Ladies Rock Camp (LRC) isn’t just a camp, it’s a community that celebrates the creative potential of women and gender non-conforming individuals year round. We’d love for you to come join that celebration on Sunday, February 16 at Skylark Café and Club in West Seattle from 4pm to 7pm!
Six lotto bands—formed just for this event!—will perform. Learn about Rain City Rock Camp (RCRC) volunteer opportunities, enter our raffle for fun prizes, and get your favorite RCRC merch. We’ll also be revealing our 2020 theme!
The 2020 LRC Winter Assembly is open to all ages. Tickets are $10 at the door for adults, $5 for youth. RSVP here!
Midnight Crater, one of the lotto bands performing at the event, took a few moments to share their perspective on RCRC, the power of music and what we should expect from them on the big night!
RCRC: What do LRC and the larger RCRC mission mean to you personally?
Rachel Betron (they/them, bass/drums): I first learned about the Rain City Rock Camp mission and Ladies Rock Camp through the summer youth camp as a volunteer. It is so powerful to witness young girls and gender-diverse youth bravely playing their own music in front of friends, family and strangers. As a young queer person of color from a small town, I didn’t have access to mentors or resources who could encourage me to take creative risks in music, so the opportunity to participate in the camp as an adult was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. To me, RCRC isn’t just about getting gender-diverse people into the music pipeline; it’s also about creating an inclusive community. It’s about embracing the ethos of practicing for improvement, not perfection, and developing self-esteem and confidence.
RCRC: What’s your favorite thing about playing in an RCRC lotto band?
Elisha Ewing (she/her, drums/bass): Learning, growing and sharing are all elements that I love about being in my RCRC lotto band. It is refreshing to have new and different perspectives. I feel that this is an awesome way to see cool things that have been hiding in plain sight, a means to further opening the mind!
RCRC: What positive impact do you think RCRC has on Seattle area girls, women and gender non-conforming individuals?
Karen Studarus (she/her, guitar): I’m not with the band; I AM the band. It’s so empowering to have the tools and encouragement to rock. I wish I’d had that revelation DECADES ago and am so stoked that young girls and nonbinary folks are getting this message sooner than I did. You can waste a lot of years watching boys play guitars.
RCRC: How has music empowered you?
Hallie Tanner (she/her, vocals): Performing music live is like throwing your doors open to the world and yelling “Here I am, take it or leave it.” There is empowerment in embracing vulnerability because we are our most powerful when we are our true selves. Good music is honest, and I want to make good music!
RCRC: What will you be rocking at the RCRC 2020 Winter Assembly?
Karen Studarus (she/her, guitar): We’ve got a mixture of catchy original tunes and reimagined covers that might get the room moving. Stay tuned!
