End-of-year reflections, real talk, and hard lessons from behind the curtain.

In this episode of Between 2 Palms, Derek Clark and Mikey Muscatello close out 2025 with an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to run an independent live music venue without losing your mind, your money, or your values.

Derek breaks down lessons learned from a year of wins, losses, sold-out shows, disappointing nights, promoter problems, and the reality of running a venue where culture, community, and sustainability matter more than hype. From cruise-ship epiphanies to booking mistakes, from Pablo Cruise to Mateo Mancuso, from staffing costs to why small venues are disappearing, this episode pulls zero punches.

They also look ahead to 2026, including Free Fridays, bigger artists, smarter booking strategies, new production upgrades, and how The Boardwalk plans to survive while still giving back to musicians, charities, and the local community.

If you love live music, care about independent venues, or want to understand what really happens behind the scenes, this episode is required listening.

Follow Between 2 Palms for real conversations about live music, venues, and the business nobody explains.
New episodes recorded live from the Boardwalk Stage.