Corey Aldrich

Cafe Euphoria: A Trans- Worker Owned Community Space in Troy

July 21, 2021 By Corey Aldrich

I met up with the Cafe Euphoria team to hear about this exciting and groundbreaking space that is currently in development for downtown Troy, New York. Cafe Euphoria is a trans* worker owned and operated cafe / restaurant, curated thrift store, event and co-working space. CE’s aim is to cultivate a more gender-inclusive landscape in the Capital Region by encouraging folks to bring and nourish their whole selves.

I asked the Cafe Euphoria leadership team…

“Why is Cafe Euphoria important to you?”

Atsushi: General Manager and Co-Founder

“I’ve always been into creating community, and it was my thought, given the politics of the times, that the transgender community needed a safe space, and a place to gather and connect, like this one. I hope we succeed!”

Riley: IT Director and Co-Founder

“I can’t wait to open our space. I’m tired of cis people telling me how to express my gender. My coworker-owners and I are creating this as much for ourselves as we are for others.”

Tucker: Executive Chef

“Cafe Euphoria is a space where I can explore my craft and my identity. As someone who fell in love with food at a young age, it means the world to me that I can pursue this passion as my authentic self. Cafe Euphoria is the perfect place for me to prove myself and hopefully act as a role model for trans folks who want to work in the restaurant industry. I’m eager to put my skills to the test!”

Stevie: Kitchen Unit Manager

“I’ve thought for a long time that there should be safe spaces for queer and marginalized folk within the Capital Region that aren’t just bars. I’m excited to be providing that space served with tasty food!”

Robin: Development Director

“From the moment I heard about this project, I knew I had to be involved. In this moment of unparalleled visibility for the trans community — for good and ill — I can think of no worthier endeavor than creating a safe, affirming, joyful space for trans and gender non-conforming folx and our allies to find support, community, and solidarity (not to mention a cute outfit and a delicious meal!). I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this venture.”

Ryah: Finance Director

“As a Capital Region native, I fully believe forming a community for transgender and gnc (gender nonconforming) individuals is needed. I want to help create a space where every individual can discover themselves while feeling comfortable and safe.”

Rio: Programs Coordinator and Marketing Director

“Cafe Euphoria is important to me because of its potential to cultivate local trans/gnc community and celebratory visibility. When folks are welcomed to show up fully in their gender expression, everyone is extended the opportunity to heal and grow.”

EDITORS NOTE: Opening FALL 2021.

Cafe Euphoria will have a table at our July 28^th event in Troy, you can register for the event here. Make sure to drop by their table to meet the team, sign up for the mailing list and give support.

Connect with Cafe Euphoria on social:
WEB: www.cafeeuphoria.org
FB & IG: @cafeeuphoria518

LIVING ONLINE Series: Maria Brink, of In This Moment

July 14, 2021 By Corey Aldrich

I met up with rock star and friend Maria Brink this week to talk about the current status of the music industry and what it has been like to be in nationally touring, Grammy-nominated band over the last year. Not going to lie, as a hairband 80’s metal head, this one hit close to my head banging heart!

So excited to be chatting with you Maria! You’re such an inspiration and force of nature. Can you tell us a little bit about you and your band?

We have been a band now almost 15 years. So, its been a while! We started in California. I moved in 2000 with my son Davion (Brink), he was a little boy then. We had big dreams. It took about 5 years to get a band going and to finally find In This Moment. We definitely have grown over all these years, its been a big journey. We are now 7 albums in. Our last album was nominated for a Grammy for the song The In Between, which was one of the most rewarding experiences that we have had so far.

Since then we have toured the world and have been blessed to be able to play and collaborate with bands that we grew up listening to and loving including Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed, 5 Finger Death Punch and Korn. We have played festivals with Metallica and I have done a song collaboration with Rob Halford of Judas Priest. We do a lot of touring. The beautiful thing has been to travel the world with my son. That is something that really shaped him and filled him with so much culture that has helped him to become who he is today.

Can you talk a little about your pre-Covid tour schedule? What was it like living a day in the life of a legit rock star?

A lot of work honestly! I am a big part of the creative force behind In This Moment. Not just the song writing and singing but also I conceptualize and direct the stage shows, the choreography and movement. I direct the music videos and even manage the social media. I am very hands on. It’s my baby and its my work. I do have many talented people who I work with around me to help take these things to the next level.

Honestly, when you get to a certain level you have to work with other people. Collaboration is great. We have an amazing crew, many who have been with us over 10 years. It’s a lot of work but when you get that 1.5 hours on stage, that’s the reward. Things go slow motion, you are in your passion. Where you realize that this is what I am meant to do. That’s the big reward.

You do need to balance that out though, to have a fulfilling life. Always balance to stay healthy.

How did Covid affect your band and touring crew?

It hit everyone hard, the whole world so hard. We were leaving for a 2.5 month tour the week of the lock down. Everyone was in shock. We took a dramatic financial hit. The crew was really affected. We all came to a halt. It was killing me to not be able to work and make money. I am a person who likes to create and hustle. I also am aware of how much the crew relies on us to make money, they rely on the business to get the hours in. And, I have such gratitude, excitement and hope that the world is opening back up and that we will be back on the road in September.

How did you keep your creative vision alive and focused during the lockdown?

In the beginning it was a lot harder. We all thought we were going to die. Is this the Walking Dead? The Apocalypse?! Ha ha! I didn’t know what was going on. I was glued to the t.v., which I normally don’t absorb myself in to the degree like I did in the early days of Covid.

Eventually, I realized that I needed to get creative again. I started playing my piano and writing again. I started building my focus in entrepreneurial areas. Normally I don’t get to concentrate on all of these things for uninterrupted periods of time as I am rarely home and so busy. There was a lot of blessings that happened with me, empowering myself and learning new things.

What’s in store for you now that restrictions are lifted and bookings are happening again?

We are going back on tour with Black Belt Brides doing a co-headliner. The show will also include Dead and Raven Black. This is a 2 month tour that starts in September. We are definitely excited to be back out there again. To see our fans, to connect with everyone and feel that energy. I feel these will be some of the most powerful and high energy shows we have ever had in our life. We have been pulled away and locked in. The beauty of these shows…you can dance, you can scream and you can cry. People are able to let it out at these shows and I think its going to be heightened this time around.

I really appreciate the space you hold as a women in a male dominated genre. How has the experience been for you? Any recommendations for young women who are inspired to get in the music scene?

You know, I have had an empowering career as a women. When I started there was not as many women in the genre. For me it helped, maybe gave me an advantage. I think sometimes when you have something unexpected, people like that. There have been a few things here and there but I don’t feel I have been held back. When it comes to work ethic and art I feel like its about the emotion, what you are creating. It’s about moving a soul and making someone feel something. My advice for young women or men would be to embrace your creative individuality. What makes you different? Allow your art in whatever form to evoke emotion in you and your audience. That’s where the true magic lies and where people are able to be touched. That and a hard work ethic. Keep going, keep going, keep going.

Anything special you would like to plug that you are excited about?

I have been working with my son Davion for a while now on a business that he has been wanting to manifest and bring to life. I am so proud to say that he is opening a new space, Etrice Gallery, in downtown Albany NY. The idea has been in planning for about 3 years now. My son is a visionary. He lights up a room. He is unique and rare and special. It’s not just because I am his mother! I see it all the time. His ideas are infectious.

To see the hard work pay off and bloom is gratifying. He is not putting caps on what it can be. It’s a creative art space with no rules. We are excited to see what will happen and how it develops as the business grows. Your all invited to the grand opening! It’s exciting to be bringing this energy back into Albany. This is where I started my music / creative career. And now to see him starting in the same place…I am appreciative of life.

Have a blessed day!

Editor’s Note:

The Etrice Gallery opening will be on Thursday, July 15 from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. The event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Etrice Gallery
70 North Pearl Street
Albany, New York 12207

For more info on Davion Brink and the vision for the gallery see my interview HERE.

Follow In This Moment on Instagram, here.

Etrice Gallery: Interview with Davion Brink

July 7, 2021 By Corey Aldrich

I caught up with Davion recently to get up to speed about his latest project, Etrice Gallery. I put together a killer fashion event showcasing some of his design work called SYNERGY in 2018 at LARK HALL in Albany with co-producers Maria Brink and Samson Contompasis that was the bomb. Now he’s back…

Who are you and what is your vision for Etrice Gallery?

My name is Davion Brink. I see myself as an artist and one who empowers other creative people. My vision with the gallery is to push the artistic and creative envelope in the Capital Region. The gallery has two parts. I want to give the youth and people of all backgrounds and abilities a platform for expression & community. On the other side, I want to give people in the Capital Region access to street culture. The kind that is so prominent in New York City just 3 hours away but lives deep underground in the Capital Region. But…not no more.

Why now, times are crazy if you have not noticed! What are you hoping to accomplish with the gallery?

Some would ask why now? I say why not now? The world has been on lockdown, humans across the planet are itching for a sense of community and individuality at the same time. The gallery is the place to go hang out see what is happening on the streets and what the art community is doing. All the while we will be providing an opportunity for participation in the scene by making pieces available that will set you apart from the masses.

Whats your core motivation?

Our goal at Etrice Gallery is to push the agenda of individuality and creative ability through fashion, art and music. While we are a gallery for all ages, we want the youth also to have a place to be special. A place to feel appreciation. We plan on doing this by hosting and exhibiting local artists, designers and talent, showcasing their work and giving them a professional outlet to exercise their passions. Giving them an option beyond the streets.

Tell me a little bit about the collectibles your rocking here, this is some pretty serious sh*t!

You can find art collectibles from the likes of living artists such as Kaws, Takeshi Murakami and Daniel Arsham. One of a kind hand picked vintage from around the states, fashion that embodies where pop culture is now. As well as some of the rarest street pieces and collectibles from Supreme, Bape and Stussy.

Give me your top reason why someone should drop in on your gallery space?

We are the creative cool weirdos who spend our time skating or cleaning our shoes with a tooth brush. Our classic pop culture vintage gives us the ability to really touch everyone’s heart. If you need a outfit for the weekend or you need some new art decoration for your crib…we are your stop.

Location:
Etrice Gallery
Historic Kenmore Building
76 North Pearl Street | Albany, NY 12207

The opening show highlights the whimsical work of artist ALYSSA OBJIO, a first generation Dominican-American that includes a vibrant fabric based installation in addition to art works and jewelry that will be available for purchase. Vintage concert tees, original fashion and contemporary collectibles will also be available for purchase as part of the galleries ongoing retail program.

Check for updates on Etrice Gallery’s Instagram page, here!

LIVING ONLINE Series: Super Dark Collective

July 7, 2021 By Corey Aldrich

In the spirit of collaboration and best practice sharing, I thought it would be interesting to share perspectives from our fellow creatives to see how folks are getting along as we all craft new ways to practice our craft. For more on my LIVING ONLINE series, click here. For this installment, I met up with the folks at Super Dark Collective to discuss the current state of the underground music scene and was happy to hear, it’s alive and well! Super Dark Collective is: Sarah Darby | Bobby Carlton | Shane Sanchez | Christopher Brown | Gary Ziroli

Super Dark Collective Singer — Band: Machine Girl – Super Dark Show

Stoked to get to chat with you folks as I have been following you for some time and have seen some amazing shows that you have produced. Can you tell our audience a little bit more about who and what Super Dark Collective is?

Super Dark Collective started in 2014 as a public access TV show on ChannelAlbany & LookTV called Super Dark Home Video. Then in 2017 we began hosting a local music show called Super Dark Radio. That was on WSPN 91.1 FM at Skidmore College. In that same year we started putting together shows in Saratoga Springs at first at One Caroline and when they closed, we moved everything over to Desperate Annie’s.

Super Dark Collective Show — Band: Beyond Peace – Super Dark Show

Over time we have evolved into a creative organization that really focuses on empowering artists of all genres to have the freedom to explore their vision of creativity in a way that has no boundaries or judgment. Our goal is to always present an experience that challenges our audience through the exploration of audio, video, dance, and performance that may not be considered the norm by the majority. During this time, we’ve also produced zines, podcasts, music compilations, a web series and have hosted hundreds of concerts in the Capital Region and New York City.

It’s been strange times indeed for live music but we are now all of a sudden full bore go. How did you manage over the course of the pandemic? Were you in touch with your artists or did you drop into a deep hole like some of us?

Just before the pandemic we had just finished putting together a series of showcases for SXSW in Austin, TX. This was going to be huge for us. We had partnered with Queen of the Scene to produce 14 showcase shows featuring over 120 artists. Once SXSW and other events around the world started being cancelled due to COVID, we were all pretty devastated because we put so much work into SXSW. But we also understood that in the scheme of things, keeping people safe was way more important than a bunch of shows.

The thing is, we still had a lot of momentum going. So we just focused on being productive and positive. We stayed connected with our SXSW artists and played their music and videos on the Super Dark Radio podcast and our web series Super Dark Home Video. We also stayed busy working on our own individual projects, releasing albums and music videos.

What financial impact has this had on the collective and on the musicians you work with?

The biggest impact was definitely losing a handful of important music venues in the area. Luckily Desperate Annie’s survived and we are thrilled to be able to continue our Super Dark Monday concert series there.

Zoom / Twitch / IG LIVE…general thoughts on the state of streaming music during the pandemic and going forward?

Some of us individually participated in others live streams like Basilica 24 Hour Drone (at Home.) However, none of us really had the patience to work out the kinks that went along with hosting live streams on a larger scale (the buffering, learning new interfaces, etc). Instead we focused on resurrecting our public access show Super Dark Home Video and reformatting it into an old school MTV style music video show.

Now that things are loosening up, do you think the way you produce live shows will change?

We are excited that we are returning to Desperate Annie’s in Saratoga Springs with our Super Dark Monday Series. As for change, right before COVID completely shut things down, we were booking three bands for each Monday and Thursday show. For the time being, we are only booking Monday nights with only two bands on the bill. But we definitely plan on having three bands per show, and we are planning on bringing back Super Dark Thursdays as soon as we can. At the moment we are fully booked through November with our Super Dark Monday series, which just goes to show what an amazing scene we have!

What’s the best way for folks to stay in touch about upcoming shows? Anything you want to plug here right now?

We are all over the web! Check us out at the links below. We have a full upcoming Super Dark Monday show listings for July and August on our website. Also, tune in every Thursday Noon – 2PM to Super Dark Radio on WSPN 91.1 FM.

Photo Credit: Brian Lasky

WEB: www.SuperDarkCollective.com
FB: @superdarkcollective
IG: @superdarkcollective
Soundcloud: @super-dark-collective (Show Archive)
Youtube: @SUPERDARKLiveMusic

LIVING ONLINE Series: SIRSY, Indie Pop Rock Duo

May 12, 2021 By Corey Aldrich

First, an intro to SIRSY:

Tell us a little about yourselves. How long have you been doing music together? I think the first time I saw you was at Revolution Hall in Troy NY several years ago…or was that Red Square in Albany? My memory is going!

Sirsy is an indie pop rock duo that’s chock full of soul and sass. I am the lead singer and drummer and I play bass on a sampler keyboard that I play with my drumstick. My other half is my husband Rich who plays guitar and then bass on a keyboard he plays with his feet. We both play piano and we thought about the bass in that way. So, there are not loops that we play along to, it’s all live. And that’s how we’re able to sound like a full band with just the two of us.

Pre-COVID, what would a normal schedule be like for you?

Pre-covid we played 250 (or more) shows per year all over the US and in Canada. (We still need Alaska, but otherwise we’ve played all over the US!) Rich has done the math, and we were averaging about 60,000 miles per year in our little white van “Axl Roads”.

What would you say your proudest moment has been as a band?

We end every live stream with this statement: “Take care of each other”. It’s something our fans have taught us to do in our lives and in our music. I was diagnosed with my second cancer while we were on tour in Tulsa, OK a few years ago. (My doctor called with biopsy results.) I think for me, I am most proud of the way we were able to open ourselves up to our fans and let them know what was happening. We’d always been a bit more guarded before that. (After my first cancer, I didn’t tell the fans until I was ok). Our fans helped us through that dark time and it brought us all closer. For us, making music has always been about human connection through music. Since then, we’ve been honored by hearing our fans’ stories. They’ve told us how the songs we wrote about our experience helped them through tough times of their own. During the pandemic we all took care of each other again…. It’s really been a great life lesson to learn and a great lesson to learn as artists. And we’re very proud and honored to learn that our music and our band can make such a positive impact on others.

How did COVID affect the way you pursue your craft?

We had to pivot to 100% online shows. We started doing shows every Saturday night and called them Sirsy Saturday Night Live Streams. At first it was just us picking a set list and playing live in our basement studio with one camera. By the end of the series, we had 6 cameras (that Rich controlled with another pedal board at his feet), different themes every week, and even comedy sketches and characters we’d created. We’ve amassed quite the collection of wigs! Our fans skyped in with requests. We had shows about fans who had sirsy tattoos. These live streams became a ‘thing’. The coolest gift to come out of it was that we had this community of fans that gathered with us each week and supported not only the band but one another. It was truly a lifeline for all of us. And for those moments, it lessened the weight of the world for all of us.

How did COVID affect your income?

Like everyone else, we are making a lot less money. The good thing is that our fans are incredibly generous and have supported us though this time. Also, our expenses were down quite a bit. I think last April we spent $0 on gas! That was a first. We try not to complain and consider ourselves very lucky to be safe and healthy and to have had a vehicle to make art and connect with our fans.

Whats should we be looking for next from SIRSY?

We have been writing new music like maniacs during the pandemic. So, we hope to release a new record soon. We did release a few new tracks (Astronauts and Hey Disaster). We’ve also been booking shows like crazy. So, we hope to connect with everyone in the flesh very soon!

A longtime ACE Contributor, Corey works out of Troy, New York. He runs a freelance consultancy for all aspects of brand development and business process management / development. Current projects include cash flow analysis, strategic market planning, 3rd party project oversight, public relations, event planning and front end visual brand design / design-build projects. He has a focus in not-for-profit arts and mission oriented organizations. In his free time he works on honing his craft as a photographer and guitarist. (corey@2440designstudio.com)