Following the traces of the youth grassroots media production in Austin has been exciting. It is nice and intellectually challenging to discover new worlds. As I decided to pursue the project of documenting some of the practices of the local youth (sub) cultural scene, I have been talking to some of the baristas in coffeehouses trying to figure how their networks work. One week ago, I assisted to a an event at Trailer Space Records, an old record store in the East side of town, where several female media makers and entrepreneurs got together for celebrating the release of a new zine, GRRRRRRL Thang.
The zine is a collaboration between 14 girls who contribute with poetry, essays, quotes, drawings and photographs. They organize all these materials in a kind of pocket size fanzine that could easily fit in a pocket. Interestingly, as an example of networking and cooperation, the Grrrrrrl Thang is published with the help of Raw Paw, the other local zine I discovered a couple of weeks ago.
I was fascinated by all the micromedia that circulates in this community. Not only fliers are passed physically and virtually (if oen joins mailing lists), but also stickers and cds are left over tables so people can connect. Of particular interests was the sort of altar that was located very closely to the performers. Arranged on the top of a silk scarf, printed copies of the new Grrrrl Thang zine and hand made CDs were displayed along with a little box for donations.
Another interesting thing, was to see the work of some vintage clothing girl entrepreneurs who arranged a booth/closet in one of the sides of the record store, near a couple of old videogame arcade machines. These girls had curated a quite impressive amount of cloths and attracted many of the female guest to try dresses, jackets, blouses, and hats.
Although at first I was told the event featured girl bands, all the female musicians I was able to see were solo performers. This could be due to the fact that I arrived a little bit late and only had the opportunity to listen to 4 of the seven artists who were announces. After the concert, I talked to some of them and they told me they sang all original pieces. One of them said she felt like singing in her bedroom, in a very intimate situation.
