Meet Nicole LaRae from Grand Rapids, MI. Nicole heads up booking and is the venue manager at The Pyramid Scheme. This music industry badass is also the owner of Dizzybird Records. Since 2011, Nicole has felt a strong sense of community within her long-standing team at The Pyramid Scheme.
Read below Nicole’s answers to what she loves about her venue, why she’s involved in live music, and why she thought it was important to get The Pyramid Scheme involved with Independent Venue Week.
Visit The Pyramid Scheme during Independent Venue Week July 11, 12, and 13 when they host Gringo Star, Club 911 + Top of The Rock : Reunion Party, and Spotlights with Vampyre.
What’s your favorite thing about working at your venue?
It’s home. We’ve been at it since 2011 and have not looked back. There’s a strong sense of community here, especially within our team. We have a very low turnover rate when it comes to staff and most of us have been here since the very beginning – we are family now – we watch out for each other, cheer each other on and enjoy working together (well, most of the time) 😉
Why did you get into live music?
Live music connects us all – it allows us to come together in the same space and leave the outside world behind. I realized this from my very first concert and have been mesmerized by it ever since. I’m in awe of those who can pour their heart into their songs and then share them with the world – there’s so much beauty in that. When you have a room full of people from all different backgrounds singing every word to a song – its pure magic. I’m pretty sure that’s how goosebumps were invented
What’s does it mean for you to run an independent venue?
It means community, freedom, and connection. In addition to the nationally touring artists, we host a lot of local events including community meetings, rallies, yoga, gaming tournaments and more. We feel connected to our neighborhood and city and the people here and I don’t think we could do that as well as we do if we weren’t an independent space. We are free to program what we want – when we want
Why did you get involved in Independent Venue Week?
Our independent venues need spotlighting as more spaces are being occupied by corporate interests. Independent spaces care so much about the details, the artists, the fans and staff because they interact with all of these groups on a personal level every single day. I’ve been reading about other venues on the IVV website and have been learning so much! It’s nice knowing we aren’t alone out here!
