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THE BIG 250<br />
By Robert Sentinery<br />
BUZZ<br />
This month marks an important milestone in JAVA’s history—our 250th<br />
edition. Over the past 20-plus years, so much has changed in the Valley.<br />
The magazine started in downtown Tempe in the mid-’90s, the epicenter of<br />
Valley subculture at the time, then relocated to Phoenix about 10 years<br />
ago to be closer to downtown’s cultural renaissance. We’ve covered this<br />
city’s evolution over the years and watched the Phoenix creative community<br />
really step up to help build it.<br />
What goes around comes around. A little over 10 years ago, we met<br />
a photographer named Jesse Rieser who was fresh out of art school. We<br />
took a chance and gave him his first publication opportunity. The shoot<br />
came out fantastic, and Rieser’s career has been on a stellar trajectory ever<br />
since. He has won a slew of awards both nationally and internationally, has<br />
been published all over the globe, including by the New York Times, and in<br />
2011 was named one of the Art Directors Club’s (ADC) “Young Guns”: the<br />
top 50 international creatives under 30. Rieser was ranked number nine—<br />
not bad for a kid from Missouri who grew up with a love for the gridiron<br />
(playing football) as well as working in the darkroom (see “Jesse Rieser:<br />
Photographic Prophecy,” p. 8).<br />
One of JAVA’s missions is to feature the people who’ve helped shape this<br />
town—the pioneers who’ve stuck to their guns and carved out a niche.<br />
Danny Zelisko has been bringing world-class musical talent to this city since<br />
the early ’70s. His venerable Evening Star Productions was the biggest<br />
player in town until Zelisko got an offer he couldn’t refuse and sold it off (it<br />
eventually became part of industry giant Live Nation).<br />
It takes a certain kind of person to deal with the enormous risk/reward that<br />
comes in the concert promotions game: nerves of steel and a gambler’s<br />
instinct. Zelisko couldn’t stop doing what came naturally, so he eventually<br />
started DZP (Danny Zelisko Presents). With his industry connections and<br />
unstoppable personality, he has gained a leg up on the competition, and now<br />
DZP produces more than 100 shows each year, featuring top-tier artists (see<br />
“Legendary Music Promoter Danny Zelisko,” p. 12).<br />
Besides looking back, JAVA also prides itself on finding the best up-andcoming<br />
talent that will shape this town for years to come. This month,<br />
we’ve selected four of the most dynamic bands on the verge. The Phoenix<br />
music scene is an incubator that is nurturing an incredible range of styles<br />
and genres. While it may be just under the radar, it is only a matter of time<br />
before the record labels descend and our innovative bands start getting signed<br />
(see “Four Bands to Watch: A Dispatch from the Phoenix Rock Scene,” p. 34).
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