Now,” for 2020, and her EPs, Algo Nuevo and Can’t Eat Clout have been selected by the San Francisco Chronicle as two of the best albums of 2020 and 2023, respectively
Lalin St. Juste, 7000COILS Co-Founder: Label & Art House
Lalin St. Juste, a prominent figure in the Bay Area music scene for over a decade, continues to make her mark as the frontwoman of the genre-bending band The Seshen. In 2021, she embarked on a new chapter in her musical journey, launching her solo career with the release of her debut EP titled 'behind my eyes.' This milestone marked the official establishment of 7000COILS, a label and art house co-founded by Lalin and KKINGBOO. Committed to amplifying the voices of the African and Caribbean diaspora within the LGBTQ+ community, 7000COILS creates digital and live platforms while emphasizing wellness and sacred play. With the generous support of the Gerbode Foundation, Lalin St. Juste collaborated with Women's Audio Mission, an organization dedicated to empowering women and nonbinary creatives in the music industry. Together, they worked tirelessly to record, engineer, mix, and master Vertulie, ensuring a captivating and immersive musical experience.
Mac Cregan
Mac Cregan is a manager at Brilliant Corners Artist Management. He started there in 2014 as a digital marketing coordinator and worked his way up through various jobs at the company before building a roster of his own that includes acclaimed artists like Soccer Mommy, Real Estate, PUP, and more. Mac lives in the sunset district with his wife and dog.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Music Tech: How San Francisco is Reinventing Music Experience
San Francisco has long been the global epicenter of music technology innovation, transforming how we create, experience and distribute sound. The city's unique blend of tech prowess and creative spirit has driven everything from groundbreaking developments in audio formats that reimagine musical immersion to new music creation tools and modern distribution platforms. By integrating tech and artistry, San Francisco continues to lead the world in revolutionizing musical experiences, empowering us with unprecedented ways to connect through sound. Join industry leaders to discuss the newest technologies and how San Francisco will lead the way in changing music experience in the years to come.
Moderator: Christen McFarland
Christen McFarland is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy, the leading music organization representing music professionals and recognizing excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Christen serves Academy members of all disciplines and genres from the Bay Area to Boulder, celebrating music creators through music advocacy, next-gen mentorship, and the GRAMMY Awards® to help cultivate the well-being of the music community.
Christen has spent 30 years building professional and creative development programs and events that educate, activate, and celebrate success in the field of music. Prior to joining the Academy staff, Christen was Director of Marketing and Events at Guitar Player, Bass Player, Electronic Musician, Mix, and Remix magazines, where she oversaw audience marketing, media, and live events for music creators and gear makers worldwide.
Andrew Jervis
Andrew Jervis is the former Director of Artists and Labels at Bandcamp, the online music community for musicians, record labels, and music fans. Overseeing the label and artist outreach team, he helped bring in music from all over the world, and worked closely with artists and labels to define new tools and features. He also hosted the Bandcamp Weekly show, combing through the site to uncover and present weekly selections of essential new music. He also curates and hosts a monthly Bay Area-themed selection for the Japanese national station J-Wave. In January of 2025, SPIN magazine named Jervis as the 2nd most influential person in the music business (although he takes this with a grain of salt; Taylor Swift was #3).
Ben Kramer
As Head of Artist and Label Development at YouTube, Ben Kramer has been instrumental in shaping the future of music on the platform. He's deeply passionate about leveraging technology to empower artists and labels, exploring new avenues for music discovery and engagement in the digital age. Ben focuses on fostering strategic partnerships and providing creators with the tools and resources they need to thrive within the evolving digital ecosystem. Recognizing the critical intersection of music and technology, Ben works directly with artists and labels to navigate the platform's complexities, and empower fan growth and effective releases.
Tim Pryde
As head of Dolby Atmos Music, Tim and his team are responsible for changing how artists and musicians create music and how people experience it. A dynamic, results-driven professional, Tim was handpicked to drive Dolby Music forward based on the extensive product and marketing management experience he gained in key roles at Jawbone, Monster Cable, and Beautiful Music. Tim’s passion for music goes beyond his career path. An accomplished musician of 30 years, he has recorded and released over a dozen albums with various bands and helped run Los Kamikaze Records for over a decade.
Gregg Lehrman
Gregg Lehrman is an Ascap award-winning composer and music producer and the founder and CEO of Output, a global leader in music creation software. With Gregg at the helm, Output has become an indispensable part of artists’ creative workflow, inspiring a new generation of music makers. It is now one of the fastest-growing music-creation software companies in the world and the secret sauce behind so many of today’s biggest hits. Gregg is also a composer and producer, having worked in film and television and garnering a prestigious Ascap Award for his original works. His music can be heard in the Super Bowl, Saturday Night Live, video games like League of Legends, and film trailers including Avatar, Black Swan, and the Avengers.
Terri Winston
Terri Winston is the Executive Director and Founder of Women's Audio Mission (WAM), a San Francisco nonprofit that trains over 2,000 under-served women, girls and gender-expansive people every year to become the next generation of music producers and recording engineers. WAM's recording studio complex is the only professional studio in the world built and run entirely by women.
Winston’s career spans 30 years as a major-label recording artist, songwriter, producer and recording engineer. She has received an ASCAP songwriting award, Boston Music Award, Bay Area Music Award, Audio Engineering Fellowship award for “for providing training, resources, and leadership greatly expanding the participation of girls and women in the field of audio engineering” and the national AARP Purpose Prize. Winston was selected to serve on The Recording Academy’s (The Grammys) National Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion as well as The Academy of Country Music’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
The Next Chapter: Shaping the Future of San Francisco Music
Join a conversation about the future of SF music. Where is the industry headed? What role can SF play on the global stage? How can we nurture the next generation of talent? How can we improve inclusion and equity? This panel will spark ideas and inspire action to ensure a thriving music ecosystem for years to come.
Moderator: Tamara Palmer, Founder of Music Book Club
Tamara Palmer is a San Francisco-based DJ, journalist and the founder of Music Book Club, an international forum for authors and readers. She's the author of Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hip-Hop, which turns 20 in May, and will soon self-publish a book about Bay Area rap through the club.
DJ Dials, 1015 Folsom
Dj Dials is a premier event promoter and concert producer in San Francisco, curating multiple events each week that feature a diverse range of artists and genres. With a reputation for delivering quality experiences, underplays and historic debuts for over 15 years, he's done over 1000 shows in the Bay Area. As a talent buyer for venues such as 1015 Folsom, Great Northern and Cow Palace, he's become a staple of the city's vibrant music scene.
Austin Waz, Musician, The Kilowatt
Austin Waz wears many hats– he is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and music producer in the San Francisco based psychedelic indie disco band Analog Dog. Austin plays key roles in multiple iconic San Franciso music communities– from being a talent buyer at San Francisco's fastest growing independent music venue, Kilowatt to being a production manager member of the San Francisco Parks Alliance, Noise Pop & Stern Grove teams. Above all, he is a passionate cheerleader, advocate and promoter of the San Francisco music scene at large who believes in a revolution in the music industry, where music is rightfully reconceptualized as a public service.
Allen Scott, Another Planet Entertainment
Allen Scott, President of Concerts & Festivals for Another Planet Entertainment (APE), runs the company’s concert division and is one of the leading promoters in the country. This includes APE’s exclusively operated and promoted venues at The Independent in San Francisco – the same club he founded 20 years ago – The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco and The Fox Theater in Oakland, as well as Another Planet Entertainment’s renowned festival – Outside Lands– and past festivals: Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco and Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas. In addition, Allen oversees APE’s newest ventures, Golden Gate Park Concerts which is entering into its 2nd year, The Bellwether – Los Angeles and Channel 24 – Sacramento (opening in Spring of 2025), and most recently, the Mayoral Inauguration concert in Chinatown.
Michelle Swing, Noise Pop Industries
Michelle’s journey in the music industry began in her hometown of Knoxville, TN, where working on Bonnaroo Music Festival at AC Entertainment ignited her passion for bringing live events to life. This passion led her to San Francisco, where she played a key role in shaping ticketing innovations for some of the nation’s largest and most iconic music festivals, redefining how events manage their ticketing operations.
Throughout her career, Michelle has championed artists at every stage, finding innovative ways to support their growth and success. At StubHub, she collaborated with agents and promoters to unlock the potential of the secondary ticketing market, creating new revenue opportunities that directly benefited artists. Her time at AEG Presents in Los Angeles saw her shaping the foundations of its Global Touring division, building the Artist Development program for marketing and talent buying on international arena and stadium tours. Later, at Sofar Sounds, she guided the Western North American Concerts team, fostering opportunities for local and independent artists to connect with audiences worldwide. Over the past two years, she has led the Noise Pop team in producing the many new and existing live experiences that have played a key role in revitalizing the city’s cultural landscape.
Maryam Qudus
Devotion to music has driven Spacemoth’s Maryam Qudus—a performer, composer, and now sought-after producer—for as long as she can remember. At age twelve, she traded chores for guitar lessons; at sixteen, she took on after school jobs to pay for voice lessons, learning to drive so she could take herself to both.She began studying at Bay Area recording arts non-profit Women’s Audio Mission, eventually interning both there and at Tiny Telephone before becoming a staff engineer at both. Studio tricks picked up from clients like Toro Y Moi, Sasami & Tune-Yards gave new inspiration for her own arrangements. As an artist who has spent the last decade refining exactly what she loves in music, it’s no shock that the bulk of the performance on Spacemoth songs comes from Qudus herself, who favors vintage synths like the Yamaha CS50 and Korg Polysix alongside tape manipulations, creating unpredictable, stretched out, and springy sound beds.
“I finally have the skills and knowledge to make the sounds in my head come to life,” she says, “Spending the last few years discovering what kind of music I want to make has been worth it; I feel like I am making music that embodies who I am.”
All locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 554-4669 or contact Kate.Patterson@sfgov.org.
Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.