Press Kit

A Miami based visibility platform covering the metal scene through an economic development and placemaking lens. We find the bands, scenes and economics that already exist and cannot be seen, name them correctly, and put them in front of the audience that was always going to respond.

NEMOPHILA holding customized Music Cities shirts, Orlando — Nemophila Interview, Orlando

Interviewing Broken by the Scream in London — Interviewing Broken by the Scream, London

Lunch with Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden — Lunch with Nicko McBrain, Iron Maiden

Who runs it

This is not coverage from the outside. Kevin Crowder has spent forty years playing guitar in original bands and cover bands and still plays out, currently with Miami metal band McFisty, after years in War Department, Cone of Silence, Phantasie and The Mix. Both sides of that divide matter here, because the difference between a city that builds original scenes and a city that books cover bands is one of the arguments this channel makes constantly, and it is not a theoretical one. He loads in through the same door as the bands we interview, buys merch at every show, and knows what a bad room costs a band.

The other half is the day job. He is a U.S. Army veteran, thirty years in Florida economic development, fifteen of them as economic development director for the City of Miami Beach through the South Beach transformation, and founder of BusinessFlare, a veteran owned economic development firm. That is why the channel can run an actual economic impact analysis on a metal festival and have both the promoters and the city believe it.

Reach

Subscribers: 152,000 on YouTube, launched August 2025.
Total views: 3.37 million across 285 videos.
Standing: The most subscribed economic development channel on YouTube by a wide margin.
Recent locations: Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Houston, Austin, London and Wacken.

The site and the app

themusiccities.com is a nightly updated concert and scene dashboard that is a companion to the channel, built from our own editorial calendar rather than aggregated. It runs the Florida metal calendar, the Japanese and Asian metal watch list, marquee festivals, venues, album releases, artist birthdays, the label wire, the scene maps and the field trip briefs.

Florida Metal Scene: The running Florida calendar, venue by venue.
Japanese and Asian Metal: The watch list, tour dates and releases.
Key Festivals: Marquee festivals we track and attend.
The app: Android download available now, iPhone and iPad by home screen install, app stores to follow.

The interview program

Full sit-downs and the 3 Questions series. The complete run lives on one playlist, and the full roster is on our interviews page.

NEMOPHILA: 182,000 views, 44.5 percent average viewed. Japanese metal, filmed in Orlando. "I've been attending metal concerts for over 40 years ... It was great meeting you at the Orlando show." SuperSport2024, in the comments on the NEMOPHILA interview "I always felt the WA of what Hazuki mentioned and the SAMURAI references where playing a part in their music. The infusion of Japanese culture ... Japanese metal has certainly crossed the globe, especially the female bands. A very nice interview." derekwooding5354, in the comments on the NEMOPHILA interview
BRIDEAR: 85,000 views. Filmed to support their successful crowdfunding campaign. "I donated right away. I really hope they can continue making music." jamessharp2725, in the comments on the BRIDEAR interview
Broken by the Scream: 48,000 views. Filmed in London. "I've been following BBTS for more than five years now ... I'm super impressed by the career they have built leading up to Wacken." NemusVetus, in the comments on the Broken by the Scream interview
Nini: Taiwanese folk metal, unsigned. "Wasn't aware of this artist until she appeared on your channel." Mark-J-metal, in the comments on the Nini interview
Soundcheck and behind the scenes: Bands have brought us in before doors. NEMOPHILA invited us to film their soundcheck in Orlando, and Broken by the Scream did the same in London.
Show photography: We shoot at the shows and publish to Pinterest. The intent is context, not a photo service. We do not sell photos.

Bands starting from zero

The 3 Questions series. Regional bands with no existing audience to bring with them.

We All Rise: Miami. 244,000 views.
Nocturnal Dawn: Orlando, Wacken Metal Battle Florida. 126,000 views.
SevenSins: Miami. 67,000 views.
Nemesis: Houston, Wacken Metal Battle Texas. 18,000 views.

Band of the Year

Presented annually to the band in person and covered as an episode.

LOVEBITES 2025: Presented in London. Episode at 67,000 views.
HANABIE. 2026: Presented in Austin. Episode at 105,000 views.

The scenes, mapped

Scene maps built as networks and lineages from public sources only, every node resting on a citable record. No other music outlet has this. When we interview a band, we already know the lineage they came out of.

Japanese Heavy Metal Family Tree: 1967 to 2026, 319 nodes, with today's female led scene mapped member by member.
Tampa Death Metal Family Tree: 1979 to 2026, 371 nodes and 1,130 connections, with every Morrisound Recording credit verified album by album.
West Dixie Music Corridor: 236 nodes across five jurisdictions, tracing Criteria Studios from 1958 forward and documenting the absence of a live stage inside the ring. Studios without stages.

Case study episodes

The core of the channel. Metal history read as economic development.

Scorpions, Building a Global Empire: 153,000 views.
Brewtality Metal Fest Economic Impact: 92,000 views. An economic impact analysis of a metal festival.
It's 1986 in Japan: 74,000 views. How today's Japanese scene was built.

Industry relationships

Working relationships with musicians, bands, artist management, PR and label press contacts, and concert photographers. Every band we interview leaves with Music Cities swag.

What we cover

Heavy music wherever it is happening, and the economics of the places that produce it. Coverage runs deepest in Florida and Miami and across Japan and Asia, and extends to any subgenre, scene, city or band worth naming. Festivals and field trips, recently including Wacken, Louder Than Life and Metal London. Album releases, band interviews and Music Cities Radio.

Working with us

What we ask for: Media credentials for the show where the venue requires them. Interview time with the band on show day, green room or venue. Soundcheck access when the band is comfortable with it. A heads up when a tour routes through Florida, and on releases.
What the band gets: The interview published to an audience that shows up, donates and buys tickets. A 3 Questions short for bands early in their run. Music Cities swag. Photos from the show.

Press contact

Contact: Kevin Crowder, Founder
Based in: Miami, Florida.
Email: kevin@businessflare.net
Social: YouTube, Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook
Newsletter: Music Cities Setlists, on LinkedIn.
Download: One page press kit. Screen version, PDF or printable version, PDF.

The Music Cities is produced by BusinessFlare, a veteran owned economic development firm.

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