Today we’d like to introduce you to Quick & Veli.
Hi Quick & Veli, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The Slide Thru story is the culmination of many smaller yet impactful stories; I’ll spare you all of them and give you a few. Veli and I began as dreamers without a concrete idea as to how we wanted to go about the goals of sharing our passions with the world & becoming financially free. We initially began with dreams of creating our own cognac, very quickly we learned that we didn’t have anywhere near the capital needed to get that venture up and running. I (Quick) then deviated into a separate passion of mine – music. Knowing that I had no interest in crafting together rhymes and going through all that would come with being an artist, I always had the desire to assist in making others shine. This spawned the birth of Bemused by Expression Recordings (@bxe_records). Quick being the CEO, and Veli being our in-house videographer / graphic designer/ jack of all trades’ essential component to the company. We’ve both always loved bringing people together as well as having things of our own. A lot of spaces we’d attend for shows and/or photo video studios we felt lacked soul and did not make you feel something upon entering/ during the time we occupied the space. Through hosting shows for BxE, I knew that inevitably, I’d need to have my own space because the rental fees for the majority of the venues in LA were out of budget, and we also did not have the relationships necessary to make those rates a bit more affordable. Fast forward a few years later, Veli & I were able to put our coins together and create SlideThruTheVenue. The best venue & photo/ video studio in LA. We hope that when you “slide thru,” you’re able to enjoy it as much as we do!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having a multitude of other interests/ passions between the two of us is a blessing and a curse. It keeps us working on all of our other things as well so that no task ever feels mundane. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, it can be a curse because it’s hard to decide what thing that you’re working on should take precedence over the others. Despite having a few businesses, Veli & I are not inherently “businesspeople,” we don’t enjoy all that it comes with at times – we just want to be creative and have people enjoy the things that we create. With that being said, the road has been bumpy to get to this point, both financially and mentally. But with all things worth having, there will be roadblocks along the way. They are designed to temporarily derail you and test your resilience. We know that Slide Thru has the capability of being a pillar in the community and a stomping ground for the emerging LA music scene. With that ideology in mind and having each other to lean on when doubt creeps in – we’re able to make the road as smooth as possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Slide Thru The Venue?
At Slide Thru, we’re most proud of creating a space that can bring people together where they can feel comfortable just “sliding thru” and leave with a bevy of memories. Slide Thru recently opened in Jan 2024 and is a music event venue & production studio in the Arts District of Downtown LA. We aim to be a staple in the emerging music scene and, more importantly, a pillar in the community. We have various sets for productions (video & photo), including a large Cyclorama Wall, Foil Room, Fuzz Room, Basketball Hoop, Nostalgia Wall, and even a mini-golf set! For events, we’ve curated a space that can cater to your vision, including a performance stage, professional speakers, projector, TV monitor, green room, and custom lighting!
Shoutout my mom, I love you bro. Shoutout Veli because without her none of this is possible. Shoutout my LA homies you guys motivate me more than you could probably fathom and have assisted in making Slide Thru what it is #bussers. Shoutout Montgomery County, Maryland every time you see Quick & Veli do anything notable, know that back home is a big part of that. Shoutout to all my brovas even the ones I don’t talk to anymore. Y’all helped me get to this point and for that I’ll forever appreciate y’all. Love is love and make sure you SLIDE THRU!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
No one can save you from the things you do not enjoy about your own life, and waiting around for that to occur will make life pass you by. Veli & I both have griped about our corporate 9-5 jobs that we still have to work. However, there came a point in time where those complaints had to lead us to take action, or we’d be crying tirelessly to no end. Additionally, we’ve learned that (shoutout to Matt) “no person is an island,” which is a similar locution to “it takes a village.” This message was also imperative to our journey as it always serves as a reminder that no one does anything remarkable alone. Always strive to include, connect, and build with others. Slide Thru was created by Quick & Veli, but we want it to feel like everyone has a piece of it as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: slidethruthevenue.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slidethruthevenue/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@slidethruthevenue
