ISAAC GORDON

“Breakpoint Booking is one of the few black-owned booking agencies out there. Things were going great since establishing themselves in the industry. Although they focused on more minor acts, they specialized in finding emerging talent, discovering artists and bands who were close to “breaking.” The organization was branching out and expanding its reach. In less than two years, Breakpoint Booking had gained an impressive roster. Operating in the heart of Hollywood, they were responsible for booking artists like Chip tha Ripper, Too $hort, and The Urban Renewal Project.

“We were in the middle of a growth spurt when the pandemic hit,” explains business owner Isaac Gordon in an interview with Industry Certified Magazine.

Suddenly, Venues were canceling shows everywhere. What does a company responsible for booking concerts and live events do when the entire world shuts down? Activity slowed to a stop, and it was no longer financially viable to remain physically based in California. Breakpoint Booking kept a satellite office open in Long Beach for necessary meetings and networking in the area. Isaac Gordon, however, relocated to his home state of Ohio.

Originally from Copley, Ohio, a suburb of Akron, Gordon always had a passion for music. In the late 90s, he was part of a hip-hop group and an aspiring rap artist. It was the cassette tape era when commercial radio still reigned high. Gordon’s group was reasonably successful, making some noise in their local scene. At that time, a small independent record label had signed the group. Although they were doing well, Isaac Gordon held himself back. He was grounded and felt that he needed to focus on a “real” career. At the end of his senior year, Gordon realized he was gay. Concerned about being labeled “the first gay rapper,” he shied away from making music and shifted into business and communications instead.

After graduating high school, Isaac Gordon enrolled at the University of Akron for Broadcasting in TV and Radio. This move led to a scholarship at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting. Gordon would have been happy to stay comfortable in Ohio, but the placement director, Gary James, encouraged him to leave. Mr. James knew something bigger was waiting for Gordon out in the world. Upon graduating from Broadcasting school, he received the Nev Chandler Memorial Award. He quickly landed a job in Pennsylvania as the Production Director for WCOJ Radio. Isaac Gordon moved to Philly, leaving Cleveland, his friends, and his family to explore new opportunities.

From there, Isaac Gordon’s broadcasting career took off. He worked in radio production, traffic, and continuity for different companies, including Delmarva Broadcasting Company (DBC), FOX 29, and Comcast. After five years of working in broadcasting traffic departments, Gordon wanted a change. He began immersing himself in the music scene around Philadelphia, attending shows, and studying the industry. Soon, he found himself the manager for a few bands on the side. Things were going well, and Gordon saw the potential of turning his side-hustle into a full-time profession. He decided to go back to school, this time focusing on working in the music industry. Gordon enrolled at Full Sail University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Music Business, a Master’s degree in Entertainment Business, and was honored as Valedictorian in both fields.

After obtaining his degrees, it was highly recommended for him to find an internship. Isaac Gordon quit his job at Comcast, cashed out his 401K, and moved to New York City.  He landed an internship working under Heather Reynolds with One Entertainment. A film, television, and theatre-based company.  They were working with big names in the industry like Paul Sparks, Ben Platt, and Idina Menzel, who, at the time, was riding high waves from the fallout of Disney’s Frozen. Gordon helped out in whatever way he could, often running errands around the city.

“It was a blessing,” Gordon says. 

But here’s the catch—Gordon had sent out other resumes in his search for an internship. Shortly after he started working with One Entertainment, Gordon heard back from another organization with his resume. Universal Attractions Agency, the group responsible for hip-hop and urban acts such as James Brown, also wanted to give him an internship. Torn with the decision, Isaac Gordon was reluctant to turn either opportunity down.

“That’s when the plan went out the window,” he explains.

Gordon figured he would work part-time in the service industry while interning, but there wasn’t any time with two internships. Living off his meager savings and the support of his husband, Gordon quit his serving job. He became an intern for two different entertainment companies. He began soaking up as much experience as possible.

“It was invigorating,” Gordon says. “The experience of a lifetime.”

Both terrifying and rewarding, he learned a lot from people like Heather Reynolds, Anthony Aiello, and many others at One Entertainment. At UAA and World War Trading Co, Gordon also learned from outstanding agents like Ricky Greenstein. Greenstein was known for discovering acts like LMFAO, booking shows for the Ying Yang Twins, developing acts in the club scene, and promoting bottle service events in hotspots like Vegas and Miami. Isaac Gordon also worked with the commercial and voiceover talent agency, Roger Paul Inc, where he learned about Breakdowns and pitching clients. He was being pulled in many different directions, but Gordon was learning about every aspect of Entertainment.

In November of 2014, both of his internships ended. UAA wanted him as an agent, while One Entertainment wanted him as an assistant with plans to groom Gordon as a talent manager for TV and Theatre. With both companies offering him a position, Gordon was torn once again, but this time, he could only pick one. He struggled with these two choices that would each carry his career in vastly different directions. One Entertainment was offering him a decent salary plus benefits. UAA, on the other hand, was 100% commission-based, with no compensation and no benefits.

“I explained to Heather Reynolds why I was declining the position at One Entertainment,” Gordon says, “and she just looked at me like I had three heads. In a way, I think she was impressed with my decision, but she was also worried for me. She thought I was about to go through the wringer.”

Reynolds gave Gordon a generous parting gift and wished him well. Isaac Gordon was bored and unhappy while directing TV traffic and building broadcasting logs. He went back to school because he knew that wasn’t his calling. He wanted to work in the music industry. Gordon left Comcast to follow his passion. Now, he said goodbye to One Entertainment, to pursue his career in music. 

As an agent with UAA, Isaac Gordon started booking shows for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. By 2015 and 2016, Gordon was ranked as the top regional agent, representing Warren G (along with Nick Szatmari) and booking shows for Kesha and De La Soul. He was responsible for the West Coast club scene, a region encompassing everything west of Texas 1,500 capacity and below. Eventually, they opened an office in California, so Gordon “hit the Oregon trail” and moved to Woodland Hills. He met everyone he had been working with from across the country and explored the LA scene. Gordon was managing a band at the time. Along with his husband and another agent from UAA, they decided to live together. He likens it to living in a frat house while learning to navigate the industry.

“It was interesting times,” Gordon says.

Throughout his career, smaller artists kept approaching him for help. These acts had potential but not much money. Gordon couldn’t help them at UAA because he was expected to focus on the more prominent clients. He wanted to help some of these developing acts and take responsibility for finding the “next hot thing” but found it difficult to do while still at UAA. Gordon decided to start a boutique booking company. He called it “Breakpoint” from the idea of finding talent reaching their “breaking point” into the industry. One of the early groups he represented was Tank and the Bangas. The acts Isaac Gordon represented kept getting bigger. Tank and the Bangas, for example, won NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert in 2017 while they were still on the roster with Breakpoint Booking. The conversation arose that Tank and the Bangas would remain loyal to Gordon’s baby booking company. Yet, he began to wonder if he should upstream some of his growing clients to UAA.

“Look, these guys are getting big,” Gordon explained. “Now is the time to get behind them.”

When things didn’t fall into place, he felt a telltale sign that things weren’t matching up with what he truly wanted. Consequently, Tank and the Bangas eventually signed with someone else. Since then, the group received a nomination for a Grammy as Best New Artist in 2020, and they’re still growing. 

In April of 2018, the owner at UAA called and asked Isaac Gordon to shut down Breakpoint Booking because of conflicting interests. Gordon understood and stopped operating his agency. During this time, he talked to his mentors and asked for advice from friends and family. In June of 2018, Gordon took a step forward. Breakpoint Booking officially launched independently, and Isaac left UAA.

“I wanted to focus on artist management and growing my own company. It was terrifying, but I felt it needed to happen,” Isaac expounded on the situation.

Their first year was phenomenal. Breakpoint Booking was one of the first agencies to book Benny the Butcher. They helped develop talent like the band, Lost Dog Street Band and landed a 20-city-tour for K-Camp. Isaac Gordon was familiar with digital distribution since creating his first company in 2009, Monster Entertainment, a talent management organization. He started New Legacy Enterprises as a thesis project while earning his degree. The holding company now acts as an umbrella for his other organizations. With Breakpoint, Isaac Gordon is continuing to establish his professional legacy.

Over the years, he’s gotten better at discovering new talent. Gordon looks for insider tips to help guide his decisions when taking on new clients and insight into artists who could be the next big thing. When working with artists, Gordon tries to find out what the talent and their team want. He learns how they are doing in their local market and what kind of a following they have. Then, Gordon has them branch out to nearby regions. Gradually, the artist learns to play the suitable rooms. After live events, they work with the team to evaluate the turnout and determine better future situations. By starting in the talent’s home city, they can branch out, building on the draw in surrounding markets. They create a spiderweb effect, sprawling out and boosting their appeal in surrounding areas. Gordon will try booking the act as an opening slot when headliners come through town, expanding audience reach even farther.

Gordon explains that mindset is most important. What are a group’s long-term goals? How much does an artist understand about the process? Going on tour is grueling, not the glamourous romanticized adventure many aspiring artists think it is. The talent might have to work with a promoter they don’t like or perform a show for an empty room. How professional is the act? How will they handle those challenging situations? Can they push through the lows? Will they show up for a radio interview at 5 in the morning? Gordon wants to know how much an artist grasps the situation and the reality of the lifestyle they will be taking on.

“I look for those who—for lack of a better phrase—are just too dumb to quit,” Gordon says. “That’s what we’re looking for.”

Breakpoint Booking had just started gaining momentum when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. Breakpoint Booking wanted to stay relevant and active even though events had stopped. Gordon and his team launched their live streaming podcast, BreakpointNOW, in April that same year. They had a vast collection of guests on the 15 episodes of the first season. Artists like Sy Smith and Aykay have appeared on the show with hosts like Vice Souletric, Jesse Leon, and Gordon himself. Creating an audible with the podcast has helped keep fans, promoters, and venues engaged with the artists. It’s assisting followers in getting to know the creative personalities behind the music they love. Gordon has plans to keep the podcast going even after things settle down with the virus and live events return. Season 2 of BreakpointNOW is available on the company’s YouTube channel.

It’s been an educational experience. The Breakpoint Booking team is learning to understand new things, like how streaming deals work versus live shows and how to use certain technologies. Everyone is evolving, and artists find more creative freedom as they hone new skills for online events. Concerts all over the world are postponed, and the entire industry continues to wait. While young artists are eager to get back out there, older artists are more hesitant, and it’s clear that not everyone is on the same page. “Breakpoint” isn’t taking any chances. Refusing to put their stamp of approval on live shows right now, Breakpoint Booking ensures they are not putting their clients, fans, or venue employees at risk.

“I would hate to be responsible if someone got sick,” Gordon explains.

When things do open up again, Isaac Gordon is excited to get his artists back out there. “Breakpoint” hasn’t been able to book some of the new talents they’ve acquired during the pandemic. Gordon is ready to see what clients like B2wins, Nick Black, and Harry Mack can do. Their team is looking forward to getting back in the swing of things, rescheduling shows, and getting agents up to speed.

“Things are on the move,” Gordon says. “We see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

He has high hopes that by autumn this year, the industry will start shifting back, and live music will return. Gordon expects venues to open with half capacity, and vaccines might be required to book talent. Whenever it does happen, Gordon and his team are ready. Breakpoint Booking has representatives spread out across the country with agents based in places like LA, Denver, Cleveland, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. As one of the very few black-owned agencies out there, and even fewer small boutique-sized organizations, Isaac Gordon takes pride in his company. They have a diverse roster, working with different artists from all backgrounds and all genres.

In his youth, Isaac Gordon was often in trouble. While on probation, he fulfilled his community service by reading to the blind on WCRS radio. A woman there named Marcia Jonke helped him wake up and encouraged him to become an adult.

“I owe a lot to that woman,” Gordon says.

Looking back now, he remembers people like Marcia Jonke, Gary James, and Heather Reynolds. There were others, too, like Ari Bernstein at ICM, who turned him down when Gordon applied for a job. The rejection lit a fire under him, and Gordon pushed himself even harder, determined to prove Bernstein wrong. To this day, he still thinks about these people and his experiences. Gordon remembers everyone who influenced him on his journey. He’s come a long way since his humble beginnings in broadcasting, and he is grateful for each mentor he met along the way.

Isaac Gordon explains, “There are too many to name. It takes a village.”