EW JACOBSON
acobson might be most familiar around
ea for his ability to astound and amaze
art his father introduced him to at
e he was 10, he began to wow
was hired out to entertain at bar
parties.
n a trip with friends to Ann
nto School Kid Records to
was mesmerized not
but with the music
m. The artist was
se music was not yet
like Mascott as well as foreign acts like Toog and
Louis Philippe.
As always, Jacobson isn't shy about mercilessly
promoting his artists. He passes on review copies
through personal friends to music writers and edi-
tors at influential magazines and newspapers, and
drawing on his art-school background, designs
much of the cover artwork for his clients.
"It is sort of a bonus for being on my label," he says.
Oakland Community College for a year, working as
a disc jockey at the college's station, WORB. He also
worked at Off The Record, a Royal Oak music shop
known for carrying hard-to-find items and indepen-
dent labels. The two experiences opened his eyes to
a wide field of music.
"That is when it all turned around for me. I
learned that there was more to music than MTV
would have you believe," says Greenwald, who often
wrote for local publications like Orbit and
Antimatter
about the national music scene.
For more information about Le Grand Magistery,
While
still
working at the record shop, Greenwald
go to the Web site at www.magistery.com .
started his own private label, Third Gear. His first
release, a single by the band Slot, garnered coverage
from Alternative Press, a magazine deVOted to the
*VA
alternative rock music scene. The single cost
$2,000 to produce, money taken from
Greenwald's personal savings.
"I thought, 'Hey, this is easy," he says.
Soon, Virgin 'Records came calling, not for
Greenwald's label but for his skill in promotion.
He left his job at the record store to do
Midwest promotions for bands on the well-
known indie record label. While not enamored
of a mega-label's way of choosing what America
listens to in terms of music, he figured it would
be his way to manipulate the scene.
"I figured I could change it from the inside,"
he said. "But what really happened was that I
met a lot of people and gained a lot of knowl-
edge about how to combine the business aspect
and the music side of it."
ePAYTt
: e art
Greenwald continued to plug away at devel-
€t ro res
oping Third Gear by pursuing bands that he
personally found enjoyable and using what he
w Jacobson: Le Grand Magistery
was learning at Virgin.
_ He began featuring such alternative acts as
as d oing really well at
Don Cabellero from
{th e'job], but what got me through
JOE GREENWALD
as the
Pittsburgh
and
music," he says.
For Joe Greenwald, the leap into
Pavement
from
One day,-while watching a prese tion at work,
the recording business was not a
Stockton, Calif, as
acobson recognized the accomp
ng music; it was huge one. It was more of a natur-
well
as Medusa
Momus. He asked the presenter a ut it and was
al progression.
Cyclone
from
given the e-mail address of the a st. Jacobson
Greenwald, 31, first became
Detroit.
rekindled his friendship with C le and proposed
interested in, music as an adoles-
"My biggest pet
distributing some of Momus' ordings in the
cent. He started with guitar
peeve
is when some-
United States.
lessons at the age of 12 but soon
one
calls
this a local
At first, Momus was a p
gave them up.
f gold of sorts to
label.
It
is
not.
Jacobson's label, Le Grand agistery. The pair sunk
"The lessons proved fruitless,"
It
is
a
national
$3,000 of Jacobson's nes
he says. "I just went with my
g into producing 1,000
label that happens to
CDs. The release went
instinct and learned to play on
to earn praise from critics
be located in Detroit,
at such publications
my own."
e New York Times, Billboard
where
I happen to
and Rolling Stone.
Though his visions of rock
live,"
says
Greenwald.
It is nice to
that although I have no idea what stardom didn't come to fruition,
Greenwald's
I am doing, I
ccessful doing it," Jacobson says.
Greenwald didn't totally stow
biggest coup so far is
The atte
n from the media paired with
away the idea of going into -
a
band whose two
Jacobson's rsistence in gathering esoteric and
music. Still, the Farmington Hills
chief
members he met
interes
artists netted another 14 or so acts for
native and North Farmington
way
back
when he
the
gling label. It also earned the 28-year-old's
High School graduate had every Joe Greenwald: Third Gear
was
still
hanging
any a distribution deal with the music giant
intention of pursuing a career in
backstage with
G.
journalism at Michigan State
Metallica.
Soon, however, things turned sour. A libel
University when music tapped him on the shoulder.
During those days, Soundgarden, an alternative
action taken by someone referred to in one of
A friend who was touring with the heavy metal band
band from Seattle, opened the show. Greenwald hung
Momus' songs forced a payout of $22 million by
Merallica asked Greenwald to join him on a leg of a
out with the fledgling band, often trading. records
BMG, Le Grand Magistery and Momus.
tour; Greenwald put his education on hold to do so.
with band members.
But the setback is only momentary, Jacobson
"It felt like the right thing to do," he says.
It was that relationship that helped him snag the
says. He plans new releases with local individuals
After that gig was over, Greenwald went to
members of the Wellwater Conspiracy.
SN
•
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5/5
2000
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