BY EDWARD ARRIAZA
earriaza@westfairinc.com
Transactional real estate attorney and Larchmont resident Doug Panero has taken his love of music and concerts to the next level, organizing concerts for artists he feels have immense talent but are perhaps overlooked by the
general population.
Since 2014, Panero’s concert production company and one-man operation, Doug Panero Presents, has helped to organize concerts in “official” venues in White Plains and Yonkers that have attracted many audience members, but Panero first began holding concerts at his home beginning in late 2010.
“I really had no concert production experience until that first house concert. I was really strictly an audience member and a music lover.” Panero said, recalling those early days holding concerts in his household.
“I soon found that there was a lot of talent out there that just wasn't getting the attention it needed. So, when I did my first house concert, I said, ‘Well, this artist is tremendous, I think people would enjoy this music. So, it was really a matter of just taking what I did for fun and drawing on all those contacts and artists who I had come to know, and tapping them and finding out if they would be interested in doing a house show.”
Panero’s background in law has helped him in approaching agents and signing deals. That many artists in the music industry often have side projects or are part of other bands makes searching for talent and establishing connections a little easier for Panero, Over the years, he has worked with artists such as John Fulbright, Kenny White, Shayna Steel, Smash Mouth and Sammy Miller and the Congregation.
These days, Panero, with the help of various organizations, produces two free concert series. Music in the Streets is produced in collaboration with Ridge Hill shopping center in Yonkers and will feature performances throughout July by Gentleman Brawlers as well as Carlitos Padron and Rumberos del Callejon, among others. Tunes in June is held at White Plains Plaza and I produced in collaboration with the White Plains Business Improvement District, Argent Ventures, and Cushman & Wakefield.
Also in White Plains and produced with the White Plains Business Improvement District is the Rock White Plains event featuring Spin Doctors and Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, which will be held on Mamaroneck Avenue on July 26.
Doug Panero Presents sets itself apart from other concert production companies because of the high quality of curation, according to Panero.
“When a music goer is looking at that calendar, how do you know what to go to? How do you know what's good, unless you're really in deep like I am in music? There are too many choices,” he said.
“What I do, I hope, is make it easy for people. First, I think I have a very good ear. Some of the house concerts I had early on were of artists who, at that point, were relatively unknown and went on to get nominated for and win Grammys. So, I really don't mess around with the talent.”
Looking ahead, Panero is also considering expanding his concert work into other months and doing shows in New York City. ‘Over time, Panero also wishes to make himself “very busy with music” by decreasing the amount of time spent practicing law and putting more time into producing concerts.
‘That said, Panero is grateful for what his “day job” has afforded him, observing how it has made him “successful enough that Tye raised four kids, and its given me the opportunity, since I am independent that way, to free up vast amounts of time to do the music work”