PAST, PRESENT + FUTURE
Projects
From nightlife staples from Florida to Los Angeles and Detroit, Sean has owned establishments including Kanega, Temporary Spaces & Willis Show Bar.
Kanega.
Kanega was the foray into opening his own establishment. As would be the case with all of his venues after, he designed, helped build, managed, designed promotional material, handled bookings and even performed there. Kanega was in line with the 90s; experimenting with being a multi-concept venue. Depending on the night you came in, there could be an art opening, a poetry night, live music performed or a deejay getting people dancing. Everyone from Medeski Martin and Wood, Jonathan Richman, Hunab Ku Quartet, Plastikman and Dubtribe Sound System performed live, along with deejay sets by Doc Martin, DJ Three, Rabbit in the Moon, Q-Burn's Abstract Message, Josh Wink and Mark Farina. All this while still existing as a bar, café, coffeehouse, art gallery.
temporary spaces.
Several years later, Sean would create his next concept in Los Angeles. Temporary Spaces was born out of a preceding guerilla art gallery series that he did in the early 2000s all around LA. TS1 as it was referred to in the beginning came about when he found out about a bar that was going to close in a year and the liquor license would go with it. Temporary Spaces: Volume 1-3 would use the same color palette, furnishings, sound system, staff and many of the same promoters at each incarnation. LA Weekly created a one-time category in their annual “Best Of” issue, calling Fresh Fete.
TS1-TS3 featured both live and deejay performances from LCD Soundsystem, Diplo, Metronomy, Holy Ghost, Tycho, Shigeto, Damian Lazarus, Kid Sister, Metro Area, Kim Ann Foxman, Cut Chemist, DJ AM, Lee Foss, Simon Baker, D-Nice and many more. Guests were just as varied, Suge Knight, Carmen Electra, Chloe Sevigny, Aaron Paul, Sasha Grey, Robert Pattinson, Kirsten Dunst and several other notables.
willis show bar.
As of 2017, Sean now also resides part-time in Detroit as a co-owner of WILLIS SHOW BAR. There, he helped oversee the completion of the build-out, brand development, hiring and training of staff, as well as overseeing all music components, talent booking, graphic design, marketing and general operations. Willis Show Bar has received endless accolades for its precise, faithful resurrection of this historic piece of Motor City history. Originally opened in the early 40s, it would later sit gutted for 38 years. Working with just a couple of old photos, he, his partners and their team of workers brought it back to its original glory. Winning 3 different publication’s annual “Best Of” issues it instantly became the buzz in town. In just a short amount of time, WSB has hosted after-parties for Leon Bridges, Dita Von Teese, Grace Jones...deejay sets by Seth Troxler, Nick Waterhouse, Soul Clap, Numark, D'Julz and live performances by Amp Fiddler, Jax Anderson, Devon Gilfillian, Spyder Turner and Jess Palter.
CORPORATE & PRIVATE CLIENTS
Absolut - Academy Awards - Adidas - Agent Provocateur - American Express - Apple - Armani - Cameron Diaz - CBS - Chanel - Chateau Marmont - Chloe Sevigny - Chris Kattan - Darren Oronofsky - David Bowie - Deisel - Dita Von Teese - Dreamworks - Drew Barrymore - Eddie Izzard - Esquire - F10 Group - Fergie - Flaunt - Ford - Frieze - Gagosian - GQ - Gucci - Gwen Stefani - Hammer Museum - HBO - H’wood Group - Jeremy Scott - Justin Timberlake - LACMA - LA Fashion Week - Leonardo DiCaprio - Matthew Barney - Mercedes Benz - Michelle Mason - MoCA - Modernism Week - Nas - Neville Wakefield - NBC - NY Fashion Week - Nylon - Paper Magazine - Paramount Studios - Peter Getty - Prince - Prada - P.T. Anderson - Richard Tyler - Robert Downey Jr - Roland Emmerich - Rolling Stone - Rosette Delug - Sean Parker - Showtime - Soho House - Sony - Top Shop - Val Kilmer - Vanity Fair - Versace - Vogue - Visa - Warner Brothers - W Magazine
OPENED FOR / PLAYED WITH
Aeroplane - Afrika Bambattaa - Amp Fiddler - Art Department - A-Trak - Basement Jaxx - Beastie Boys - Benoit & Sergio - Biz Markie - Bjork - Bloc Party - Bob Moses - Booka Shade - Boom Bip - Carl Craig - The Chemical Brothers - Chromeo - Classixx - Colette - Cut Chemist - Cut Copy - Daft Punk - Dam Funke - Damian Lazarus - Deee-Lite - Diallo Riddle - Diplo - Disclosure - D’Julz - D-Nice - DJ AM - DJ Harvey - DJ Heather - DJ Hell - DJ Kaos - DJ Lethal - DJ Muggs - DJ Nu-Mark - DJ Shadow - DJ Tennis - DJ Three - Doc Martin - Doja Cat - 808 State - Eli Escobar - Erasure - Ewan Pearson - Felix Da Housecat - Fischerspooner - Frank & Tony - Franz Ferdinand - Friendly Fires - Galantis - Goldie - Graham Funke - Groove Armada - Gui Borrato - Holy Ghost - Hot Chip - James Blake - Jamie Jones - Jazzy Jeff - Jozif - J-Rocc - Juan MacLean - Justice - Kevin Saunderson - King Britt - Lady Soveriegn - Lane 8 - Larry Tee - Lauren Lane - LCD Soundsystem - Lee Foss - Leon Bridges - M.A.N.D.Y. - Mark Farina - Mark Ronson - Marques Wyatt - Massive Attack - Matthew Dear - Mayer Hawthorne - Metro Area - Metronomy - MGMT - Miguel Migs - Moby - Moderat - Moodymann - Mount Sims - My Favorite Robot - Myles Hendrik - N.A.S.A. - Nick Waterhouse - Nicolas Jaar - Orbital - The Orb - Pase Rock - Peaches - Peanut Butter Wolf - Pink Martini - Populette - Portishead - Prince Language - Questlove - The Rapture - Richie Hawtin - Sasha - Seth Troxler - Shaun Ross - She Wants Revenge - Simon Baker - So Me - Soul Clap - Soulwax - Spinderella - Stacey Pullen - Stereo MCs - Stonework - Stretch Armstrong - Tale Of Us - Terrance Parker - Thee Mike B - Thievery Corporation - Thom Yorke - Tiefschwarz - Tiga - Tim Sweeney - Tokimonsta - Trentemoller - Tycho - Visionquest - Weezer - Will Saul - Yacht - Zero 7 - Z-Trip
VENUES & FESTIVALS
Ace Hotel PS, LA & NYC - A Club Called Rhonda - APT - Avalon - Bang Bang - Bardot - Bar Marmont - Beatrice Inn - Bootsy Bellows - Bungalow 8 - Canopy - Cat Club - Cielo - Clifton’s Republic - Club Space - Coachella - The Coco Club - Colony Palms Hotel - Continental Club - Deep - The Edison - El Departmento - Electric Daisy Carnival - El Rey - The Fillmore - Fonda Theatre - Forty Deuce - The Friend - Giorgio’s - Gold Diggers - Good Room - Green Door - Groovejet - Hotel Figueroa - Hyde - Le Bain - Le Baron - Leonor MX - Les Colonial - Les Deux - Level 8 - Limelight - Liquid - Marquee- The Mayan - Mmhmmm - M.N. Roy - Neuehouse - The Nice Guy - Nightmoves - Nikki Beach - Nocturnal Wonderland - No Name - No Vacancy - 1 Hotel - Output - Palm Spring Art Museum - Paul & Andre’s - The Roxy - Sayers Club - Sky Bar - Soho House - Sound - Splash House - The Spotlight - The Standard Hotel LA & Miami - Teddy’s