Josh Holtzman & Grace Vesneske: Buffalo Iron Works and the future of live music in WNY

Hey there, music lovers.  Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives.  I’m your host, Jeff Miers. More than a decade back, I hopped on the bus as an embedded reporter, covering a Northeast jaunt for then up-and-coming indie band Aqueous.  I’d never met any of the band members, or their manager, Josh Holtzman, previous to that road trip.  By the end of that mini-tour, I knew that I’d laid the ground work for some friendships that, time has proven, were built to last.  Today, Josh Holtzman and his business partner Grace Vesneske are the driving force behind premier music venue Buffalo Iron Works and independent production company Twenty6 Productions.  Long before pundits were tossing around terms like “the Buffalo Renaissance,” Holtzman and Vesneske were working tirelessly to help resurrect the long-abandoned Cobblestone District of downtown Buffalo through their inventive and forward-looking booking at Iron Works. Their fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude helped them guide their businesses through the pandemic with their integrity intact. That same spirit has the pair excited about what the future holds, and what form their continuing contributions to Buffalo music and culture might take.  Welcome to Why Music Matters, Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske.