_(l-r) Tom Hamilton, Pete Shapiro and Joe Russo by Marc Millman_

Last night, the arts organization BRIC honored Relix publisher Peter Shapiro as part of the kick off for the Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival’s 38th season kickoff. Shapiro, whose portfolio of venues and events includes Brooklyn Bowl, The Capitol Theatre, Lockn’ and last summer’s Fare Thee Well shows, has contributed to the New York City music community since taking over the famed club Wetlands in 1996.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings opened this year’s Celebrate Brooklyn! series with a free show in the Prospect Park Bandshell. (The Dap-Kings have played many of Shapiro’s clubs and his association with the Daptone family dates back to Wetlands.)
Prior to the Dap-Kings’ performance, BRIC saluted Shapiro’s career during a gala outside the bandshell. Soulive/Lettuce guitarist Eric Krasno and drummer Joe Russo both spoke about Shapiro’s influence on their individual artistic paths and credited him with shaping the community that has fostered their careers. Luminaries ranging from Robert Plant and Warren Haynes to concert promoter Ron Delsener also sent in reflections via video messages. Shapiro used his time onstage to honor two influences on his professional journey: late Wetlands founder Larry Bloch, who taught Shapiro the virtues of collaboration and creative integrity, and his father Dan, served as a mentor, adviser and confidant to his son until his passing this April.

After the speeches, Shapiro introduced his 10-year-old daughter Roxy, who made her public debut on guitar playing alongside a recording of Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops on My Guitar.”

A number of musicians who have worked with Shapiro during the past 20 years were also on hand to honor Shapiro, including Michael Franti, John Popper, Robert Randolph, moe.‘s Al Schnier, Soulive/Lettuce’s Neal Evans, Jackie Greene, the Disco Biscuits’ Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner, American Babies/Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s Tom Hamilton, North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson, The Slip’s Marc Friedman, DJ Logic, Antibalas’ Martin Perna, Sharon Van Etten, Woods’ Jarvis Taveniere, Joe Russo’sAlmost Dead/RANA guitarist Scott Metzger and Guster’s Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner and Brian Rosenworcel. Representatives from AEG, Live Nation, Warner Music, Bowery Presents, Madison House, AM Only, CID, Relix, Jambands.com, Velour, HardHeard/Evil Teen, Brooklyn Vegan and DoNYC also attended, and WFUV’s Rita Houston DJed the evening’s post show (which included some choice Grateful Dead cuts.)