The Glossary: Steven Klavier | Booker, Signal & Paragon
With over 15 years of experience, Steven Klavier has been a driving force in New York City’s nightlife scene since the late 2000s. He began his career as a promoter, hosting his own parties in downtown Manhattan at venues such as Le Bain, The Griffin, Gallery Bar, and Hotel Chantelle. During this time, he also worked as an assistant to singer-songwriter MNDR and as a booking agent for DJ Cosmo Baker.
Steven soon became a central figure in the emerging Brooklyn scene, producing after-hours and warehouse events that eventually led to operations and programming roles at Verboten and House of Yes. As a managing partner, he helped shape House of Yes into an internationally recognized brand before taking on a leadership role at Avant Gardner/Brooklyn Mirage in 2018.
Since 2022, Steven has focused on programming and consulting for forward-thinking venues including Public Records in Gowanus, Silo, and Bushwick’s techno hub Paragon. Most recently, he was appointed Programming Director at Signal, one of Brooklyn’s most exciting new underground venues.
Beyond nightlife, Steven is also a charting house music vocalist and songwriter, collaborating with artists such as Moon Boots, Kenny Dope, Midland, Eli Escobar, Byron the Aquarius, Dee Diggs, Paurro, and Tama Sumo & Lakuti.
We caught up New York-based electronic music multi-hyphenate Steven Klavier ahead of his appearance at Doors Open UNLOCKED: Careers to gain his insights and get the lowdown on his many roles within the NYC electronic music scene.
What is your role in music and what does your day to day look like?
I wear a variety of hats. These days I’m mostly focused on programming as well as consulting and strategy for nightclubs and promoters. On the programming side, communicating daily with artists and agents, researching, and digging into mixes. The pace is fast, it feels like a non-stop race to fill the calendar. On the consulting side, it’s meetings, brainstorming the big picture, and problem solving that sometimes feels like full on crisis management. I’m also a singer and songwriter in dance music, and when I’m lucky and have the time, I get to work with some amazing artists and producers.
How did you get into your line of work?
When I moved to NYC in 2007, I had a corporate job. I knew I wanted to work in music but didn’t know how. I started throwing parties in my Bushwick loft, which eventually led to working as a promoter in Manhattan in the late 2000s. I was hosting up to five parties a week in LES lounges with my friend Alexander Jackson (aka DK Scrap). As things shifted to Brooklyn, I started throwing warehouse parties with local talent and after hours on Grand St.
During that period I also worked as an assistant to singer/songwriter MNDR and became booking manager for DJ Cosmo Baker. These opportunities gave me perspective from the artist side and opened doors in the larger music ecosystem. They also showed me how to be an intermediary with larger record labels.
By 2014, Verboten opened and I started working the door. I worked my way up to manager quickly and pushed relentlessly for more responsibility in the booking office. Eventually, I landed an admin role redlining agency contracts, my first real exposure to the wider agency world. From there, I started doing my own bookings.
What skills are important in your job?
You need strength and the ability to stay calm in the chaos and thrive under pressure. Patience is key, as is dealing with all sorts of egos and personalities without letting it throw you off. You need knowledge of the myriad of artist and agent etiquettes as well as legalities & actual city ordinances for club safety & function. You’re going to hear “no” a lot. You need to be able to handle it and keep moving.
If someone is excited to do what you do, what advice would you give them?
Be part of the community, you won’t get far sitting at home giving hot takes on X. Many of the programming jobs I’ve landed came because I was already working at the club in another role, delivering and going above and beyond.
Honestly, I don’t think anyone should be involved with bookings unless they’ve worked clubs or events in some other capacity. If you’re totally new and want to get into programming, remember every job teaches you something invaluable. I’ve worked nearly every job in a nightclub, barback, bartender, door, management, marketing. Each role gave me a comprehensive understanding of how the energy and business of clubs and parties actually work. That knowledge is crucial when you’re on the creative side. At the end of the day, everything in nightlife is creative. All parts come together to create the fantasy. Special things happen when you holistically intertwine it all. Take every opportunity you get, and learn everything you can from it.
What have you found surprising about your role?
How beautifully resilient so many of us are. It’s a hard industry to survive in long-term, and New York has a very particular way of throwing punches. I’m constantly inspired by the lifers who’ve kept going for 20 to 30 years simply because it’s what they love and what they know.
What are your top 3 tips for someone who wants to work in the music industry in general?
Work with ethos and integrity. Show up and be professional 100% of the time. Be unwavering in your commitment to the community and the work in front of you, even if the people around you don’t share those values. People remember how you treated them, act accordingly. Support things you believe in even if they’re smaller. Do things for the art, and also advocate for yourself and others to be properly compensated when something comes along that scales larger and hits bigger.
Know who you are and what you want to do. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but the truth is, successful people create their own universes. The people who resonate with what you’re doing will show up. Don’t get caught in the noise of other people’s opinions. Stay focused on your vision and keep your head in a positive place. You can’t create magic if you’re drowning in negativity.
Learn work/life balance. Make space for life outside the industry. Touch grass, be in nature. If you don’t set boundaries, the work can consume your life. Take care of your health and prioritize sleep. In the beginning, you may be able to run on little rest, but if you want to be in this long term, you’ll have to choose a healthier path.
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