I’m the founder of The Drop PHX. My background is in IT, and before this I had no experience running a music venue or booking DJs. I came into it as someone who loved electronic music and the community around it.
We built a 4,700-square-foot space with sound, lighting, lasers, different areas to explore, and a ball pit. I thought that if we made the place interesting enough, people would find it.
That was my biggest mistake.
Phoenix has an amazing electronic music scene. I’ve counted nights with 17 events happening at once, some with major DJs. Being a new venue in that mix is tough. We can have a quiet night where I’m questioning everything, then have 150 people in the building the next day.
Building the space and building a consistent crowd have turned out to be two very different jobs.
What keeps me going is hearing someone say, “How did I not know this place existed?” and watching strangers connect through music. Those moments are what I hoped we could create. I’m still figuring out how to make the business side work consistently.
For people involved in Phoenix music, whether you’re an artist, promoter, venue staff member, or regular, what has helped a new room become somewhere people return to? How much comes down to the lineup, and how much comes from the community around the space?
