Dream Job: Benji Bloom, Programming and Booking Assistant, Dakota

Article by Becky Fillinger

When you’re joining your fifth Zoom meeting of the day, and considering monthly sales pipeline quotas, think about the dream job held by Benji Bloom – Programming and Booking Assistant at the Dakota! We talked to Benji about how he goes about planning the Dakota’s music calendar and what it’s like to work at a legendary venue.

Benji Bloom

Q:  Your LinkedIn profile mentions that you’re adept at analyzing trends and human behavior as it relates to pop/urban culture. Please tell us more about how you acquired this skill and how you use it at the Dakota.

A:  I credit a lot of my “ear to the ground” skill to my time at the radio station back in college, 90.7 FM KJHK. I was booking shows there, so I had to stay in tune with the local acts around town (Lawrence, Kansas). Along with that, I have always loved finding new artists. A lot of people can listen to the same artists their whole life, but not me. I constantly need something new. That skill allows me to bring in new acts that haven’t been exposed to the Dakota before – not only good acts, but important ones.

Q:  You really do have a dream job. How do you go about putting together a monthly calendar for the Dakota? Do you work one month at a time, or perhaps three at a time, to get the right mix of shows?

A:  It is truly all over the place. Depending on the acts, we could be booking anywhere from a month out to a year out. If we like it and we think the Twin Cities community will (or already does) like it, then we jump on it. Getting that right mix is very important, especially due to the fact that we don’t identify strictly as a “Jazz Club” anymore; even though we still present Jazz, the Dakota is way bigger than that. Presenting musical diversity is extremely important.

Q:  Did you grow up in Kansas? Where’s home for you?

A:  I am originally from Minnesota. I went to Lawrence, Kansas for college. My intent was to move to Kansas City after school, but the pandemic brought me back here.

Q:  The Dakota webpage includes a quote from Jazz Weekly – “It’s because of concerts like this that I can’t stand living in Los Angeles. Why is it that Lowell Pickett’s Dakota…gets artists and tours to come to Minneapolis and not darken the doors of any club in LA?” What is your secret sauce in booking these artists that are the envy of every jazz club?

A:  The credit all goes to Lowell (Pickett). He has built such incredible relationships with figures in the industry during his career. It’s impressive because it’s not like artists feel like they have to perform at the Dakota, but instead they want to because they know they will be treated extremely well and have a memorable experience in such a legendary venue. That’s why we get some incredible underplays.

Q:  Do you solicit community input in booking future shows?

A:  Always! I can’t book for just myself. Audience input is always helpful and very much appreciated.

Q:  What music do you listen to in your time away from work?

A:  That’s kind of impossible to answer. I listen while at work too, I like to find new stuff all the time, its part of the gig. I’ll listen to just about anything and it changes just about every day. I will listen to anything from Charles Mingus to Sunn 0))) to John Prine to MF Doom.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  I am not very active on social media. I kind of like staying under the radar, but I am always paying attention. You can follow the music calendar on the Dakota's website, subscribe to our newsletter, and if you really want to, you can follow my very slow-moving Instagram @benji.bloom to see me rock climb and what I am listening to in real time!