When I moved to Brooklyn a year ago, I dreamt of hosting music-centered events like I did with my friend & Bungalow East co-founder, Loleita Vatikani, in Austin, TX. As a co-founder of Bungalow East, our mission continues to be a medium for on-the-rise artists to grow performing unique, curated events. We aim to be a platform to support new artists, giving them an audience to listen and engage with their music. The house shows and events have always been about cultivating community and connection, advocacy for artists, and music discovery.
Our first Brooklyn event sold out hosting almost 80 guests at the Rosa New York event space in Williamsburg. Our two Brooklyn-based artists were songwriter & producer, Harrison Lipton and indie-pop artist, Middle Part. We featured women-owned, small businesses including Wild Aster Vintage, Casa Privada Vintage and Made by Mack Ceramics as part of a pop-up shop indoors. We also had drink sponsorship from brands including Ghia, Parch Cocktails, Sierra Nevada, and Deep Eddy for guests to enjoy. I organized all details from conception to execution including event curation, branding and marketing, social media, artist communication, event space and sound logistics, and managing partnerships with small business vendors and drink sponsors.
This project has blossomed into something special, and I continue to learn so much about being a female founder of a music project. With a last minute reschedule due to the air quality in New York, I was faced with many obstacles including booking new artists, finding new small business vendors, and ultimately trying to pivot and lean into producing the event. Amidst the chaos of rescheduling and planning the event, I learned a few important lessons that I’ll continue to carry with me including: it is always okay to ask for help, always act with kindness and empathy, be prepared to stand up for yourself and your mission when you need to, take ownership when you make a mistake, growth and learning comes from putting your ideas out there and community and collaboration are always necessary. I’m grateful for the many people who helped me in so many ways make this come to life, especially my Austin and Brooklyn community. I can’t wait to see the future of Bungalow East continue to create community, support rising artists, and continue to forge an individual path in the music industry.
If you would like to get involved as a collaborator, investor, volunteer, sponsor, etc, please reach out to me: bungaloweastatx@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting this project!
35mm photos by Jess Focht
