Jay Ray: What's up y'all?
It is Jay Ray, co-host of Queue Points, the podcast, dropping the
needle on black music history.
And I am.
So excited, thrilled, honored that.
On June 7th, an event is gonna be happening in Wilmington, Delaware,
hosted by the amazing Darnell Miller, and it's called Pride @ The Loft, and
it's part of his Live @ The Loft series.
And right here on Queue Points right now, Darnell Miller is here.
What's up man?
Darnell Miller: I'm good.
I'm good.
I'm glad.
I'm glad to be in my space doing this.
Jay Ray: Yes.
Darnell Miller: And, uh, you know, I'm excited about Live @ The Loft in general.
Yeah.
But, uh, I, I guess more so Pride @ The Loft,
Jay Ray: man.
Yeah.
So first of all, thank you so much for inviting me to be part of the experience.
So for those of you who are coming through, uh, I will be here hosting
the event that night hosting.
And, um, I'm so grateful.
So thank you for that.
What, why Pride @ The Loft now?
Darnell Miller: Well, um.
I felt like the time was right in the Live @ The Loft series because
I had been doing it for some time and I kind of got a rhythm.
I'm not where I want to be, but I kind of got a rhythm and it was a idea I've
always had because just based on my research, excuse me, a lot of the.
Um, a lot of the black queer population in Wilmington, Delaware
specifically are always saying like, well, we don't have anywhere to go.
Where can we go?
Where can we go to hang out?
And then not be crazy?
Or not be like, you know, and it could just be about music or just to be about
fun, or just to be about whatever.
And so I figured, you know what, why not do something?
About it.
Yeah.
And I know in this area that hasn't happened and people could debate
me if they want to, but I, I'm old enough to remember, or to even know.
Um, but something like that hasn't really happened around
here in probably 30 plus years.
Wow.
You know, when there were multiple places for people to go and in
Delaware now there's only one.
And it's, you know, defined by one thing.
And if you're not into that one thing.
And then, you know.
Jay Ray: From your perspective.
Why is it important that we have spaces where folks can go to be themselves?
Darnell Miller: I, I think that with, especially my, my main
thing is music, and it's the music industry and the artists in general.
Um, I think that because the music industry is so crazy right now.
It's insane.
And we don't get to be, we don't get to hear like real, authentic live music.
Yes.
And then a lot of times artists are not in a space where they could be
vulnerable and powerful at the same time.
Yeah.
And people forget that artists are.
Out there on stage, night after night, or getting night after night,
whatever they're doing, and they're walking outta that thing sometimes
broke, not even breaking even.
And they're tired, they're mentally drained, but there's not their, there's
not a moment where they can get everything that they, that they poured out to people.
Yeah.
And so I Live @ The Loft is like, I wanted to make it a space where the artist
is heard and the audience is engaged and, but also the artist gets fed too.
Jay Ray: Yes.
Darnell Miller: You know, it's, it's an interesting thing.
Every time an artist comes here, they say, wow, this was great.
Yeah.
You know, I feel a whole lot better.
Or, I didn't know it was going to be like this.
And, you know, it's just a great night of engagement.
It's a, it's a, it's a two way street.
It's not just gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme.
But it's really a give and take the whole night.
Jay Ray: Yeah.
Um.
So we're gonna have, Janay Keys is gonna be here performing
Janay Keys,
Marcus G
Darnell Miller: Marcus G.
Jay Ray: Big Grizz.
And Big Grizz.
Darnell Miller: Yes.
And I didn't know that Big Grizz and Marcus G did a song together.
You see how spirit
Jay Ray: comes together, just work itself out.
Yeah.
Darnell Miller: And my thing with this whole, just these past few Live @ The
Lofts, that specifically this one, you have a vision, but it's not necessarily
the vision that's supposed to happen.
Yeah.
But like the universe said, no, you need what's needed in there.
You know what I'm saying?
Yes.
And so that's how I just, after a while, I just let those pieces fall into play.
I let 'em fall into play.
Yeah.
You know, I was like, well, who can I get the hostess?
I don't know what to do.
And a little birdie spoke to my ear and said, that's
Johnnie.
Hey.
Yeah.
So let's talk a bit about.
Live @ The Loft in general.
When did the idea come to you to do this?
Well, I don't know if I should say this, but what, uh, so, um,
I was doing like a run of shows.
First of all, I'm gonna back it up 'cause I didn't really just get it from
this situation, but I grew up in a.
Church where when artists would come to town, you would host the artist and the
artist would sometimes do a house concert.
Yes.
So I grew up on the house concert, uh, philosophy, and I've always done stuff
like that, but informal, like I've had friends over, I cook and we just play.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Just a night.
So, but me and my drummer at the time, we were doing this run of acoustic
shows and we were doing these so far events and up until that point,
and again, it was the universe.
I refuse to play where anyone is talking over me anymore.
I don't work too hard and I done,
Jay Ray: don't come up and Live @ The Loft talking over the artist.
That's a rule though.
Darnell Miller: That's a rule when the artist is playing.
You don't move around, you don't talk, you listen.
So I refuse now at this point in my life to to play a room where I
gotta battle with conversations.
And so we were doing this run of shows and uh, you know, I was like,
Wayne, they're listening to us.
Yeah.
Like they li they listening and they're like engaged and they're, they're,
you know, they're laughing, you know, they're laughing at my corny jokes and
all that kind of stuff, and, and, and, and we would leave and like, no kidding.
I mean, we would leave as we're packing up to leave like our igs, we get like,
like 80 to 90 followers in that night.
Jay Ray: Yeah.
Darnell Miller: And then the next night, same thing.
And I was like, okay.
I was like, let me investigate this.
I was like, okay, so these are like elevated house concerts.
Yeah.
So I was like, I, you know, I, I wanna do that.
Yeah.
I love that idea.
I love a intimate space, you know what I mean?
Because you get to know the artist in a more intimate setting
without, you know, all the pro tools and the stems and everything.
It's just them and maybe another.
Musician or whatever, you know?
And I was like, you know what, I wanna do that.
'cause I like that and maybe I could get a little coin off of it.
Amen.
Jay Ray: Yes, yes.
Darnell Miller: You know?
Well that's
Jay Ray: important.
'cause you know what?
When we, we have to keep spaces like this a alive.
Darnell Miller: Yeah.
It's needed right now.
Absolutely.
My prediction is like.
I mean, I don't claim to be no guru, no wisdom, but I predicted that, you know,
ticket prices go higher and they will.
You know what I mean?
Venues are closing.
Yep.
Artists and independent artists need to start thinking about alternative venues.
Yes.
And the smaller venue, the more intimate venue is gonna be the
way that you win your audience.
It's like evangelism.
Yes.
I go from town to town proselytizing.
Yes.
You know what I mean?
And that's how it's gonna be.
Now as an indie artist, it's gonna be a little rougher 'cause it's all on you.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
But that's the, that's the way you're gonna build your fan base or
when your audience is that smaller venues like this or things like this.
Jay Ray: Mm. So.
In speaking to, if you could speak to folks out there in the world, in
Wilmington, Delaware about why they need to be in this room for Pride @ The Loft
on June 7th, what would you tell them?
Darnell Miller: I would say that because it needs to happen in light
of whatever things I've been hearing from that's been happening around
in the area, it needs to happen.
You need to support these spaces, not only independent artist spaces, but other.
Queer spaces, like, you know, and I'm, I'm gonna make that call to
all my church folk and my believers.
'cause my question is, what Bible are you reading?
Are you reading the same Bible that I'm reading?
Because like Jesus always.
Went to the non, the
Jay Ray: nons.
Yes.
Darnell Miller: His disciples were made up of nons.
Yes.
He talked to women in public when women weren't supposed
to be addressed in public.
So like, you know, I'm put in a call to just this area in general.
Number one, Wilmington, free yourself.
That's the problem.
This is a repressed, oppressed area.
You can feel the cloud.
Yes.
You know what I mean?
You know, free yourself and open up your mind.
Open up your opinion.
Come out and celebrate.
It's not gonna be what you think about, it's not gonna be what you think.
Mm-hmm.
When you get here.
So don't be coming in here and thinking like jokers is gonna be
vogueing the house down and stuff.
Mm-hmm.
That's all stereotypical.
Mm-hmm.
It's music.
Jay Ray: Yeah.
Darnell Miller: It's music.
It's music.
Come enjoy this music.
Jay Ray: Absolutely.
So.
Come out Pride @ The Loft, we're gonna have, uh, Janay Keys, Marcus G Janay Keys.
Darnell Miller: She can sing, man.
My
Jay Ray: God.
So she can say opera.
Oh, my funny Janay Keys story is I went to a Juneteenth event
with my mom two years ago.
Oh, wow.
Jena Keys was singing, and of course I have to meet the
performers like, who's singing?
Yeah.
I was like, oh my God, girl, you killed it.
She met my mom.
We had the best conversation.
She's the sweetie lady.
And so she, we remembered each other, so this is like, oh,
that we get to be in this space.
Marcus G met randomly as I was, uh, shooting
my brother was spending that, uh, Queerapalooza last year.
Ended up meeting Marcus G 'cause I was shooting pictures.
Mm-hmm.
Big Grizz is the only one I haven't met and I haven't met Eddie.
Eddie is going to be here.
Eddie doing the, he's the bartender.
He kind of looks like, you know what Eddie?
Eddie does?
Look.
Zo is here.
Y'all is.
Shout out to Zo.
I could not do this without Zo.
He, it is like, I was like,
Darnell Miller: he
Jay Ray: looks like Eddie.
Yeah, that is true.
Um,
Darnell Miller: my only question is like, what is Eddie gonna wear?
But Eddie has a, he created, he did exactly my normal bartender.
Her name is Danita.
We call her Danita Jo.
Yeah after Janet Damita Jo, I love.
But um, you know, I was like, Danita, like I got a vision.
You can, you don't have to come to, you don't have to work at this one.
But my vision was to have an all queer team from the
door person to the bartender.
'cause I just want people to feel, you know, comfortable.
And so I was like, Eddie, who can I get?
You know, at first I was going, I was, I talked to your brother, Eddie
Jay Ray: Uhhuh.
Yes.
Darnell Miller: And I was like, no, no, no, no.
He was like, I don't know if I can make it.
But I was like, no, Eddie.
The next day Eddie sent me the drink menu and I was like, he did
exactly what needed to be done.
So it's gonna be yes, colorful.
And if you need to get there, he gonna get you there quick.
Jay Ray: Yo, please be here, Live @ The Loft, June 7th, Wilmington, Delaware.
Check Darnell's page, check, uh, my page.
All the information will be there.
But more importantly, y'all.
Support these kinds of events.
We will, we need them.
Like the thing I love about the Loft before we get outta here too,
uh, Darnell is, well y'all talk about the radio show now, right?
Oh, we, we cannot go anywhere.
Ain't
Darnell Miller: nobody right.
We
Jay Ray: gonna definitely talk about the radio show and, um,
this space has such energy in it.
And that's also the thing too.
The loft is, is part of the fa part of the family that is
Darnell Miller: happening here?
Mm-hmm.
Well, you know, I remember when I first moved in here, I was in the
middle of like being on the road, so I didn't spend a lot of time in here.
But after I got settled, um, all I did was just have friends over.
And I would cook and we would jam, or I would, we would just hang out.
And even now, like I have a, a, a buddy of mine that's in from la, you know, who's in
the middle of like, working on his album.
He just came to this side of the world to, you know, hang out.
And, uh, it's always, I've always wanted to make it an inviting space.
Now it's a work in progress because now it's, uh.
It's, I know what I want this to be, you know?
'cause I, I teach here, I record here.
We do Live @ The Loft here.
You know, all those things.
And, um, so it's a work in progress.
Like I'm, you know, I'm trying to work, I'm, I'm trying to get funding Yeah.
To make it exactly how I want it.
Uh, money cometh now.
Jay Ray: Absolutely.
And the fact that you put that out mm-hmm.
In this format is important.
Before we get outta here, we must talk about your radio show.
Darnell Miller: Yes, indie Planet, uh, I am.
It's Indie Planet.
It, it airs every Monday night on wjvsradio.com.
You can log on, and we have our own app, WJVS Radio.
WJVS Radio is a black owned station.
Jay Ray: Period.
Darnell Miller: And that's, that's the first thing I want to say.
It's a black owned radio station.
And, um, they had approached me, you know, like, do you wanna be on radio?
And I was like, no, I don't.
You know, but secretly, but secretly, secretly, I was like, well, you know, I
could, I could be, I could play Questlove.
I could be that guy because I've always had ambitions to like.
Do that kind of stuff.
Yeah.
But I'm the type of person, like I have the ambition, but if you bring
it to me, I'll be like, no, I'm okay.
But like, I really want, I'm that guy, I'm that guy.
So he came to me and uh, I was like, well, let me think about it.
And, you know, about a couple weeks later I was like, well, I'll do something.
I want to be, I wanna play independent music.
Yeah.
Independent artists, independent black artists.
Now, I, I love all genres and I'm all for, listen, I love everything
from death metal to hair metal to country, to, I love it all.
This particular show, I wanted to focus on the black indie artist because
whenever you look, when you, whenever you go to the, uh, DSPs mm-hmm.
And you say you type in indie, it's like all these, you
know, alternative type bands.
So no one thinks that a black artist is, can be a independent
artist, but to me, the ultimate independent artist is Eric Robeson
Jay Ray: Abs.
Yes.
Darnell Miller: And still independent.
Absolutely.
So it's like I wanna lift up all these wonderful black indie artists,
and we're in a great age, a great space now where there's so many,
you have Kevin Ross, you have.
People like El mean you have people like Cleo Soul, you still have your
Jay Ray: font foreign exchange.
Yeah.
Darnell Miller: You know, yes.
I play the heck out of font.
Like I love, I'm a FTE fan.
Like for Real Little Brother.
Yes.
I'm sorry.
They, this is their farewell tour.
But, uh, so I wanted to lift up those.
And now you have people like Ann Nesbe.
Yes.
Jagged Edge Brownstone.
They're also now independent artists.
Yep.
You know, and so.
I just wanna lift all of them up and to show that it's not just rock and
alternative rock, but it's some good soul.
And the thing I like about Black and the artists is that it's not monolithic.
Yes.
It's, it runs the gamut.
So I'll play the Sheela who I love.
Jay Ray: Oh my God.
Shout out to you.
Yeah.
Darnell Miller: I'll play all of that.
And, and, and some in between.
Yeah.
So every Monday night, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM w JVs radio.com.
You heard it?
Jay Ray: Yo, thank you for continuing to do all the work that you do.
For what you do here in the community in Wilmington, it
is necessary and appreciated.
I know you, I mean, you are a legend, so not
Darnell Miller: really.
You
Jay Ray: are okay, but you are.
Listen,
Darnell Miller: he been, I knew your music.
He been doing some good heroin right now.
So
Jay Ray: I knew Darnell's music before I knew you.
So, mm-hmm.
Listen, you out here doing your thing.
Um, so definitely check out the radio show.
Definitely be here for Pride @ The Loft on June 7th.
Gotta be here for that.
You gotta be here.
And, um, thank you man for inviting me to be part of this journey.
It's my pleasure.
Appreciate
Darnell Miller: you and I hope this will not be the last No.
That last thing that we do together.
Jay Ray: Listen, we cooking, you know what I'm saying?
We gonna get this pot that, that kitchen back there.
We gum be cooking.
Darnell Miller: Gumbo.
Gumbo.
Yes.
Fish and grits.
Yes.
All that except everything.
Except for okra.
Jay Ray: No okra.
Oh, we gotta have a conversation offline.
Oh my God.
Darnell Miller: I love okra.
Anyway.
I knew something y'all.
I knew something was wrong with I knew Okra.
Jay Ray: Y'all, thank y'all so much for tuning in for
this episode of Queue Points.
Definitely follow Queue Points.
Definitely follow Darnell Miller and be here on June 7th.
We appreciate y'all.
We love y'all.
Peace.