San Francisco based Listed is celebrating 10 years of showcasing some of the most unforgettable events in the industry. From Tikki boats to Brooklyn’s underground, Listed always delivers inspiring and cutting-edge lineups that balance emerging talent with top artists in the circuit, always aiming to create a warm and intimate vibe for its guests.
An important part of their success is well defined in their motto as her founder Gunita Nagpaul points out; “We strive to make the partygoer as important as the headliner because we think the experience matters. We add personal touches to foster -ridiculous fun for ridiculous people- creating a communal atmosphere that’s long been forgotten in the dance music scene.”
If you’ve never been to a Listed event you are missing out big time. There is a positive flow of energy that travels throughout carrying a delightful smile of satisfaction. The music selection goes in hand with quality of the sound systems; something that has brought the likes of important labels like Cityfox, Mobilee, Get Physical, Diynamic, Sublevel, Cecille and Oslo to share the dancefloor with Listed’s partygoers while bringing the best of what they can deliver.
For Listed’s 10 years anniversary, they are hosting the concept party “PLAY” at one of New York’s most respected clubs, Output. The PLAY concept was developed with the idea that the playground of youth revolves around fun, frolic and pure exuberance. The PLAY mantra is as follows “PLAY is a celebration that goes back to that pleasure from our childhood, Recess! “PLAY is all the fun you aren’t supposed to be having because you’re supposedly grown up now with all the kids you shouldn’t hang out with but they’re too much fun not to. And all the music that makes you glad you’ve grown up … a little.”
This special occasion has a unique lineup headlined by Nico Stojan who will be playing b2b with Manjumasi’s Atish, Dubtribe Sound System, Lonely Boy, and locals Muff & Mykola. The Panther Room will host Desert Hearts golden boy Mikey Lion alongside Concret and a Special Guest we can’t tell you about.
We had the chance to speak with Gunita about Listed’s Anniversary at Output. Here’s what she had to say…
Electronic Groove: Hi Gunita, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. So after 10 years of non-stop events, what has been the hardest thing to overcome?
Gunita Nagpaul: Basically just keeping things going and staying excited about them as well as keeping others excited about them. It is easy to get jaded and tired but the community keeps me going. It is always a great challenge to pull off something that is memorable with vibe.
If an event does not go as planned or intended it can be hard to overcome as well. I think because I put so much thought into everything I do at Listed that if I don’t achieve the vibe I want at the event it becomes unsatisfying for me and I can’t enjoy it. I can always tell if the vibe is on and it feels right as it comes instinctual to me.
The electronic music landscape has evolved and sometimes I think it’s for the worse and sometimes the better depending on how you look at it. The underground scene is not what it used to be. Artists that once were affordable, enthusiastic and more excited to play are now more concerned about their image, fee, billing and slot times. I also think it’s a shame that we have to stack so many artists on one line-up rather than appreciating a DJ from start to finish. The other side of this is that things have to evolve and it’s great to see the scene explode and artists that we have grown fond of over the years now have a chance at getting paid for their dedication to the art form.
Electronic Groove: How do you keep a creative thinking with so many yearly events?
Gunita Nagpaul: Creative Thinking is always just part of my process at Listed. I love to create memorable experiences and that is the one thing that has never changed for me. It’s the cornerstone of Listed and has always been about creating whether it is the marketing artwork, the space itself, sound and lighting choices, the musical lineup or even the crowd that gets assembled.
Electronic Groove: The PLAY concept has had a huge success. Is there a different approach to it compared to other projects like Cityfox?
Gunita Nagpaul: Over my years of running Listed, I have been lucky enough to work on so many different projects and ideas. Some of my favorites being the Tikki Series, Love Evolution, Get Weird, The Lovelee Party and The Cityfox Experience. The Cityfox Experience is what I would call a multi sensory experience. It is the biggest proper underground rave you have been to or want to go to with very well executed production. Despite the setbacks, we are proud of the impact it has had on the scene in North America.
In the end, the details matter on every level with Cityfox as it does with Listed. The PLAY concept is really an interpretation of what an event I think should look like or feel like. It’s still a work in progress. I want the event to feel intimate, not too serious but more playful and colorful, relaxing and thought provoking with a great decor aesthetic, a diverse collection of people all connecting on ideas and thoughts, great sound and lighting and most importantly well curated music as the backdrop. The idea of PLAY started at The Endup when we were looking to rehab the image of the space so it felt more like a Playground for adults. We worked with a renown creative team called So&So to help us with the idea. The “We” I am talking about is my partner Simar Singh who also heads up strategy and marketing for Cityfox.
When we started the events at The Endup, the event lasted 2 1/2 years and we had so many amazing artists play, great vibes and some really good times. The idea was to continue the events at the Mirage but on a larger scale and beyond with an aesthetic and production behind it and continue to do PLAY satellite parties around America. It was a concept that Listed would present everywhere. We will take the PLAY idea on the road as part of 10 Years of Listed finishing by the year-end. I already have potential dates lined up in LA, SF, Miami, Playa Del Carmen and hopefully stops in Detroit, Seattle and Denver.
Electronic Groove: Where do you see Listed in the next 10 years?
Gunita Nagpaul: I hope to expand my booking agency and still curate and develop artists I believe in and feel connected with. My lifelong goal is to take Listed to India my homeland/birthplace whether it is in the form of a party, festival or even just a showcase of all the artists on my roster. Maybe even a Listed Music Label, Artist management company and a fashion line. The sky is the limit as far as I am concerned.
Electronic Groove: How has the support from Electronic Groove influenced Listed events?
Gunita Nagpaul: EG has been an amazing support to us throughout our growth, covering us since we started doing events in the mid 2000’s in Miami. Providing us coverage via their podcast series, video interviews and featured press/reviews of our events and artists. They have continually featured and recommended our events for years helping us extend our base beyond. We have also seen them grow and we are happy to keep this amazing relationship going. Their passion for the underground electronic music scene parallels ours and is unwavering, which is something I respect.
Electronic Groove: What was the thinking behind the anniversary lineup at Output?
Gunita Nagpaul: Actually the line-up was created for the Brooklyn Mirage where we had an outdoor and indoor space. I had lot more artists on the original line-up since the party would have started earlier outside but I had to modify it. I decided to move forward with it rather than completely cancel it. For the first rendition, I had the entire Deserts Hearts crew, Listed artist Dory and Ben Annand along with Nitin from No. 19 but decided to save them for the next PLAY when we return to the Mirage.
To keep things very Listed, I decided to feature Atish and Nico Stojan and debuting a new Italian Mexican artist named Concret which you should hear more about over time. Mikey Lion will do a fine job representing from the DH camp. Dubtribe Sound System Live performance is one of my favorites of all time. They just drum up so much energy and good vibes that it’s a no brainer to book them and they got their start in SF where I reside. Lonely Boy (live) has been involved in the LA music scene djing and producing for a host of labels for quite sometime but his new live project is definitely taking on a life of its own and I think will be a performance to remember. Muffs & Mykola are some great locals that I keep hearing about and thought it would be nice to have them warm things up. The Special Guest you will just have to see. Very excited about this line-up!
The idea was to have three PLAY events this year at the Mirage space all with very different line-ups but all a reflection of Listed’s diverse taste in dance music -featuring upcoming artists, locals and known talent as well. Quality is Quality no matter the style of music. The 1st party we also had to move to Output which included Anja Schneider, Steve Bug, Doc Martin, Jozif, Matt Tolfrey, Eli Verviene, Nikita and Navbox, removing 3 other artists as well from the original line-up. The third event may still happen at the Mirage in November if all things align for us and it will continue into 2017.
Photo credit : Richard Henry Thomas, Skyler Green, Natalie Freilich
Click here for to get your tickets for Listed’s 10 years Anniversary Event at Output
