Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Cooper.
Hi Abby, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I think of how I got to where I am today, there are a few specific memories that stand out. The first was a realization I had in high school when I led efforts to plan and produce a benefit night as part of the leadership team of my high school’s feminist club. This experience showed me that event production perfectly combines my knack for organization, coordination, and attention to detail with a creative outlet.
Bass n Babes is meant to embody rave culture. EDM, raving, and festivals are a huge part of my life. I attended my first festival in 2017, and since then I have felt a strong connection to the community. Festivals are a place where I feel free and comfortable, and Bass n Babes is a space that aims to emulate that vibe.
Bass n Babes is a queer event that centers, uplifts, and empowers members of the queer community, especially queer women, trans, and nonbinary people. When I moved to Los Angeles, I attended my first sapphic queer event, unlocking new realizations about sexuality. I felt at home in the queer community and quickly made many new connections. While I value the queer community in LA deeply, the genres of music that I prefer are not what one typically hears at these events.
Bass n Babes was born out of my love for two different communities and my acknowledgment of what they lacked. Queer nightlife, while safe and welcoming, lacks my music preferences, and festivals and raves tend to be male-dominated, heteronormative spaces. Bass n Babes is meant to be the best of both worlds – a queer bass music rave utopia.
In the spring of 2022, my friend Marzz and I started the queer event company Fever Dream. We put on a variety of queer events together, but I soon realized my interests were much more specific: I wanted to create a queer rave. And not only that, I wanted the rave to feature queer and femme bass music DJs, whose opportunities to perform are limited in the LA scene that prefers house and techno.
In November 2022, I produced the first Bass n Babes event with Fever Dream. Through that event, I decided I wanted to focus on exclusively Bass n Babes, and so I parted ways from Fever Dream. From the first event at El Cid with only 75 attendees, Bass n Babes has grown to a monthly event at Los Globos, bringing in 150-200 people for each show. I have produced eight events under the title Bass n Babes and am working on the ninth event which will be on September 14th at Los Globos!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest struggles for me is the anticipation that comes with throwing each event. You put a ton of energy, time, and love into these events and it is never a guarantee that people are going to show up. It’s never a guarantee that you won’t lose money. I don’t have a formal educational background in marketing, and so I am figuring that out as I go. Every event is sort of a gamble, and it is stressful because the majority of tickets are sold the day before the event and the day of. But I have been so lucky because the queer community shows out. My events don’t sell out – yet – but we have grown, and we are reaching new audiences for every event.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Bass n Babes is a queer-centric event series and artist collective. As a queer person who loves bass music and raves, I realized the lack of nightlife spaces that combined these niches. When I started DJing and getting more immersed in the EDM world, I noticed the lack of female and queer representation, especially in bass music. I started Bass n Babes with the mission of creating queer spaces within the EDM community and uplifting queer and other underrepresented DJs and producers. The ultimate goal of Bass n Babes is to build a feminine and queer presence in the bass music scene.
Bass n Babes is not just an event; it’s a vibrant tapestry of unity, acceptance, and euphoria that leaves a lasting impression on every soul fortunate enough to experience our community. Embodying all the core concepts of PLUR, Bass n Babes centers queer women, trans, and nonbinary individuals with the goal of elevating our queer community in the rave scene. This is extremely special and important because there are not any other queer-centered bass music events.
The production value of my events stands out as I handmake props and decorations for every event. All of my decoration follows the theme of space and aliens – I have painted many different aliens with glow-in-the-dark paint and cut them from cardboard for my events. The Bass n Babes community is another aspect of the event that sets us apart.
The community is very welcoming, supportive, and friendly. I am frequently asked – “can my friend come if they aren’t femme or queer?” The answer is yes – while Bass n Babes is a queer-centric event, any and all are welcome as long as they understand that they are entering a space of queer culture and can respect that. When it comes to booking talent, artists, and vendors, I prioritize booking queer, femme, trans, nonbinary, and other underrepresented groups.
In addition, to these events, Bass n Babes also partners with Pirate Studio to offer free DJ workshops and community-building events to the queer community.
What’s next?
I executed eight events so far in 2023, with three more on the book for this year. Going into 2024, I plan produce four to six events over the year while scaling up each event with new partnerships and performers. Ultimately, I hope to grow the event and become a well-respected collective in both the queer and bass music nightlife scene. I would love to one day bring the event to other cities and book more prominent artists. Some artists I dream of one-day booking for a Bass n Babes show include LUN, Canabliss, Alleycvt, Zingara, and Sharlitz Web.
Pricing:
- Event Tickets $7-$20
- VIP Event Tickets $50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.babykushproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bass.n.babes/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/bass.n.babes/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bass-n-babes
Image Credits
Bemm Marloweee, Lucia Doynel
