June 30, 2025 - Music Observer

Dylan Blau Teams Up The 101 Wine Press To Perfectly Blend Social Media, Local Music, BBQ and Wine Tasting!

Music Observer Staff on June 30, 2025

Dylan Blau is no stranger to disruption. After turning the dog training world on its head with viral content and digital business coaching, Blau is now pouring that same creative energy into a new mission, reviving California’s struggling wine industry through the power of social media. His latest venture, @CaliforniaWineList, is giving local vineyards a much-needed spotlight, drawing new attention to small producers who have long been overlooked.

A seasoned consultant, Blau brings a rare combination of old-school marketing wisdom and uniqu social media insight. Based in Monterey County, he’s working directly with restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, tea companies, and other small businesses to help them find their voice, and audience, online. “The wine industry has been on a slow decline for over a decade,” Blau says. “We’re no longer in the golden era of wine. But we could be, if we make one significant change: use social media.”

Blau argues that while industries like beer, spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails spend billions on branding and cultural relevance, wine has lagged behind. “The wine world has a marketing problem,” he says. “People want to engage with stories, personalities, and experiences. If the wine industry doesn’t start showing up where the attention is, online, it will keep fading into the background.”

He’s not just talking. Through @CaliforniaWineList, Blau showcases hidden gem vineyards and under-the-radar labels, helping local producers get noticed by their community and tourists alike. His platform isn’t built on polished commercials or paid influencers, it’s a raw, behind-the-scenes documentary approach that invites viewers to experience the wine and the people behind it. “Authenticity is everything,” he says. “People connect with real stories, not sales pitches.”

Still, it’s not just about content. Dylan’s philosophy includes creating experience-based events that merge music, wine, food, and local culture. His vision is simple but bold: combine the region’s incredible wines with live performances by local musicians, DJs, artists, and chefs to turn tasting rooms into destinations. “It’s not enough to just pour a great wine anymore,” Blau explains. “You need a story, a vibe, a moment people want to capture and share.”

Now, he’s calling on the local creative community to collaborate with Monterey’s wineries and restaurants. His goal? To build a culture around California wine that celebrates not just the drink, but the people and passion behind it. Dylan is asking people with a venue to use it to lift up their local artists and make more memorable experiences for people in the community. There are thousands of people in the Monterey County area looking for a good time, but doing something once a month isn’t enough.

A great example of a business doing this perfectly is the 101 Wine Press in Prunedale, California. Owner Nick Olson originally opened it as a wine tasting room for Kevin Olson Vineyards, their family estate only a few minutes drive from the restaurant. Fast forward to 6 years later and they are now a BBQ destination spot and live music venue. They host local talent every weekend, with over 50 shows a year usually featuring multiple artists on the weekends and combining that with DJ’s so the party never stops. On top of that they have regular trivia, karaoke and stand up comedy nights. As you guessed they are on social media getting millions of views for showing off their customers having fun dancing and getting amazing footage for the local talent performing at their venue. Dylan urges wine tasting rooms to consider doing more than offering a cheese plate. The 101 Wine Press pairs BBQ with their wines for one of the best wine tastings in Monterey County from 12-4pm Tuesday through Sunday; while at the same time creating a nightlife scene that has become a hot spot for locals.

Blau’s influence in digital marketing is already proven. With over a decade of experience and nearly a million followers across social platforms under his @WeAreDogTraining brand and @CaliforniaWineList, he’s built a reputation for bold, unfiltered content that resonates. His viral videos have racked up billions of views, and his unique integration of storytelling with sales systems is now a blueprint for businesses wanting more than likes, they want results.

Customers are craving new experiences, they want to be blown away. People want to go on social media and see that you did something awesome and be upset they missed it. As a business you have to be smart enough to offer people a chance consistently to be part of that experience. Blau said most people either love or hate him because he’s not afraid to say what needs to be said vs being politically correct. That unapologetic confidence, paired with a deeply rooted drive to help others grow, makes him one of Monterey County’s most dynamic figures and resources for social media marketing.

The wine industry may have missed the first wave of social media, but with Dylan Blau at the helm of a new kind of wine list, one built on culture, community, and conversation, California’s vineyards might just find themselves entering a new golden era.

To follow the movement, visit Instagram.com/CaliforniaWineList.

From Beijing to Boston: Yuhan Zhang Builds Cultural Bridges Through Strategy and Storytelling

Music Observer Staff on June 30, 2025

By: Nia Bowers

When Spanish flamenco icon María Pagés performed her reinterpretation of Carmen in Beijing in 2016, she wanted her show Yo Carmen to speak to Chinese audiences in a deeper way. Yuhan Zhang was there to help build that bridge.

At the time, Zhang was Program Manager at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), overseeing international productions and facilitating meaningful cultural exchange. For Yo Carmen, her team worked closely with Pagés to identify a classical Chinese text that could be seamlessly woven into the show that integrates works by women writers around the world. They landed on a poem by Song-dynasty poet Li Qingzhao—A Sprig of Plum Blossom. “Pagés connected deeply with Li’s refined lyricism,” Zhang recalls. “Her choreography became an embodied homage, and the audience felt it.”

This story is emblematic of Zhang’s career: fusing strategic structure with emotional nuance, and helping artists and institutions align their vision with local contexts. A dual-degree graduate of Yale’s School of Management (MBA) and School of Drama (MFA in Theater Management), Zhang has worked at the intersection of nonprofit consulting, cross-cultural storytelling, and community-driven art for a decade.

Currently a Consultant at Technical Development Corporation (TDC), a Boston-based firm specializing in nonprofit strategy, Zhang advises arts organizations and foundations across the U.S. She has helped clients—from lean community theaters to multimillion-dollar institutions—navigate strategic planning, launch new venues, and distribute grant funding with impact. In one standout project, she partnered with a foundation to restructure a $1.4 million annual grant cycle. Dividing grantees into two tracks—one receiving general operating support, and the other, change capital—Zhang helped ensure both stability and experimentation were funded. “Art thrives when it has room to take risks, but it also needs infrastructure,” she says.

Zhang’s ability to blend systems thinking with artistic empathy is rooted in her early career. At NCPA, she managed over 190 performances involving 46 domestic and international groups over three years. Later, at the 2019 Avignon Theatre Festival in France, she introduced Kunqu opera to European audiences in inventive ways. When the traditional excerpts failed to draw attention in the festival’s high-energy atmosphere, Zhang guided artists to demonstrate their elaborate makeup and costumes in a live, participatory setting, which not only appealed to the audience but also gave the artists a renewed sense of agency over this refined and subtle art form. She served as a cultural interpreter—translating not just language, but values and aesthetic philosophies. “It wasn’t about ‘selling’ tradition,” she explains. “It was about inviting curiosity through authentic process.”

In the U.S., Zhang continued to cultivate this approach. At Yale, she served as Associate Managing Director of the Yale Cabaret, a student-led dinner theater. There, each production became a community collaboration: the chef co-designed menus based on the production’s cultural background, seating layouts were customized, and audience members were immersed in full-sensory storytelling. “It was a living lab for how creative infrastructure enables artistic risk,” she says.

Beyond arts-specific roles, Zhang’s resume includes strategy consulting for a climate-focused startup (OnePointFive), youth and member company engagement research at WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development), and cross-sector partnership building at the Yale Schwarzman Center. She also has other experiences that focus more on one-on-one human connection, including supporting dance artist Yin Mei with fundraising and mentoring junior team members at TDC. In all her work, she brings the same intentionality: listen deeply, build trust, and honor creative authenticity.

Her global experiences have deeply shaped her ethos. “In China, I learned how to root global stories in local meaning. In France, how to adapt tradition to contemporary curiosity. And in the U.S., how to let community voices shape the narrative from the ground up.” Across these geographies, she’s developed a flexible communication style—one that balances stakeholder priorities with emotional resonance.

Now based in Boston and a Board member of the Boston Ballet Volunteer Association, Zhang continues her mission of empowering nonprofit organizations and artists to tell bold stories, grounded in both heart and infrastructure. Whether she’s aligning vision with resources or crafting narratives that move people to action, her work sits at the intersection of strategy and storytelling. At the core of her approach is always the same commitment: to honor the work of nonprofit and cultural leaders by making it seen, valued, and enduring.

Radmila Lolly’s National Anthem Performance at Unrivaled: A Fusion of Music, Fashion, and Sport

Music Observer Staff on June 30, 2025

Miami, FL – When Radmila Lolly steps into the spotlight, she doesn’t just perform—she makes a statement. At the Unrivaled event, the celebrated soprano and fashion icon did just that, delivering a National Anthem performance that captivated the audience on both an auditory and visual level. Known for her ability to seamlessly blend music and fashion, Lolly’s rendition of the anthem became a defining moment of the night, showcasing her immense talent while pushing the boundaries of what we expect from both opera and sports entertainment.

From the moment Lolly took center stage, it was clear that this would not be a typical National Anthem performance. As an opera singer, Lolly is renowned for her technical precision and emotional depth, and she brought both qualities to her performance. Her operatic voice, full of richness and power, reverberated throughout the venue, transforming the anthem into something far more than just a ceremonial opening. Each note she sang was impeccably executed, yet it was her ability to infuse those notes with such emotion that left the crowd spellbound. Her rendition was filled with passion, reaching into the hearts of every listener and elevating the anthem into an unforgettable musical experience.

But Lolly’s performance was not just defined by her vocal prowess—it was also a visual spectacle. True to her reputation as a fashion icon, Lolly wore a striking couture piece from her own collection, blending her dual passions for music and fashion seamlessly. The stunning design of the gown commanded attention, further enhancing the drama and elegance of the performance. The ensemble, a testament to her creative talent as a designer, added an extra layer of sophistication to an already powerful moment. Notably, the gown featured the logos of all the teams in the Unrivaled league, as well as the Unrivaled league logo, further connecting her performance to the event. The jerseys worn by athletes in Unrivaled are designed and made by Under Armour, combining both style and performance. Her ability to blend high fashion with high art, all within the realm of sports entertainment, marked her as a true visionary in the entertainment world.

Unrivaled, the groundbreaking sports league, was founded by basketball stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewartwith the mission of creating a new platform that celebrates women’s athleticism while blending entertainment, fashion, and sports in an innovative way. The league showcases a range of top-tier talent, and its teams include:

Team Phoenix

Team Thunder

Team Blaze

Team Vortex

Team Wave

Team Cyclone

Team Surge

Team Radiance

As Unrivaled continues to redefine the intersection of sports, music, and culture, Lolly’s performance served as a powerful reminder of how deeply interconnected these realms truly are. The event, known for its electrifying energy and celebration of athleticism, was made even more memorable by Lolly’s unique ability to bridge the worlds of music and sports. In a setting often dominated by physical competition, she showed that artistry and elegance have a place at the forefront, proving that moments of beauty and passion can coexist with the intensity of athletic performance.

Lolly’s performance didn’t just captivate the crowd in the arena; it quickly made waves on social media, with fans and celebrities alike praising her flawless delivery and stunning visual presence. The combination of her world-class vocal talent and cutting-edge fashion brought a fresh dynamic to the Unrivaled event, reinforcing the notion that music, fashion, and athletics are no longer separate spheres but deeply intertwined elements of modern entertainment.

In a night filled with excitement and high stakes, Radmila Lolly’s rendition of the National Anthem was more than just an opening act—it was a powerful moment that set the tone for the entire evening. By blending her exceptional talent with her distinctive sense of style, she once again proved why she is one of the most celebrated and influential figures in both music and fashion today.