Recently, I released Shape of the Crowd Volume 9, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. As of writing this, there are just over 20 copies left unclaimed. This is one of my favorite volumes in a while, probably my favorite since volume 6, an extremely similar issue. Volume 9 features my favorite time of the year, October – January, with highlights including Sludgefest 2, Halloweekend 2, the final show at local house venue The Marigold, End of the World at The Milestone in Charlotte, and New Year's Eve. You can DM me on social media or email me to order a copy.
The release of this volume means I'm right at the doorstep of the long-awaited Volume 10. I was holding out on saying too much about it publicly because I had a few options, and the details of whether those options remained/became available were dependent on factors outside my control. One such option I was considering was "Shape of the Crowd Magazine". Inspired by projects like Greenville SC's "Rattlesnake Press", Asheville NC's "Imprint", and countless similar works documenting DIY and local culture, I wanted to expand the photographic documentation I already do with text interviews of local bands, DIY venues, relevant ethical businesses, Indie labels, other artists, lighting and sound people, anyone helping shape the culture with something interesting to say. There are many challenges in making this happen. The jump to magazine size and format demands money to produce, distribution and marketing, online infrastructure, a lot of time and enforcement of deadlines, and a flexing of journalistic ability and good writing, things I have not studied nor do I have much experience in. These things were/are possible to overcome. The biggest inspiration to pursue this idea came from a contest I saw on Hemlock Printers' website, called "Make-A-Mag". The summary was that if you applied with your idea, a panel of judges would choose a winner and award them with a free print of 250 copies of your idea's first issue. The grant received an astounding and universally unexpected nearly 300 applications, and suffice to say, "Shape of the Crowd" did not win. This means that what is left in the zine fund would have to support a print run of the magazine were it to happen, but that is not the only hurdle. There are other difficult realities at play. The biggest issue with commitment to such an idea is that I am increasingly unsure if I will be able to continue to afford living in Asheville. The high cost of living here coupled with almost no accessible career opportunities providing anywhere close to living wage, let alone benefits, is proving outright hostile to try to survive in a city that does not value the locals that make it worth coming to. The needs I have as an adult transgender woman are potentially unmeetable by the city's offerings, and I'm reminded that my being here was never meant to be permanent. Each day the best option for me seems to edge closer to leaving, and at this rate I may not have much choice. This, coupled with the relatively low-popularity of the zine when considering how many copies move within what degree of time, as well as their financial viability as a donation-based work, all makes it feel like a potential misstep to commit to anything long term. I apologize for the negativity of the above sentiment, but I feel the economic struggle of Asheville for DIY artists is a subject I'm outright obligated to share as a factor in my work, given my love and relationship of the culture I dedicate my photography and art to. I've been looking for more pleasant or professional ways to express this perspective, but the repeated disappointment I feel as I see these issues continue to harm my friends, fellow artists, cultural participants and I has made me lose patience for those formalities. That brings me to my current considered options of what to do with the remaining zine fund. October will mark 5 years of my photography of the Asheville scene. This makes this year a good time to culminate my work into a photobook spanning my full career, 2019 – 2024. I have a little fear at the monumentality of emptying the whole fund on this endeavor and then some, something this option would surely do, but I think the result would be the most important thing I've ever created. It is also good to acknowledge that the idea of shaping the zine into something more reminiscent of a magazine as stated above isn't an idea that is dead in the water. There isn't a whole lot of reason I can't begin to include all the previously mentioned ideas for interviews and writing into what it is now, other than space in the pages. Such a move would likely lead to a more frequently released zine, and that may help or hurt it, it's hard to say. I do fear over-saturating the project. That is what is currently on the table for Volume 10. Lastly, the remasters. In order to comply with intellectual property rights, tax code, and my sanity, as well as improve the earlier volume's ability to preserve the culture, every volume up to this point will be treated to remasters in the near future. Expect releases soon. Many volumes are already completed as remasters, but again, many factors are at play at once and I don't want to oversaturate by releasing them all at once. Thank you to everyone that keeps up with and supports my work, and creates a culture worth saving.
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I'm not much of a cinematographer (yet), but for preservation I've taken a few videos over the years. My prouder work has been kept in the vault for years and remains that way, but there are some live music videos I've taken that are now available to view. In general, the visual quality of these are pretty terrible, as the Nikon D5100 leaves a lot to be desired in the low-light video department. The audio, however, is... passable. I'd rather they exist than not exist, I'll put the bar there. You can now see 12 videos of live music performances here.
Featured are Sane Voids, Rocky Mountain Roller, Computer Science, Elvis Depressedly, Machine 13, Odd Squad, Toadhand, Rhinestone Pickup Truck, and Bombay Gasoline. Many many updates, so I'll get in and get out fast.
Near the completion of my Juniper Willow Fleetwood's September Residency, I decided it would be best to cancel any remaining shows afterward and retreat to focus on writing and recording new material. I will not be playing or booking anymore shows as Juniper Willow for a while, and expect to return with new music sometime next year. Keep an ear out. I have started playing synthesizer (and sometimes screaming) in punk band Socialist Anxiety. I will be both recording with them and playing live with them when appropriate, as often as I can. Shape of the Crowd Volume 8, my ongoing photography zine of the Asheville D.I.Y. music scene, has begun production and is set to release later this month. The most likely rollout will be exclusive availability October 28th at Genesee Grotto and October 29th at The Rabbit Hole. Online ordering of physical copies will likely begin on November 1st, and it will be available for free digitally on this website after 100 physical copies have been moved. Speaking of, Halloweekend Fest 2 has just been announced. Come see a huge roster of D.I.Y. bands play 3 of my favorite Asheville venues: Genesee Grotto 10/28/23, The Rabbit Hole 10/29/23, and Static Age 10/30/23. My photography zine of the Asheville D.I.Y. music scene will release it's 10th volume next year, and I've been planning a stretch goal as far back as June of 2022: a full 120+ page photobook. Shape of the Crowd has always been funded by reader and D.I.Y. business donations, and any donations totaling more than the cost to produce and distribute the zine have always been tallied in a "zine fund" which is pulled from to cover the costs of future volumes. Slowly over time this accrues on average a few hundred dollars per volume. The first time the zine fund was emptied was to fund a solo photography exhibition of my Asheville live music work, which was shown at Harvest Records in Asheville, NC that same June of 2022. Small prints from that exhibition are now distributed for free at random with some copies of Shape of the Crowd. You can see documentation of that exhibition here.
Shape of the Crowd Volume 10 is envisioned currently as a 120 page 9"x6" bound paperback photobook. It would most likely be in black and white, as most of my photography is, and it is more cost efficient. This volume would span the entirety of my career in D.I.Y. music photography, from 2019 to 2024, 6 years of history. Appraisal of a photobook was done by Hemlock Printers, which I was drawn to after purchasing a copy of Phil Elverum's 2022 photobook "Microphones (details and context)", printed by Hemlock. They appraised the job as being worth $1602 for 100 9"x6" 120 page books at the time, though this total may change by the time production begins. I am also currently researching opportunities to print with small businesses locally if affordable. I am interested in keeping Shape of the Crowd 10 donation-based even in this unique form, though the cost to print and the amount of work it will require, along with undoubtedly much higher shipping costs, could change how I execute the distribution. I may collect donations as pre-orders before shipping to see if I can increase the number of copies printed, the number of pages, or any other quality of the final product. All of this is speculative, as the most likely release date is June or July of 2024. If you're interested in supporting this project, you can subscribe to get notified any time a new volume of Shape of the Crowd releases so you never miss a volume, and if you're missing any previous volumes, you can order them as well. I have also considered releasing the covers of each zine as full sized posters, or partnering with my good friend Joey Wilson at Mythic Merch to do a shirt run of some sort. All will depend on interest. Lastly, the eventual release of SOTC10 will probably give me a good excuse to overhaul and standardize the way the zines are designed and distributed. Not much is set in stone, but issues of notifications and online ordering will probably be solved by streamlining via 3rd party systems and functionality on this website in anticipation of this release. All of this is more brainstorming than anything, and is both open to feedback and subject to change.
I recently launched a GoFundMe to help me manage the costs of my healthcare and gender affirming care. Between many life struggles, from insurance becoming increasingly apathetic to covering my treatment costs, to my car failing me with thousands of dollars needed for repairs, to the pressure to find new housing, and much more, I've asked that as my finances undergo strain I receive help from the community to ensure that I don't have to choose between healthcare and other necessities. So far the community has raised over $1,600 for my healthcare fund and aid towards my general stability, and the effect has been lifechanging even as I continue to struggle. I am so, so grateful, and although I know it's not expected of me, I want nothing more than to one day pay this money back into the community. Thank you all so much for helping me get this far. If you'd like to donate or learn more, I have a much longer and more detailed assessment of the situation on GoFundMe. Click here to visit.
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