Dominick Campana’s contributions on stage and behind the scenes earn Hall of Fame induction

Musician, producer, and founder of Paint Chip Records honored for more than four decades of contributions to the Capital Region music scene.

Dominick Campana has played a significant and lasting role in the music life of Albany and the Capital Region for more than forty years, as a musician, producer, recording and live audio engineer, and business owner, his contributions have shaped not only the sound of countless performances, but the community behind them as well. This year, that lifelong commitment is being recognized with his induction into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame March 23 at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.

Campana’s journey began in the early ‘80s, when Albany’s clubs were raw, restless, and alive with possibility. As lead guitarist for The Fan Club, later known as Names for Numbers, he helped define a moment when local bands dared to sound like themselves. Night after night, those songs rang out in packed rooms, and before long the band was opening for national acts like The Replacements.

“We all learned and grew together,” Campana said.

These early years established him as a skilled guitarist and active participant in Albany’s developing original music scene.

In 1985, Campana formed Dirty Face, a band that would become a cornerstone of the Capital Region rock landscape. The band released multiple albums, toured nationally, and became a regular presence at venues such as 288 Lark, Duck Soup, and QE2. Dirty Face also shared stages with artists including Soul Asylum and the Goo Goo Dolls. Through consistent live performance and recorded output, the band became one of the recognized local acts of its era.

“Those first bands really taught me a lot about songwriting and arrangements and all the details in between the verses and the choruses. Both had their roles, and they were both a part of me and will always be a part of me.”

Yet his impact didn’t stop at the edge of the stage. His work as a performer led naturally into recording and production.

“It wasn’t necessarily a switch that goes on or off. [Music] was always part of me. I didn’t really make a conscious decision. It’s just always been something that I felt the need to do. I can remember my very earliest musical memories — I was in kindergarten, sneaking the AM radio under the pillow to hear what was being played at night.”

In 1993, he founded Paint Chip Records, a cooperative record label created to support local and regional bands. “I wanted to make recorded music sound like the quality level that you heard on the radio — I wanted to make the song and the recording as good as it could be with whatever tools we had.”

Through Paint Chip Records, Campana produced and engineered recordings for dozens of artists, including Bloom, Lughead, The Wait, and many others — helping translate local energy into lasting documents. The label provided an outlet for Capital Region musicians to record and release original music during a time when independent local support structures were limited.

“I helped them record their songs and, most importantly, help get the songs promoted. Other bands leaned on me because at least I knew something.”

“When you’re working in a studio on someone’s art, there’s a strong bond because you’re working really hard on something that’s important to most of the people in that room.”

Alongside his work with Paint Chip Records, he developed a long career as an audio engineer and worked in recording studios in Albany, Boston, Memphis, and New York, and has earned a reputation as a highly skilled live sound engineer.

Locally, he shaped the sound of rooms that mattered — Valentines, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and The Egg — while working with hundreds of regional artists. Nationally and internationally, his résumé grew to include collaborations with Diana Krall, Béla Fleck, The Marsalis Brothers, and The Zombies, as well as high-profile non-musical events featuring voices like Hillary Clinton and Barbara Walters. No matter the stage, his approach was the same: respect the room, respect the artist, and let the moment speak clearly.

Today, Dominick continues that philosophy through Pro Sound Associates, where he designs and installs sound systems for schools and athletic facilities. He continues to produce and record music at his home studio, All Mod Sound. As a solo artist, his album “Back Pocket” (2021) and single “It’s Never All Right “(2024) received Eddies Music Award nominations, and his upcoming album, “Triggers and Waves,” represents his most recent work as a songwriter and performer.

“Hopefully you’ll hear one of my songs or one of my recordings, and it’ll have some sort of effect, hopefully positive, on your day.”

Campana’s legacy is not a single band, a single record, or a single room. It is a network of sounds, opportunities, and people. His career reflects sustained involvement in every level of the Capital Region music ecosystem from performing and recording to engineering, producing, and supporting other artists. His induction into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame acknowledges decades of consistent contribution to the sound and structure of the local music scene.

The inductee ceremony is open to the public and includes musical performances, a social hour, videos on the musical career of each inductee, and acceptance speeches. Tickets are on sale now through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 from 12-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday or online by visiting atuph.org.

Universal Preservation Hall and Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame are a part of Proctors Collaborative. For more information on the Hall of Fame visit theeddiesawards.com.