There is a Winston Churchill quote that says “failure isn’t fatal—it’s the courage to continue that counts.” The idea here being that there is always something rewarding on the other side of a life’s misstep. 

A few years ago, Marietta, Georgia-based entrepreneur Adam Blank, fired up by a potential merch deal with one of the bands signed to his independent label, assembled a Print Shop. He studied the merchandising business and made a substantial investment in effort and finances. Unfortunately, the deal fell through. While pondering his next move in the workspace that he tricked out in 1970s retro-cool finery, inspiration struck: the carefully-curated rock n’ roll haven would be an inspiring place to play live music. From these roots came the buzzed-about performance series, LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP, and the boutique indie label BLANK RECORDS.

“I’ve been an underdog my whole life, and I wanted to create a platform to break unknown artists, and give well-known artists a fair shake away from the harsh music business,” Blank says. “After many years of being in music, I feel proud of what we’ve created. I’m thankful I stayed on this path, and that I never gave up.” 

LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP is a multi-camera, Atlanta, Georgia-based YouTube monthly live concert series. It debuted in July of 2019, and it features intimately elegant performance footage from Blank’s state-of-the-art soundstage basement, and engaging interviews from inside his retro-but-refined Print Shop.

The series showcases rising artists as well as seasoned songwriters and performers from every genre. “I like to say my record collection comes alive in my house. I don’t have anyone over that doesn’t mean something to me personally. I show them a different kind of day—I treat the artists the way I believe they deserve to be treated,” Blank says. Artists leave the show with pro-shot content, including video and audio, a great meal, and compensation for their performance. In addition, each artist chooses a charity which is highlighted in the episode and further supported by Blank through a donation. Blank is a refreshing presence in the music business. He’s a lifelong, passionate music fan unafraid to invest money and time to give back to music and musicians.

Select marquee moments for LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP include hosting six-time Billboard chart-topping artist Collective Soul; Grammy-nominated jam scene pioneers Blues Traveler; legendary Men at Work singer-songwriter and solo artist Colin Hay; Grammy-nominated songwriter Shawn Mullins; modern Southern rock legends Drivin N Cryin; hip-hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang; funk-rock pioneers Mother’s Finest; Bayou soul singer-songwriter Marc Broussard; Grammy Award-winning country rockers The Mavericks; Southern-fried hip-hop group Rehab; and more.

LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP and BLANK RECORDS were not conceived of to be viable business models. They were intended to be celebratory offerings for musicians and music fans, and many artists sensed the good intentions right away and signed on to appear on LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP before it became a success.“I feel blessed that some legends had faith in me early on,” Blank marvels. “I’ll never forget Ed Roland playing hit after hit in my basement. That really legitimized the show for me and others, and from that initial meeting we became the best of friends.”

Blank firmly believes in letting the music inspire and guide him, and that has proven effective and gratifying with LIVE AT THE PRINT SHOP and BLANK RECORDS. “I had a moment in my print shop a couple of days ago. It was a mess—vinyl records and t-shirts were strewn everywhere,” Blank recalls. “Then it hit me: these creations were from my favorite bands. This was never the plan, but what a dream come true. Suddenly, I had this huge sense of gratitude for the life experience, everlasting content, and all of the memories. What a beautiful mess I had created.”