The Ithacan — Early Ithaca College Era (2001)

Deifer was barely 20 when this ran in The Ithacan. It covers a show he booked and produced through his own company, Eis Productions. The band was Addison Groove Project, conservatory-level musicians out of Boston who’d never played Ithaca before. 600 people showed up, at the Odyssey, a historic Masonic temple right off the Commons that became a legendary venue in its own right. This is the earliest record of how he actually worked, months before he was even old enough to legally drink in half the venues he was running shows in.

Excerpt from The Ithacan

Junior Matthew Deifer, a TV‑R major who runs a promotion company, has had a different experience in bringing together his student and businessman roles. In his EIS Production company he integrates both of these roles.

“I have the student insight because I go to school, live on campus, know a lot of people and what is going on,” Deifer said.

He maintains his professionalism by getting the job done and obtaining good recommendations from his employers.

Deifer decided to take 12 credits this semester due to the success of EIS Production. Some of his clients are clubs like the Odyssey and Castaways, a number of ICTV shows, and local bands such as Buttah and Revision.

He started his business last July by setting up a website and contacting bands with an East Coast audience. Currently, he is working on organizing a show with performances by the Boston‑based band Addison Groove Project and the Syracuse band Candid Daydream at the Odyssey on Feb. 17.

“I like to incorporate what I’ve learned in school to gain experience in my field,” Deifer said. “I desire to make college the best possible experience and make things happen.”

The advice from this young businessman is to “observe what happens in town; have an idea in mind and get involved in the scene. Make sure you’re supplying the demand and not demanding the supply.”

He said to be sure to do something to help the community, not to push a business because it is “cool.”

This is the earliest published documentation of my creative work, written as the underground parties I’d been throwing since I was 16 turned into an actual production company.