10/22/2020 0 Comments October Member Meetup Recap: Zopen Mic
Thanks to all members who participated in this month's virtual open mic meetup! Lots of heartfelt and poignant pieces were shared, covering an array of topics like love and acceptance, social change, processing time and anxiety during a pandemic, and more. In lieu of a community gathering this month, we thought we'd share some of the pieces that were performed on this public platform. Read on for a partial replay and discover if any of these artists' words or music resonate with you!
Julia Sage
Original Song: Here Comes the Clock
Bonnie Nicholls
Original Song: Nothin'
Dishes in the sink, evidence of drink In bottles and cans near the door Unanswered texts, unrelenting requests To see if I've got off the floor All I wanna do is nothin', lie around and give in to the fear All I wanna do is nothin' and slowly disappear Curtains drawn, weeds in the lawn Detritus on the porch Bed unmade, bills unpaid The whole place should be torched 'cuz All I wanna do is nothin', lie around and give in to the fear All I wanna do is nothin' and slowly disappear No energy left to explain the entropy inside my brain Inertia is the only thing that moves me now All I wanna do is nothin', lie around in bed all day All I wanna do is nothin' and slowly slip away Slowly slip away, and slowly slip away Susan Lipson
Original Song: Let's Reframe
Complacency is how things go from bad to worse
And it really is a curse When silent shrugs are all we show. Standing by, not standing up Is the reason things don't change For we ALL must rearrange The status quo. The worst of history repeats Unless we stop the trend. It's up to us to end The unjust treatment we allow. We can say it's not our fault, That we've done nothing wrong, But we owe more than a song; We've got to act and stand up now. Chorus: Who are we? Let's reframe As if viewing Earth from space We're just multicolored folks-- The human race. Who are we, staking claims Based on pigment in our skin When the color of our blood Is just the same?! We're part of systems that allow Injustice to exist Now it's time we all resist The -isms hidden in our laws. No human merits privilege More than any other, We ALL come from a mother-- To grow in peace is our shared cause. Only what we add in goodness Can measure human worth For we're all here on this Earth As vital cogs in a machine. So, if some of us are broken Then ALL of us must fix The social structure, adding bricks To build foundations not yet seen. Who are we? Let's reframe As if viewing Earth from space We're just multicolored folks-- The human race. Who are we, staking claims Based on pigment in our skin When the color of our blood Is just the same?! Until we give up stupid notions That anyone's worth more, We ALL know what's in store: More of the same. Unless we teach our kids that they are No better and no worse, We'll maintain the racist curse With no one else to blame. Who are we? Let's reframe As if viewing Earth from space We're just multicolored folks-- The human race. Who are we, staking claims Based on pigment in our skin When the color of our blood Is just the same?! Chorus repeats Astra Kelly
Original Song: Heavy
Heavy, unsteady Waiting for voices to follow Heavy, unsteady Searching for words I can swallow The rain came to shatter, pouring down pain Drowning perceptions we had Waiting, unchanging I won't give in to the madness Chorus: Heavy, heavy I can't carry this weight Steady, steady now Lean into faith, til we break Through Thoughts come in like tremors Sirens signal the storm The rain came to shatter, reflections of me Pieces of the puzzle to place Heavy, yet ready Guide me into grace Chorus: Heavy, heavy I can't carry this weight Steady, steady now Lean into faith, til we break Through Bridge: Dreaming of finding home, safe from the storm Be weightless my soul, when fear lets me go Chorus: Heavy, heavy I will carry this weight Steady, steady now Lean into faith, we will break Through Lindsay White
Original Song: A Little Piece of Quiet
It's like the windows in my spirit and my soul have all been painted over It's like the locks in my heart were changed, and not by me and no one made me a key It's like I'll never know what could grow outside these gates What kinds of fates would await me It's like these poison clouds are shrouds upon my ears It gets harder and harder to hear I just, I just need A little piece of quiet Turn it down Shut it out Gimme more of that sweet silence âIt's like more people just keep dying all the time with bigger numbers come smaller headlines I make a fist, resist, but this twisted mind it binds my wrists I exist in fits Is this all there is If I killed this sound Would I drown or live Repeat Chorus Cathryn Beeks
Original Song: This Time
let's face it
we're not gonna change some people's minds they weren't raised right taught to kill and fight you know the kind and all I can hope for is their children will see the light look with your heart, kid You know what they're doing ain't right this time we are living in makes me wanna give in and die but this rage keeps me living injustice makes me wanna try I don't understand how some folks can turn a blind eye no more will I ignore I aint letting up this time It's now or never I ain't ever seen it this bad so many years of pretending what we had now everything's broken and every one is the glue If you won't join us I will fight harder than you let's face it we're not gonna change some people's minds they weren't raised right taught to kill and fight you know the kind and all I can hope for is that their children are not blind look with your heart, kid we'll make it better this time
Thank you, readers, for stopping by and lifting up our members by bearing witness to their work! Community members and prospective members, please check out our FAQ pages if you are interested in being a part of the Lady Brain fam!
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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020 - SAN DIEGO, CA Pandemic pending, local creative womxn's collective Lady Brain Presents is practicing cautious optimism while moving forward with plans for Lady Brain Film Fest, scheduled for Saturday, August 8. Submissions will be open April 6 through June 7, and earlybird tickets will be available starting in May. The festival will take place at the United Domestic Workers of America courtyard and sanctuary (4855 Seminole Dr, San Diego, CA 92115). Last July's inaugural Lady Brain Fest focused primarily on music, showcasing 20 womxn-fronted acts on two stages at Heritage Ranch in Encinitas. This year, in an effort to celebrate a broader range of womxn creators, the festival is shifting gears toward the cinematic arts. Films and music videos will be screened, and Lady Brain Collective members from across the creative spectrum (directors, writers, actors, musicians, videographers, makeup artists, costume designers, etc.) are welcome to submit their creations. The 2020 festival is the brainchild of collective member Mary Bee (filmmaker, musician, and host of travel docuseries Finding Harmony). “I thought it would be fun to bring more creatives into the collective who work in different art forms," she said. “It will be so nice to get to know more work of Lady Brain members, and by everyone coming together that night, I hope it sparks some new collaborations!" Lady Brain Presents founder Lindsay White is excited to help execute Bee's vision. “A common misconception about Lady Brain Presents is that we are a music collective, when in reality we aim to celebrate and support local womxn creators across mediums. Mary's idea is a great way to roll out the red carpet for a more inclusive membership." White also addressed how San Diego's recent shelter in place orders have affected the organization's current and future plans. “It's been a challenge because one of the main reasons we organized in the first place was to cultivate community support for womxn creatives in real, physical spaces through both private workshops and public community gatherings. Moving away from that model feels counterintuitive because we spent the last year encouraging folks to get off their devices and out into the world. But this is a new world, at least temporarily, and we have to adapt." First up in the collective's pivot to online spaces was last Sunday's “Community Quarantine," a Facebook livestream concert featuring performances from Julie Albright, Julia Sage, Astra Kelly, Rosy Dawn, Corina Rose, and Bonnie Nicholls. The organization has also transformed its monthly Brain Candy blog from a gig calendar to an artist relief resource. As shelter in place orders continue, Lady Brain Presents will move additional member workshops and showcases to virtual platforms as needed. “No matter what, the goal is for this family of local womxn creators to work together and find ways to lift each other up and amplify each other's work in the community," said White. “I am optimistic we will be able to gather again by August, but if we need to host a virtual film festival online, we will figure that out, too. Creative womxn always find a way - we're scrappy as hell."
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first ever Community Quarantine livestream on Facebook! Featuring virtual sets by Julie Albright, Julia Sage, Astra Kelly, Rosy Dawn, Corina Rose, and Bonnie Nicholls, attendees were able to experience the concert-style lineup in real time and enjoy an array of musical styles from some of the most talented womxn in San Diego!
3/26/2020 0 Comments March Community QuarantinePlease join us on Sunday, March 29 for our first Community Quarantine concert! Here's how it works - each performer will be live streaming from their personal account, but we will also be sharing those feeds on the Lady Brain Presents Facebook Page, so no need to jump around from profile to profile if you don't wanna! We're looking forward to bringing a little music and community into your homes! The concert is free, but if you have the means to tip our artists and our organization, a little goes a long way!
Lady Brain Livestream - Community Quarantine Sunday, March 29 - 2pm Tune in: www.facebook.com/ladybrainpresents Lineup: 2pm Julie Albright http://venmo.com/Julie-Albright-8 2:20pm Julia Sage https://venmo.com/julia-h- paypal/venmo: gothmodel@hotmail.com 2:40pm Astra Kelly http://www.venmo.com/astra-kelly 3pm Rosy Dawn Selwitz https://venmo.com/Rosy-Selwitz 3:20pm Corina Rose https://www.gofundme.com/san-diego-creatives-relief-fund (This is a fundraiser hosted by Heather Yambrovich, a local music/art lover who is setting up outreach for local artists in need of assistance.) 3:40pm Bonnie Nicholls (not collecting tips) To contribute to Lady Brain Presents: https://www.ladybrainpresents.com/contribute.html Thank you to everyone who came out to February's sold-out community gathering entitled Love in the Round. We kicked things off with a couple tunes from our gracious host Bonnie Nicholls, followed by a Nashville-style songwriters round featuring Astra Kelly and Carissa Schroeder. The space was made all the more lovely thanks to artwork and decoration from Barbara Rutherford, not to mention the loving attention from our listening room audience! Special thanks to our water sponsor Topo Chico for keeping everyone hydrated! If you're interested in getting involved, there are so many ways to contribute. Please consider becoming a Lady Brain Lover or Community Gathering Sponsor - these generous folks help our young organization grow and thrive. Or, if you have venue space and/or any other items to donate toward our cause, we want to hear from you! As we always say, art is a team sport, and we really appreciate ALL of the folks on our team.
ON DECK: Don't miss out on our March community gathering, happening this Saturday, March 7 from 5-8pm at Whistle Stop, where we'll be hosting a Lady Brain Presents takeover of the long-running music series Grampa Drew's Flim Flam Revue. This 21+ event is free, and a portion of the bar sales will benefit RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. photo credit: City6Studios and Barbara Rutherford February is the shortest month of the year, but it is jam-packed with events from members of Lady Brain Collective. Mark your calendars for great music, art, and entertainment from the most creative womxn in town! Saturday, February 1 - Corina Rose Collective Album Release w/ Shane Hall at EVE Encinitas Groovy, funky spiritual soul and rock and roll! More info Friday, February 7 - Donna Larsen and Messengers at Amplified Ale Works in Pacific Beach Join Donna Larsen and Messengers for great-tasting ale and great-sounding Indie Pop and Rock! The Mediterranean restaurant upstairs will deliver your food right to the table so you don't have to miss a beat. 8-10pm. More info Friday, February 7 - Lindsay White, Becca Jay, Veronica May at The Merrow in Hillcrest Kick off the weekend with full band sets from Lindsay White (folk/rock), Becca Jay (jazz/pop), and Veronica May (rock) at The Merrow in Hillcrest. Also featuring Lady Brain Collective members Jules Stewart and Paige Miller! $10 cover, 21+. More info Saturday, February 8 - Tori Roze & The Hot Mess at Amplified Ale Works in Pacific Beach Tori Roze & The Hot Mess brings you funky-jazzy-Neo-soul original music and cover jams at your fabulous neighborhood brewery featuring 16 original brews and delicious Mediterranean grub. No cover. 8-10pm. More info Friday, February 14 - Calamity at De Oro Mine Company in El Cajon Come solo or bring your sweetie to “the Ford Pinto of bars" De Oro Mine Company on Valentine's Day. Join the Calamity gals for some self-love, great music, games, and raffles. Three full hours of fun beginning at 8pm, no cover. 21+. More info Saturday, February 15 through Wednesday, February 19 - The Muse in Winter: A Creativity Retreat in Taos, N.M at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House Restore, revitalize, and nourish your creative self where creative greats from Georgia O'Keefe to Martha Graham received creative inspiration. Writing, art, yoga, improv games for the intimidated beginner to the seasoned expert. With author/illustrator and creative coaching guru, Jill Badonsky. More info Tuesday, February 18 - The Spiritual Motels and The Banduvloons with Touchtone at The Casbah Come out and support Lady Brain members Amy Day, Karina Frost Moreno and KC Deichler as The Spiritual Motels and The Banduvloons make their Casbah debut! 9pm, $6, 21+. More info Thursday, February 20 - Compassion: A soulsong.life Transformative Songwriting Workshop with Astra Kelly at The Lotus Room in Hillcrest Experience growth, healing, and connection through music by tapping into the creative source on the very auspicious date of 2.20.2020. We will explore the theme of “compassion" in depth and write (and record!) a song together that reflects our shared perceptions and experiences. No musical skills necessary! 6-9p, $75. Advance registration required. More info Saturday, February 29 - Lady Brain Presents “Love in the Round" Community Gathering in South Park Please join us for this historic leap year event at a private residence in South Park, where we will explore various definitions of and experiences with love. Our host Bonnie Nicholls will kick off the night, followed by a Nashville-style songwriters round featuring Astra Kelly and Carissa Schroeder. We will also showcase art by Barbara Rutherford. $10 advance tickets. Limited capacity seating; please make sure to RSVP early! More info Attention Business Owners: Advertise Your Company on the Brain Candy Blog! Rather than spend your advertising dollars on sponsored Facebook/Instagram ads and seemingly fake engagement, our advertising partnership offers genuine organic engagement increases your company's visibility as well as its reputation for supporting the community and empowering local womxn creatives. More info Please join us in South Park on Saturday, February 29 for this historic leap year showcase! Our next community gathering will explore various definitions of and experiences with love. Our host Bonnie Nicholls will kick off the night, followed by a songwriters round featuring Astra Kelly and Carissa Schroeder. We will also showcase art by Barbara Rutherford. Advanced tickets are $10 online. ($12 at door if showcase doesn't sell out). All funds go directly toward our performing members. 5pm Doors, 6pm Music. Please feel free to byo snack/drink to share!
We had such a wonderful day at yesterday's community gathering! Special thanks to the Lipson family for hosting us at their beautiful home, to all our featured performers, guest artist Amanda Pulis, and to Susan Lipson for facilitating a wonderful creative writing exercise for all attendees. We work hard to build safe spaces for our members and the community to create, connect, express, and be vulnerable with each other. Mission accomplished! The theme of this month's gathering was A Way With Words - each performer was asked to share not only their work, but also the inspiration and stories that inspired each piece. We heard about several topics ranging from mental health to grief to aging and more. The common denominator was that each artist combined creativity and resilience to process, heal, and help others. What a beautiful way to cope and connect! Community gatherings are special because we get to showcase our members' work to the community and because we ask guests to tap into their own creativity. It was wonderful to see so many attendees not only participate in our writing exercise, but also jump up on the mic to share their newly written pieces. Don't miss out on the next community gathering! We hope you'll join us for next month's holiday party and clothing drive on 12/8 at The Holding Company in Ocean Beach. Want to know more about our showcases? Be sure to sign up for email updates, plus you can also always find showcase info on our homepage. Lastly, if you believe in our cause, please consider becoming a Lady Brain Lover or sponsor so we can continue bringing these awesome events to San Diego!
10/28/2019 0 Comments Brain Candy - Lady Brain November NewsWelcome to this month's Brain Candy - here are our picks for the greatest gigs/events happening around town this month! Saturday, November 2 - Tori Roze at Vanguard Culture's “Future" Themed Event An avant-garde “Future" themed costume-filled evening of world class spoken word, live music, dance performances, visual art, wine, craft cocktails, and delicious edible treats! This quarterly Spoken Word Series is themed around moments in the history of art, fashion, science, music, pop culture, and more. Partnered with presentations and performances by the FLEET Science Center, UCSD Neuropathy Research, CityFX special effects makeup, Veteran Couture, Chef Daniela de la Puente, Psychic Artist Crystal Daigle, photographer Josue Castro, and renowned spoken word artist Gill Sotu - this night promises to be thoroughly engaging and inspiring. The event is 7-10pm @ IDEA1 (899 Park Blvd 92101, use F St. entrance). Tickets are $25 for industry professionals (show your business card at the door) and $40 general admission - friends get a 25% off discount with code TORI. Avant-garde “Future" themed costumes encouraged (steam punk, etc.). More info Sunday, November 3 - Gratitude: A soulsong.life Transformative Songwriting Workshop with Astra Kelly at Gypsy Magic in Talmadge Experience growth, healing and connection through music by tapping into the creative source. As a group, we will explore the theme of gratitude in depth and write a song together that reflects our shared experiences. No musical experience required. 2-5p, $75. Advance registration required. More info/Register Sunday, November 17 - Lady Brain Presents: A Way With Words Interactive Storytelling Showcase Join members of the Lady Brain Collective for an interactive storytelling showcase featuring poetry, prose, music, and art. After the showcase, author/poet Susan Lipson will facilitate an optional creative writing exercise for all attendees. Light lunch will be provided. Space is limited - please register online to reserve your seat. More info Friday, November 22 - Julia Sage and The Bad Hombres at Bar Pink Start your weekend party early! Have a nice drink while listening to some SouthAmericana™. Julia Sage and The Bad Hombres hit the Bar Pink stage at 7pm! More info Saturday, November 23 - The Spiritual Motels Album Launch Party at The Merrow, with Lindsay White and the Becca Jay Band
Bring all your friends and experience a Lady Brain-tastic extravaganza of an evening with the launch of the debut album from The Spiritual Motels, a band which deeply values and actively supports the life of the Lady Brain Collective (and includes LB member Amy Day). The evening will include full band performances by Lindsay White (with Jules Stewart) and the Becca Jay Band (which includes Mikayla Beaulieu and Paige Miller), and both Jules and Becca will be sitting in on various songs in The Spiritual Motels' set. And there will be a singalong for all! You can also find the album everywhere that same day, or pre-order it on iTunes beginning Nov. 8. The show begins at 9pm. Tickets $7 adv/ $10 door, 21+. More info We're excited to announce our next community gathering! On November 17, we invite you to join us for a storytelling showcase featuring lyrics, poetry, and prose from several members of the Lady Brain Collective, including Lizzie Wann, Lillian Lefranc, Becca Jay, Lisa Brackmann, Abby Dorsey, Mary Hamer, Bonnie Nicholls, Lindsay White, and Susan Lipson. Our exhibiting artist will be new Lady Brain member Amanda Lea - her work is unreal! In addition to the showcase, we will be offering an (optional) creative writing activity for all attendees, facilitated by our host Susan Lipson. The event will take place at a private residence in Poway, and seating is limited, so make sure to RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your space!
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