Inside Heads Know: An Event Brand Showcasing Underground, Underrepresented And Rising Artists Through … – Forbes

HEADS KNOW attendees at the Nicholas Craven party.
New York City’s nightlife is alive and thriving, with top-tier talents such as Skrillex, Aphex Twin, deadmau5, Kevin Saunderson, Chris Lake, Charlotte de Witte, Green Velvet, Fred again.., Dillon Francis, Carl Cox, Malaa, The Blessed Madonna, Honey Dijon, Excision, Rezz and Black Coffee getting behind the decks at some of the biggest venues the city—and the world—has to offer. While famed headliners grace these acclaimed stages, one may wonder what happens to small artists. Are they getting the same opportunities? Are they being discovered?
When it comes to showcasing underground, underrepresented and rising acts in the city, there is one event company to look to: Heads Know.
The brand officially launched in May 2023, but it threw its inaugural party in December 2022, with Swami Sound and Dazegxd performing at Paragon. The debut event was the first concert the Heads Know founder, Arielle Lana LeJarde, ever curated and produced.
Heads Know has since seen remarkable success by booking impressive names, such as Todd Edwards, Daddy Kev, Nicholas Craven, Ella Hu$$le, TRAXMAN, Machinedrum, Little Snake, JWords, OSSX, Nothing_Neue, Wavy Bagels, Purp, Outtatime, SUPR SPRT, Tha God Fahim, DJ Haram, JEWELSSEA, BODEGAPARTY, DJ Houseplants, LeCamille, Qemist and Neon Nuckles. These sonic creators have performed at SOBs, Paragon, SILO and Bossa Nova Civic Club. The event brand’s next show is Sam Binga performing back-to-back with Bianca Oblivion at Paragon. Tickets are available for purchase via Resident Advisor.
LeJarde says her venture into starting the company began when she was a music blogger interested in inclusive riders, which is when an artist can demand that a number of the other performers are of a certain race, sexuality, gender or other identifier. This led her to think about inclusive lineups and different career paths, which steered her into becoming a booking agent assistant.
“I thought that would be one avenue to do it because if you are a booking agent, you can represent a bunch of women, people of color and disabled artists,” she says. “Then, I got the opportunity to throw a party, and I have been addicted to it ever since then.”
Her previous experience of handling contracts and finances as an assistant booking agent allowed her to learn how to negotiate with artists’ representatives as well as ensure the acts get paid correctly—adding that she believes promoters often lowball artists. Additionally, she gained a distinct perspective on bookings as she was not only a booking agent assistant but also an artist manager and an independent music publicist. “I also knew the lingo of how things [work], so people didn’t think I was just some girl who didn’t know what she was doing,” she says. This vast knowledge well-positioned LeJarde to start the successful event brand.
Her first show sold out and even boasted a line around the block. This accomplishment was aided by her using her Twitter and Instagram handles to promote the event. Her former handles were @ariellenyc, but she had to change them because her Twitter account was suspended. Her original Twitter account became famous from her first viral tweet, which reached the No. 3 spot in a Buzzfeed article. She still promotes the shows under ariellenyc, which is also her deejay name. Her social media accounts prove to be notable as they helped LeJarde be discovered by John Barclay, the owner of Bossa Nova Civic Club and Paragon. He then asked her to throw a party at his venue.
She describes her shows, which mainly have women and people of color on the lineup, as a space where “lots of people are moving.” Heads Know brings together legendary, underground and rising acts as well as fuses genres, such as footwork, IDM, hip-hop and UK garage, to create a thought-out lineup. These well-curated shows have attracted people from out of state, with one concert-goer even flying in from Dallas. No matter who is on the lineup, it is always inclusive.
“I think [inclusivity] is not unique to New York,” LeJarde says. “I think New York is a great space for inclusive lineups, but I think we still do have our own spin on [it]. I think our time is really great on what we know New York wants and is missing in the scene at the moment. Whether it’s footwork because everyone’s doing techno or we’re going to bring IDM because everyone’s in house, we always have something that’s going to be different.”
She adds that it’s essential for the talents to respect the history of dance music. Heads Know does this by honoring the genre’s past, particularly with hip-hop and dance music, because the two are intertwined. Artists who have played Heads Know shows and highlight the history include Daddy Kev, who is known for spinning both hip-hop and electronic music in his sets. The party promoters also book footwork producers since the genre is embedded in sampling hip-hop.
“I think the branding as Heads Know really encompasses what [the history] means,” LeJarde says. “Maybe it is a little bit gatekeeping because we’re creating this sense of FOMO [fear of missing out] of like, ‘Oh do I know? Maybe I should know.’ But it’s not just about do you know who this artist is, do you know what the genre is about, do you know what dance music history is about, do you know how all of these things work together and how are we going to bring that to importance right now.”
A few months into running Heads Know, she brought on Tate Johnson to handle artist liaison, marketing, social strategy and partnerships, completing the necessary pieces of owning a business as the founder manages all of the bookings, location scouting, paperwork and finances. Johnson has extensive experience working in the events industry as well as in product, integrated and experiential marketing. She has done impressive work throughout her career, including conceptualization, creating pitch decks, getting sponsors and being a sponsor, setting up events and working 55 of them a year.
From left to right: Arielle Lana LeJarde and Tate Johnson.
Johnson says she and LeJarde have similar values regarding race, gender, sexuality and other topics, and they wish to champion them through Heads Know. Johnson’s work history, the duo’s matching ethoses and close friendship since 2019 certainly make for an ideal collaboration for the inclusion-focused company.
“I think really having representation—especially in the booking space for people of color, LGBTQIA people and people across the board that are disenfranchised that don’t have as much representation—that’s key to both of our work across the board, whether it be our full-time work [or] our side hustles,” Johnson says. “That’s what we champion.”
LeJarde and Johnson are both women of color and members of the LGBTQIA community. For them, representation means more than just booking diverse talent for their Heads Know shows. It’s about seeing representation throughout the dance music scene and in all aspects of life.
“I will say representation alone is not enough,” Johnson says. “Just seeing someone in places of power, just seeing someone in roles or whatever, I don’t think that’s enough to really tip the scales and change the structures that we deal with on a daily basis. But I think that’s a d*** good start, especially if you put action behind supporting them with money.”
Representation, she adds, is having people in the room who look like you, seeing people on the lineup who look like you and knowing that artists who look like you are getting paid for their work. Johnson says it’s also important to bring a range of minorities into the room so “different types of people coming from all different walks of life” can connect in one space.
LeJarde believes that representation means something different to corporate promoters than it does to Heads Know and other independent promoters. For minorities, it’s more than just being a “token.” While women, Black people, brown folks, trans people, disabled folks and LGBTQIA artists may be included in a space or on a lineup, promoters may not understand that minorities come from different backgrounds and don’t have the same viewpoints as they do. She says it’s crucial to create a safe space for minorities when they enter these situations to avoid them feeling like they don’t belong, their voices won’t be heard and “it’s their blessing to be there.”
“It’s never their blessing or they’re grateful to be there,” LeJarde says. “They deserve to be there, and we want them there. Not just me—the crowd, too.”
Some think the electronic music industry has become more inclusive since 2020. LeJarde thinks this is “definitely not” true in the EDM space, but the dance music space seems better.
EDM and dance music are discussed separately here because EDM mainly refers to big room house and pop-dance music. EDM is a commercialized word, and it neglects all of the nuances of dance music. In this context, EDM is seen as mainstream and may attract large crowds looking to party, while dance music, which respects numerous genres by its naming, tends to bring in fans who are genuinely there for the music and have fostered a community.
While LeJarde says that dance music is somewhat more inclusive than EDM, she thinks it’s “hard for people who are cis and white to understand really what representation and inclusivity means.” She believes that people are trying and doing their best with including diversity, “but unless they have a team that has people of color, women, disabled [0r] trans people, it’s always going to be performative unless they put their team into action.”
Johnson echoes a similar statement, saying that 2020 was “very performative in nature” because while lineups became more inclusive that year, it hasn’t continued, leaving minorities “back in the same place where we were before.” She adds that part of the problem is people taking performative action and simply “checking boxes” to make them look inclusive. Conversely, she says actual inclusion is not just about diversity and the “number of people that are X in the room.” It’s about ensuring the space is inclusive for minorities so they feel comfortable enough to stay.
“I think part of it is doing the work,” she says. “In the space, it’s easy to throw minority groups on lineups. But I think you really show you care when you take the time to think about the history of their catalog. You think about the genres you’re going for when you’re booking. You actually show the artist that you give enough of a f*** about them, their career and their path to curate the lineup appropriately for them and the location you’re in.”
The Todd Edwards HEADS KNOW show.
Johnson says that some lineups in New York City shouldn’t be curated because they don’t respect the city and the artists within the genre.
“We wouldn’t throw a house music party and then not have Black people on it in New York City,” LeJarde says.
The history of dance music is founded on Black, Latino, trans and queer communities, LeJarde says. That needs to be remembered, and it shouldn’t be an afterthought.
“It should always be like, ‘Oh, this is exactly what we’re doing. This is why we’re here,’” she says. “So why aren’t they on your lineups? That’s my question for promoters.”
According to Johnson, “allyship is not a destination.” She says it’s an expedition because it isn’t possible to get to a place in allyship where you believe you’re done and that you’re now an ally. Constant work is necessary, and creating safe spaces takes “real effort and real energy.” She adds that people need to do the research and go “crate digging,” which means sourcing old music records. LeJarde says this is expensive because many pioneers of these genres have died of health issues because they weren’t supported financially for their work. However, it is still necessary.
Johnson says she’s a Black and queer woman, which informs her opinion on what white people can do to be better allies as she is part of two spaces. To this point, she circles back to her statement that people must put in the time and effort to learn. She adds that there may be times when a white person needs feedback to understand what they did or said wrong, and they need to know where they were at fault and what they should do instead.
“I think some of the journey is being able to realize you’re going to make mistakes. It may feel embarrassing, it may feel humiliating, it may be extremely guilt-inducing, but you have to keep pushing through, even in that humility and even in the embarrassing moments,” she says. “I think where people fold a lot is in those moments of uncomfortability, in those moments where they’re stretched and they said the wrong thing or where they did the wrong thing.”
Johnson says it’s important not to get defensive and abandon the situation. Instead, she says white people who seek to be allies need to be willing to step back and vow to be better, work through it and learn more.
LeJarde adds that people working together in these situations to learn more and better understand minorities makes for a community. To her, dance music is not just a scene. It’s a community where people need to learn to care for one another and understand where different people come from. She notes that people are trying to find the things they love and the meaning of various subjects. To her, music is part of that.
“Music might not mean a lot to a lot of people, but I know it means a lot to me, to Tate and to the people who come to our shows,” she says. “It’s not just music or whatever. There is history, and music is a part of what creates the cultural zeitgeist of what’s going to be the future. We’re in history right now, and we’re a part of it. What’s going to be our part in the scene?”
Indeed, LeJarde and Johnson are working hard to positively influence the future of dance music through their diverse lineups, knowledge of the industry’s history, bringing different types of people together at their shows and creating an inclusive and safe space for the artists they book.
Considering Heads Know has been around for less than a year, it’s impressive it has booked shows with notable talent and received support from some of Brooklyn’s hottest venues.
LeJarde says being genuine and being a music journalist has been key to the success of Heads Know. Her work in journalism has given her many connections as people have already seen her byline, know that she cares about the scene and that she’s not writing “for clout” based on the topics she covers. She wants the best for New York City and its dance music scene. Her authentic love for the industry, knowing the right people and being comfortable with being told “no” has helped make her successful today.
“I’m lucky to be in New York City where we’re in a dance and underground dance music haven,” LeJarde says. “I think we’re the most important city in dance music at the moment, and there’s a lot of people to know. But I think what sets me apart and what’s made me a line skipper, I guess, in the scene is people see I really give a s***. I think that’s very rare in an industry in the entertainment industry. They see that I’m passionate about this and that I’ve left my whole comfortable corporate life just to be able to do this.”

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