SSSB Student Jon Perl Manages Blue Fringe (and Others) to the Top

When a friend at the University of Pennsylvania asked Jon Perl, SSSB '04, to find a band to play at a local shabbaton, Perl knew that he could pull it off. What he didn't realize was that he was about to launch what is now one of the biggest acts in Jewish music: Blue Fringe.

But Perl was already no stranger to the Jewish music scene, having managed and produced shows since he was only fifteen. He started off runing an informal technical production company, which acts would hire to handle their shows' lighting and background concerns. As word of his technical prowess grew, he found himself in demand, and began to look for ways to become more of an integral part of each show. Perl soon found that even the biggest names in Jewish music, such as Avraham Fried, did not have official managers. "I think this works to their disadvantage," says Perl. "They don't have anyone willing to sit on the phone, make the calls, and take the rejection. Sometimes it can take months to set up a show, and musicians aren't usually businessmen."

But Perl yearned to meet this new challenge head-on. "When I was just starting out, I was inexperienced, and it was hard. There was a lot of rejection, a lot of time, and a lot of work. But for some reason, I just loved doing it," he says.

Perl began working to book shows for various Jewish musicians on a commission basis. Organizations and venues started calling him when they wanted to put on a show. They would tell Perl what kind of music they were looking for and he would line up the performers. He has arranged and/or produced shows for Dedi, Avraham Fried, Shloime Dachs, Shalsheles, Yisroel Williger, Mendy Wald, Soulfarm, Blue Fringe and many others.

While attending yeshiva in Israel, Perl managed Reva L' Sheva's American business concerns. Almost all of the work was done over the phone, so the distance posed few problems. When he returned from Israel, he would be instrumental Blue Fringe's formation.

After receiving the call from his friend at the University of Pennsylvania, Perl sought out Dov Rosenblatt, YC, '04, a classmate from elementary school in Maryland. They put together the band of four YU students in about two weeks, and "it just worked," according to Perl. The band was initially named "Tip the Band," but when it became clear that they would continue to play together, they decided to change the name. They chose Blue Fringe because it was a name whose meaning would be obvious to Jews yet was not obviously Jewish. This would allow Blue Fringe to play both secular and Jewish venues.

Blue Fringe toured for about a year and a half before releasing their debut album. Their music is distributed in North America by Sameach Music, the largest distributor for the Orthodox market. Sameach initially discouraged Perl and the band from producing and releasing a CD, having seen so many great bands wind up $50,000 in debt and sluggish sales. But Blue Fringe persisted, recorded "My Awakening," and Sameach agreed to take 500 copies on consignment, for distribution in their 400 outlets. The recording was released in June of 2003. Nachum Segal played it on the radio, and Adam Melzer (of The Neginah Orchestra) helped promote the album.

Sameach Music sold out within a week, and called Perl to order another 1,000 copies. All 3,000 copies that the band had pressed were sold within six weeks. Today, less than a year after the initial release, My Awakening has sold over 10,000 copies.

Blue Fringe's success has made it much easier to find gigs for the band. Initially, Perl had to actively hunt down each show, since there was not yet any repeat business. But now, many of the venues call him when they are considering hosting a show. Blue Fringe has already toured extensively, and has upcoming shows in Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. A summer world tour is in the works, with dates in at least twelve cities in Europe, South Africa, Israel and Australia. The band plans to record and release their sophomore album by the end of the summer.

Perl continues to book shows for other bands while juggling the many tasks of managing Blue Fringe. He recently signed on as Soulfarm's official manager, and other bands have asked him to direct their business ventures. Perl is unfazed by the possibility of conflict of interest. "What's beautiful about our scene is that we really don't view each other as competition. With more groups playing music that is fairly similar stylistically, it makes things better for everybody. You widen the appeal of the genre, and there are more shows. Everybody wins."

Perl personally attends each show that he produces, making sure that the sound and lighting are operating properly. He is responsible for finding somebody to handle the technical aspects of shows played outside of the New York area. He assembles and distributes press kits, and co-ordinates public relations activities.

Jon Perl will graduate Yeshiva this May with a degree in finance. He is in the process of officially forming a corporation, Perl Productions, LLC, which will soon open an office downtown. Perl envisions a career for himself in music management and production, and does not plan on entering the field of finance. "If my dream as a music producer doesn't work out, maybe I'll end up doing that," he says, "but right now it looks like I'm going to follow through on the dream."