All good things come to an end, and this week we say goodbye to JC Music Scene.
Jacqueline Smith, a Jersey City resident who launched JC Music Scene five years ago as a gathering place for musicians, artists, venues and entrepreneurs, has announced that she will end the project at the end of August.
When JC MusicScene first started, it quickly became a popular resource on social media, sharing posts about upcoming concerts and events as well as curated playlists of new music from local artists. Smith called it a “branded community.” She even organized several JC Music Scene concerts of her own, brought live music to the Butler Café at Cool Vines wine shop in the powerhouse Arts District, and booked her own nights at local venues. But it all became too much.
“It took a lot of time and energy,” Smith explained. “It’s very difficult to set up a community-based project because you put yourself in a position where everyone is demanding access to you on a daily basis. I’m a crazy person, I respond to every message I get within a day. I can’t possibly say I manage your music community on social media without interacting with all of these people.
“I’ve met so many new people through this and that part that I love,” she continued. “But it’s exhausting. I’m on social media every day, scrolling through my phone every free second looking for shows and information, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I need time for my own relationships and my own interests outside of this project. I think a lot of people assume that JC Music Scene was my full-time job, but that was never the case.”
JC Music Scene began as a gathering place for musicians, artists, venues and entrepreneurs in Jersey City and has evolved into much more.Image courtesy
The project was initially focused on Jersey City, but over time it expanded to include most of North Jersey. And then there were the weekly playlists, a guide to new music from local musicians.
“I was spending time on weekends discovering artists for the playlists and at some point I was like, this is another job,” Smith said. “That was a big part of my burnout. And there’s a political element to all of this too. We’re in a pretty divided era and there are issues with artists being bitter about gentrification and seeing venues close. It’s been tough sometimes to be caught in that crossfire.”
JC Music Scene launched a few months before the COVID pandemic shut down local culture, but the shift to socially distanced entertainment and outdoor venues actually provided Smith with the opportunity to promote her first show at 902 Brewing Company.
“I felt like I was in the right place at the right time, and the first show at the 902, the house was packed,” Smith recalled. “They were turning people away at the door and I was shocked. That was the very first show I ever booked. And then more opportunities came along, like the Cool Vines series and other small places asking me to help them book shows.
“I love booking and introducing different artists that people may not know yet, so that part was a no-brainer for me. Ironically, I was able to be creative throughout the pandemic. I felt very blessed. I was able to connect with people and communicate with them on a daily basis. I didn’t feel as isolated as many others. And then it came to me being asked to help Dancing Tony with Goatchella and some of his other graveyard shows. It was a lot of fun.”
Ironically, JC Music Scene came about almost by accident. Smith had quit her job as a media planner – “I was working 13-hour days and that just wasn’t an option for me,” she says – and needed a project that would not only fill her time but also provide some sort of portfolio for future employers.
“I had been living in Jersey City Heights for two years and it seemed odd to me that everyone I knew was getting on a train to Brooklyn to see bands when so many people on this side of the river were really, really interested and passionate about music and especially art spaces, so it all just came together,” Smith said. “I decided to create a community project on social media. I really wanted to bring people together, but yeah, it was also a creative and emotional outlet for myself at that point, very impulsive. I literally made the decision that day, created a name and JC Music Scene was launched.”
And now it’s over. But first we say goodbye. And thank you.
Jim Testa is on Facebook at facebook.com/Constant-Listener-Jim-Testa-On-Hudson-Music-108591071738628You can also reach him at [email protected].
