 by Cyn Collins
If you see live music or listen to the radio, chances are you’ve seen or heard David Campbell—he’s omnipresent on the local music scene. New manager of operations at local label 2024 Records since January, co-host of the award winning local music radio program Homegrown, notorious events emcee, musician (with Accident Clearinghouse and new cover band E..L. No), Dave Campbell is reaching the goal he shares with Phish’s Trey Anastasio, “making my vocation and avocation one.”
 Campbell
began working at 2024 Records after talking with President Nate Roise and label
conspirator Todd Hansen at the Black Forest Inn over beers about the label’s
goals for the future. The two were a perfect match—2024 was looking for
someone who knew what was what in the local scene (something Campbell knows
a thing or two about, seeing between three and nine different band’s sets
each week for the last five plus years), and Campbell (who handled local consignment
at the Electric Fetus Onestop for the previous three years) wanted a job in
which he could better put his passion for local music to work.
After a month on the job, 2024 sent Campbell down to Austin, Texas, for the
giant independent music industry showcase known as South By Southwest (SXSW).
“It was mind-bending,” admits Campbell of his baptism by fire industry
experience. “Most people go down there for the experience of seeing all
these bands in a short period of time. I didn’t have that experience.
It was a seminar for me. Every segment of time that there was any sort of panel
discussion, I was there. It was really exciting.”
Being an effective asset to the bands is very important to Campbell (hence his
willingness to caravan in the company van for 20 hours overnight from Minneapolis
to Austin, sleeping just two hours enroute). “You owe them your time and
energy to help them gain ground and accomplish what they’ve set out to
do,” claims Campbell. “One thing I learned at SXSW is there’s
no end to the amount of time you can put into [working on the record label].
It can always be better. So everything has to be budgeted from a records’
release to your own personal time. You need to know approximately how many records
you can sell to decide how much to invest on the front end. And time’s
the same way. If I put 50 hours a week in at 2024, and have to go play in Accident
Clearinghouse, and have to go practice for that, and . . . God forbid I have
a girlfriend, I’m sure she wouldn’t be too pleased about it either,
after some 70 hours with bands and the job—I’d come home to eat
a bowl of macaroni and cheese and pass out on the couch. What kind of life is
that? You need to have friends too, you need to have recreation, I think just
figuring out how to budget time is a big challenge.”
Even with all the work involved, Campbell couldn’t be happier with his
role at 2024. “Not only do I feel like I have some of the answers to the
problems,” claims Campbell, “but I feel like I help make something
happen.” One of the things he made happen was the Fitzgerald CD release
party for their newest effort, Raised By Wolves. “The place was packed
and everybody had a great time. It couldn’t have gone any better.”
“What I’d like to do is build something here, and 2024 has already
got some momentum. The bands are great and they’re nice people. Hopefully
I can help bring in some more great bands and nice people and we can pop the
bubble that surrounds this community and help get [the great local music scene
here] heard all around the Midwest and all the way to both coasts.”
In addition to his duties at 2024, Campbell has been co-host of the Homegrown
Show (featuring live local music guests and an all local music play list) with
Mei Young for almost eight years. A staple of late night radio on KQRS Sunday
nights at midnight, Campbell’s played smart alecky wisecracker to countless
local music celebs over the years and is optimistic about continuing the tradition
on a new station (the show just moved to Drive 105 two weeks ago) and at an
earlier time slot (Sunday aat 10 p.m.).
Besides the radio and record label, Campbell has acted as master of ceremonies
at innumerable local showcases (First Avenue’s Best New Bands Showcase,
the Turf Club Burrito Bash and the Big Wu Family Reunion at Harmony Park in
Geneva to name just a few).
 “It’s
always fun,” Campbell says of his hosting experiences. “I love being
around people and talking to people. Getting to do goofy stuff on stage ...
last year I wore a pair of chaps with no pants on last year [at the Big Wu’s
family reunion],that was something.”
Campbell’s role of local music scene booster also extends to the realm
of booking. In tandem with Ashtray Hearts front man Dan Richmond, Campbell helped
found Heartbreak & Harmony nights around town as a showcase for great (mostly
local) roots-based music. Renowned booker Rob Rule gave Dave Campbell his start
in booking Heartbreak & Harmony nights at the Turf Club. “Rob Rule,
Dave, Leah, Raleigh, and John. . . all those guys were so nice to me,”
recalls Campbell of his first steps into the booking world. “When I first
came to Rob about doing the Heartbreak & Harmony thing, Rob’s like,
‘Alright! We’ll give you a date. What bands do you have?’
The first one went off and the place filled with people. The next time he didn’t
even need band names. The Turf staff was totally supportive! Leah even made
t-shirts.”
With a new Accident Clearinghouse album in the works, Homegrown in a primo timeslot
and plenty of excitement still on the way at 2024 Records for the remainder
of 2005, it’s clear Campbell’s impact on the local music scene will
continue to be felt in the years ahead.
“This is a great town for music,” says Campbell reflecting on his
place in the community. “There are tons of great bands, tons of nice people,
tons of clubs. It’s like a playground for me, I love being a part of it.”
To learn more about David Campbell related projects check
out 2024records.com
and AccidentClearinghouse.com.
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