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A New San Francisco Music Week Wants to Boost Local Industry

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Ghazi poses on a red carpet wearing a jacket with a letter "G" and sunglasses.
Empire founder Ghazi at the Billboard Power 100 Event in Hollywood on Jan. 31, 2024. Ghazi will lead a keynote conversation as part of the inaugural San Francisco Music Week on Feb. 28, 2025. (Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)

There are few Bay Area artists who’ve reached the stratospheres of commercial success without moving away from home. The Bay has a small, proudly independent ecosystem of labels and distributors. But — with the notable exception of San Francisco powerhouse Empire, which now has divisions on several continents, and has put out smash hits like Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — New York and Los Angeles are where the major players are.

Today, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a new effort to support the city’s homegrown music industry. San Francisco Music Week gets underway Feb. 24–March 2, and features performances, workshops, panels, studio tours and an industry summit on Feb. 28 that will feature a keynote conversation with Empire founder Ghazi.

La Doña, who’s captured a national fan base with an expansive sound rooted in San Francisco pride and grassroots activism, will also join the summit, in addition to punk rock veteran Penelope Houston and nu-disco singer Austin Waz (who also does the booking at San Francisco bar Kilowatt). Also lending their expertise are promoters DJ Dials and Aaron Axelsen; independent venue advocate Dan Strachota of Rickshaw Stop; entertainment attorney Michael Aczon; and Michelle Swing of Noise Pop, Allen Scott of Another Planet Entertainment (which puts on Outside Lands) and Danny Bell of Goldenvoice (the company behind Coachella that operates several San Francisco venues).

San Francisco Music Week coincides with the annual 10-day music festival Noise Pop, which co-presents the event along with the city-sponsored production outfit SF Live (a key promoter behind last year’s free concert boom).

With San Francisco Music Week, Lurie, who took office earlier this month, builds upon his predecessor London Breed’s strategy of supporting the arts to stimulate the local economy.

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“[San Francisco Music Week] is more than just an event; it’s a platform to spark meaningful partnerships and conversations that will help unlock opportunities for local music’s future growth,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, executive director of the Office of Economic & Workforce Development, in a statement. “San Francisco’s creative industries are a critical part of our local economy, and this initiative reaffirms our status as a top-tier music city.”

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