For a minute I thought I was back in 2008, when Xconomy organized Boston’s first Battle of the Tech Bands. But no, this was 2013, and I was in San Francisco, at the Great American Music Hall (where the Grateful Dead recorded One From the Vault).
And I was at “NVCA Live!”—a private concert organized by the National Venture Capital Association and sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank—listening to three bands made up of folks whose day job is making money, not music.
Which isn’t to say these groups weren’t good. Really good, in fact—especially Legitimate Front, a ’70s-inspired band led by Foundry Group managing directors Jason Mendelson and Ryan McIntyre. I’ve got video to prove it (just scroll down).
Organizers conceived the concert as a way to celebrate the NVCA’s 40th anniversary, and as a chance for conference-goers to kick back the night before the big VentureScape venture capital event, which is going on today at Westin San Francisco Market Street.
Headlining the event was the Pat Monahan Trio, featuring Train lead singer Pat Monahan. I wasn’t allowed to record Monahan (if you’re a fan, check out this awesome Warblers cover of “Soul Sister” instead), but I did get video of the three VC warm-up acts:
Up and to the Right, featuring Venrock partner (and outgoing NVCA chair) Ray Rothrock, lead guitarist and singer Nathaniel Rothrock, and entrepreneur Peter Sawyer;
The Exploding Warrants, a Silicon Valley Bank house band, featuring Sarah Kudrikow, Rob
Legitimate Front, featuring Ryan McIntyre and Jason Mendelson of Foundry Group, David Cremin of DFJ Frontier, and David Pakman of Venroc
The event provided yet more proof that the force of music is strong in the tech-investing community. As Mendelson said before the event, “It’s not every day you get to rock out with colleagues, all in the name of camaraderie and celebration.”
Watch and enjoy!
(A confession: there weren’t any AC/DC songs on last night’s playlist, as far as I know, but I couldn’t resist the headline. But Up and to the Right performed “Love Potion No. 9,” which AC/DC also covered.)
