OUR STORY
Local Mojo is Born
Born in the SouthWest dorms of UMass Amherst, Local Mojo started when Charley Blacker decided to create a centralized hub for the local live music scene. He set out to interview bands, shoot music videos, plan events and foster a creative community. He brought two of his friends, Cashel Davis & Jack Krause, to work on the project and the three of them founded Local Mojo.
Working with Venues
As the movement gained traction & a following, venues began reaching out for opportunities to work together. Local Mojo began hosting concerts & DJ sets throughout Amherst.
Early Projects
The Mojo crew attended basement concerts, forming lifelong friendships in the music scene. Helped support local musicians in any capacity; recording interviews, playlists, photography, music videos, etc. Local newspapers started to take notice.
Expansion
Expanding from UMass, Local Mojo HQ moves to Boston. Em Donovan and Charley Blacker lead the way as they begin to introduce the ideas of Mojo into the big city. Hosting their Mojo Boston Launch party December 21st, 2024, they knew after they brought in almost 800 people that night, Mojo had found it’s new home. Since then, Local Mojo branches have started up across the U.S in communities like Penn State, UNH, UofSC, Northwestern, & UC Berkeley.
The First Mojofest
Local Mojo throws the first Mojofest, a 6 hour free backyard festival showcasing 6 UMass bands and many local vendors. Over 1,000 people showed up to the event.
Music Videos & Live Sessions
Local Mojo put together its first music video with The Upstairs District. Followed by another music with Stock Goblin.
Mojofest 2025
Local Mojo hosts the second Mojofest, introducing the festival to The Club in Hadley. The movement starts to gain social media attention. 4,000 people show up to enjoy a day full of live music, DJ sets, local vendors, good food, activities, and whole lotta rain. This was the organizations biggest, and most successful event to date.
