It’s that time of year again…
On June 29th Badass Bands celebrates its 7thanniversary as one of the Los Angeles music scene’s fiercest champions and the party happens at the Hi Hat in Highland Park featuring LA locals EasyFriend, YIP YOPS, and VOWWS. It’s a celebration of music, of friends and the awesome that is Badass Bands.
Being a musician or in a band is hard: really hard and the Los Angeles music scene is a one-of-a-kind Petri dish where art and all manner of artists foster and develop and become. In a city of approximately four million souls where you can’t throw a can of LaCroix without hitting a musician, the “becoming” is, arguably, the hardest part of the process and just as arguably impossible without support from the community that you inhabit. That support comes in many forms from local radio stations to best friends who come to your shows to venues who book you to blogs who bother to talk about you. And then there is Badass Bands…
“Badass Bands is a collective of music enthusiasts driven to promoting a community of badass independent artists. We post interviews, live performance videos and host showcases with badass indie bands.”
Jolynn Braswell
It’s the brainchild of Jolynn Braswell, a music fan of the extraordinary kind, who took her music appreciation and love for the wealth of local talent (and talented friends) whose music and presence has made her life better and made it her business to spread the good word about them. What began simply as a blog blossomed into an assemblage of talented fellow music lovers like Jordan Robins and Charles Lopez (to name only two) who helped evolve Badass Bands into a platform for in-studio performances, interviews, podcasts and a respected local brand of note. Over the years, if regularly attending shows at LA venues like the Satellite, Silverlake Lounge, and the Hi Hat is a thing for you, chances are that you have attended a Badass Bands show with a lineup of artists that Braswell booked with her own two hands and heart. Basically, she’s a damned good friend to artists and music; the kind of friend that you can never have too many of.
And it’s an understatement to say that the appreciation is returned in kind and if you ask the artists playing the BB 7thanniversary show, that clearly shines through:
“Jo and her team are musical saints. Always keeping us sensitive music makers feeling like we are worth it! Jo’s appreciation for good, live music also stands out in a universe of handheld stars! She was at my first EasyFriend show! Fresh back from New Orleans! She made me feel like a pro! Like a real ‘badass’ showed up to my show! It’s been a long time since then, but she still supports any time she is humanly available!
She is family to us. She is a huge part of this community. We would easily fight off a tiger if it were attacking her!” – Eric Brown (EasyFriend)
EasyFriend
“We had the pleasure of doing a Badass Bands podcast last year, and it was a total blast. Scene support is ridiculously important, especially to new arrivals like us – without people like Jo and the BB team, we’d just dreamers playing to ourselves. So thank you, and see you on the 29th!” – Matt (VOWWS)
VOWWS
“I think what Jo and Jordan are doing with Badass Bands is really great. Being able to talk with them, it’s abundantly clear their passion and love for the community of music in LA. We’re stoked to be a part of the 7th Anniversary Show and are excited to see how they grow into the future!” – Ison Van Winkle (YIP YOPS)
YIP YOPS
So on Friday, June 29th the place to be is at the Hi Hat for the Badass Bands 7th Anniversary Show in a room full of, not only music and musicians but friends and familiars and folks who keep our local scene running like a well-oiled machine. Folks like Jolynn Braswell.
PS: She can also make a mean cupcake. Just ask her.
