A new music venue in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts District looks set to become one of the city’s premier destinations for live concerts, recently booking bands including Joywave and Danielle Ponder. In a district short on such venues, Essex will enable more national acts to visit Rochester, as opposed to nearby Syracuse or Buffalo when touring through Western New York.
‘The main focus of the venue is to showcase national touring artists that might otherwise drive right past Rochester,’ says Dave Drago, who has been in the audio and music business for more than 20 years and is one of the four co-owners of Essex.
Drago was tapped by SCN Hospitality, an impressive Rochester based restaurant group, to oversee the design of the venue’s systems on every level of the concert experience. ‘SCN’s hospitality really shines throughout Rochester. Our vision with Essex was to add a viable concert venue to that portfolio, offering people a beautiful space to enjoy good music and great service.’
Drago began his career as a studio owner and engineer, moving across North America, gaining experience as an artist and tour manager, producer, songwriter, musical director, touring musician, and general manager for the heralded Concerts at Point of The Bluff seasonal concert series in the Finger Lakes. ‘I have been on just about every side of most transactions in the music business,’ he agrees. ‘I want to make sure all stakeholder needs are met when audio systems are being designed and implemented.’
When construction began in 2023, it was at a frenzied pace, bringing crews of 20 contractors at a time for demolition, followed by new construction, staging, and sound. When the search for the Essex house system began, Drago already knew his go-to brand for the venue. ‘I knew RCF products had a great reputation, and RCF was the only system we wanted at our music hall.’
Working with RCF house Audio Images from Batavia, New York, Drago found a turnkey solution in the shop. ‘When I spoke with Joe Barnes, he suggested the HDL 30-As over three Sub 9006 subwoofers – all were available and ready for installation,’ Drago says. ‘We couldn’t move fast enough to get the system, as fast as everything was moving, I felt we had hit our stride.’
‘When Dave contacted us and explained they wanted to create a premier venue in Rochester, RCF was the only choice,’ says Audio Images VP of Operation, Joe Barnes. ‘With the HDL 30-As, Sub 9006s and HDL 6-A for front fill, the system fit perfectly in that room. After RCF came in and helped tune the system, I believe there is no room in Rochester that sounds better. Essex also added NX 915-SMA monitors and have received much praise for their clarity and punch in other systems we deploy.’
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