Discover the incredible life of Michael Alago, a gay Puerto Rican kid from Brooklyn who went on to shape and reinvent the world’s musical landscape – first as a 19-year-old talent booker at the legendary Ritz nightclub in New York City and then as a 24-year-old A&R exec who signed Metallica, White Zombie and worked with other notable artists including Nina Simone, John Lydon and Cyndi Lauper. The film tells the tender, loving and sometimes self-destructive story of a man who “just loved music.” He had the passion to bring it to the world on his terms and lived to talk about it. Barely.

About Michael Alago…

Passionate about music, art and literature, A&R executive and now portrait photographer, Michael Alago is the quintessential New Yorker with an “only in New York” career. From booking bands at the legendary Eighties East Village rock club the Ritz to famously signing metal gods Metallica.

A former record label A&R executive and talent scout for over twenty four years, Alago earned the respect of the industry for his expertise in a wide variety of musical genres. In addition to signing Metallica to Elektra records he also signed White Zombie, Alan Vega, John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten (with his band Public Image, Ltd.), Michael Feinstein and Nina Simone, for whom he executive produced her critically acclaimed final album “A Single Woman.” He has also A&R’d everyone from Tracy Chapman to Swans and Cyndi Lauper. Alago is a man of many hats.

This event is a benefit to raise funds for the 501c3 charity Austin International Drag Foundation Inc.