I knew we wanted to do things differently to test out the effectiveness of using a “mycelial” approach to getting our work out there as an essentially unknown entity.
The Zine:
Except for a couple of teaser posts on instagram I opted for no other promotion except for a mini zine I created which would be left in coffee shops and other places around Ottawa for people to discover organically. Using the lyrics from the EP I created 6 poems and a handful of collage art pieces. I printed much too few and put them in much too few places because I was broke (and a bit scared) but they found their way into the hands of a couple of key people.
THE SECRET SHOW w FRABJOUS:
I met the creator of frabjous.ca, an independent underground alt event organizer in Ottawa, at a local coffee shop and told them about the EP we just released and gave them a copy of the mini zine. I shared with them the idea of a secret after hours show of the EP at a local venue. They asked if they could host it and build us a cool guest list. Agreed.
We hosted it at Art House (which we renamed The 555) one Sunday evening in November 2023 after they were closed to the public.
Amateur Painter and I knew we wanted to perform the show with everyone wearing headphones early on, which is why it took us so long after launching the EP to do our first live performance.
For a couple of months before we recorded the EP, we would do jams. Late at night in the basement with headphones. We improvised and played for anything between 45-60 minutes and often recorded it. Then snuggled up on the daybed listening to it afterwards. A noisy coloured disco light in the corner of the room filling it up with light confetti. The intimacy of the headphones and the colourful but dimly lit room became essential to the experience of PARTYGIRL. So we wanted everyone in there with us. Like uploading them into our virtual ether.
We contacted Silent Beats to help us arrange the 40+ pairs of wireless headphones we needed. Amateur Painter worked tirelessly to give us a seamless playing experience with my live vocal mixing/manipulation setup, and his multi-instrumental (both digital and real) setup, all with very minimal latency.
We were lucky enough to get Sessions Cannabis on Somerset Street to sponsor a large portion of the cost of the headphones as well as provide gifts for attendees. We were able to make up the rest of the cost of hosting the show by donations from attendees and the sale of our online EP.
The night of the show, as I sat down and placed the same headphones on my ears that everyone else was wearing, a type of intimacy became clear. I had to acknowledge it. Care for it.
So in the high pitched soothing tones of soft nervousness I reassured them, don’t worry PARTYGIRL will take good care of you.
Kind words from guests of the secret show:
“An almost complete synthesis between both sonic and somatic senses – creating what I can only describe as transcendental” – Crig
“A mesmerizing display of sound that takes time away from you. I was simply entranced and captivated inside their soundscape” – Phasez
“Soft incandescent hues of purple and pink, a weightless hug of support. An echoing whisper beckoning you to yourself” – Naive Fanatic
“Very cool to be immersed in beautiful sound for the PARTYGIRL show. Wearing the headphones brought a level of intimacy to the show and a one of a kind experience.” – Jeff Watkins Loretta Media
“Euphoric-Therapeutic-Beautiful-Soulful” – Jaspreet
“I felt transported into a pocket world where PARTYGIRL and Amateur Painter were both the zipper and the Chiron. They didn’t make the sun rise or the flowers bloom. But for those of us in that room, they might as well have.” – Nav
“Amorphous, transformative, flow state, connection, dreamscape, magic, ease. 🌚🌌🍄🌊😌” – Dani
PARTYGIRL 