Peter Shapiro Named Chair Of Headcount’s Board Of Directors
Previous Co-Chair Marc Brownstein Named “Founder, Chairman Emeritus,” while Andy Bernstein remains Executive Director
Read News Via Rolling Stone
Independent music entrepreneur Peter Shapiro has been named Chair of the Board of Directors of HeadCount, the non-profit, non-partisan voter mobilization organization seen registering voters at thousands of live music events each year.
Read more via Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pete-shapiro-headcount-2020-election-856251/
Shapiro has been a member of HeadCount’s board of directors since the organization was formed in 2004. He begins a four-year term as board chair just as the ramp-up for the 2020 Presidential election begins.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help recruit the next generation of voters and political leaders,” Shapiro said. “HeadCount is one of the leading youth-oriented political engagement organizations in America, so becoming Chair of the Board is a great honor and responsibility. I look forward to helping push things to the next level.”
Shapiro’s eclectic career path has encompassed a range of celebrated projects, from operating the iconic rock club Wetlands Preserve in New York City to opening multiple Brooklyn Bowls and the restoration of Port Chester, NY’s Capitol Theatre. In July 2015, Shapiro created Fare Thee Well, Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead.
HeadCount sits at the nexus of music, culture and democratic participation. It has registered nearly 600,000 voters at concerts and via its website, HeadCount.org, and has more than 30,000 volunteers nationwide. Those volunteers can currently be seen registering voters on Ariana Grande’s Sweetener tour as well as tours by Billie Eilish, Death Cab for Cutie, and Dave Matthews Band.
This June, HeadCount set an organization-record, registering close to 1,400 voters in just one weekend at Bonnaroo.
Their goal is to register another 200,000 voters by next November and help turn out one million young voters by providing information and election reminders. HeadCount also manages “Participation Row” activism villages on the current Dead & Company tour and the upcoming LOCKN’ Festival, which is produced by Shapiro.
HeadCount’s Chair position had been shared by co-founders Marc Brownstein, bass player of the electronic rock band The Disco Biscuits, and former journalist Andy Bernstein, who is the organization’s executive director.
“It’s an honor to pass the reins to my friend of more than 20 years,” said Brownstein, who remains a member of the HeadCount Board of Directors and will now have the title of “Founder, Chairman Emeritus.”
Bernstein, who has been executive director since 2008, added that “Collaborations with Pete Shapiro have always been integral to how HeadCount achieves its mission. With Pete now in the Chair role, we will tap into both his creativity and his vast professional network like never before.”
The HeadCount board of directors also includes Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, John McCrea of CAKE, Kam Franklin of the Suffers, TicketFly Founder Andrew Dreskin, AEG Live promoter Don Strasburg, and former White House official Alyssa Mastromonaco, among others.
Contact:
Nisonco: Zane Bader, zane@nisonco.com, 470-342-5440
ABOUT PETER SHAPIRO
Peter Shapiro has been an entrepreneur and innovator in live entertainment for 25 years. He is the founder of Dayglo Ventures, which is the principal owner and operator of Brooklyn Bowl, The Capitol Theatre, Lockn’ Music Festival, Relix Magazine, The Rock & Roll Playhouse, Garcia’s and Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead which was the largest concert event headlined by one band ever held in America. Shapiro made his name as the owner of Wetlands, a landmark music venue in lower Manhattan that blended social activism and live performance in a single environment. He has also been active in cutting edge projects that combine film, music and large formats, including U23D (the first live action film shot in Digital 3D), Jazz & Colors, The Women’s March, The Jammy Awards, The Climate Rally, The March For Science, among others. Shapiro is on the Board of Directors of HeadCount, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum, New York Public Radio, and City Parks Foundation. Longtime music writer Joel Selvin said of Shapiro, “He is the single most important concert promoter of his day.”
Contact:
Shore Fire Media: Nina Lee, nlee@shorefire.com, 718-522-7171
ABOUT HEADCOUNT
HeadCount harnesses the power of music to drive social change. Since 2004, HeadCount has registered over 580,000 voters, and helped organize various initiatives in the live music community to promote civic participation. In their role as the organizing arm of the live music scene, HeadCount has hosted activism villages at over 100 concerts & festivals and has raised close to $10 million for other music-industry non-profits. With 30,000 volunteers, street teams in most major U.S. cities and affiliations with over 200 touring musicians, HeadCount ranks as one of the largest and most active music-based non-profit organizations in America.