Meet Joseph Copeland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Copeland.

Hi Joseph, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Being born and raised in Nashville the music scene has always been a part of me. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s everyone went to shows because that was the thing to do. It never mattered who was playing, it was just the spot to hang out. Bands like Silent Friction, Silent Movie Geek, Esposito, Point of You, Submethod, Scatter the Ashes, and Born Empty were crushing it at the time. But the fact that people were there to have fun rather than just see a band made the shows high energy. Fast forward to 2010 and watching everyone look like they were forced to be at the show, I felt like I had to change the music scene for local artists. I started JoCo Shows in 2012 and that same year I went to my friends Rate and Coach Michael Jackson Vs Prince DJ night. It was so much fun and as I was talking to them I told them that they should do this full band. Coach looked at me and said “You should do this full band.” So I did. I put together the very first VS show at Mercy Lounge Ft Alana Royale, Luthi, SikWit, The Almanacks, and more. I was expecting maybe 50 or 60 people to show and to my surprise, it almost sold out. It was so much fun and everyone was thrilled to be there. During the night, someone asked me what the next one was going to be. I never thought about it but without hesitation, I said Nirvana Vs Foo Fighters. And that was the start of VS shows and what launched JoCo Shows.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was a smooth road and a lot of fun helping local artists get a crowd in front of them but then Covid crushed my momentum and live music in general. I feel like I am starting from scratch again.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since Covid, I took over Emo Night Nashville with one of my best friends Spencer Nickel. We have curated the night DJing all of your favorite Emo, Pop Punk, and Screami bangers while creating a safe and accepting space. It has become a family for sure. That has led us to do our huge ticketed event at Marathon Music Works with Nashville is the Reason where we get guest artists who we have been looking up to our whole life like Max Bemis, Kenny Vasoli, Matt Thiesen, Aaron Gillespie, LIT, William Beckett, Ryan Key, and many more. These nights are special to me because I also get to book local artists on the bill to cover some of the Emo bangers with The Emo Band backing them and putting them in front of 1500 people.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I can’t say that there are. It is all about the music for me. Discovering new music, new local artists by going to shows, connecting with the fans and making them feel like family, and being real and in the moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: Emonightnashville.com
• Instagram: JoCo_Shows Emonightnashville