For the community
Recapping our Issue #3 Release Show through audience POVs and our own thoughts (we swear we'll shut the fuck up about it after this). (By. Matt Brady)
When we first started Brain Graffiti back in the early hot summer of 2023, we didn’t expect people to have such a driving force behind it and love it as much as they do.
With the initial concept being a photo zine that would include a couple of other scene photographers, the idea slowly morphed from a white canvas with a photo thrown on it into an ornately made, heavily journalistic, heavily collage-orientated mutt of sorts.
The first issue of Brain Graffiti almost wasn’t finished due to us hating what we were making.
“Who’s gonna give a shit?”
“This looks so bad!”
“Why are we putting so much work into this?”
Only after swallowing the malicious self-conscious thoughts that swirled around this project did we come to find out that it not only brought us closer together but it also resonated with people in the scene and beyond, something that we found out when people came up to us and said that they really loved it.
That’s why our Issue #3 Release Show really meant something to us.
Having bands like Ceruluem and Vatos Tristes on the bill was incredible; extremely talented bands based in the Chicagoland area, they’ve been our friends for over a year and we connected with them through the scene. We all quickly became friends through seeing each other at shows.
Bringing bands like Killmoves and We Weren’t Invited to the suburbs is something that we really look back on fondly. These Chicago staples are sharp-edged, hard-hitting outfits that deliver in-your-face scorchers that pummel the innocent ear if not ready.
To call all these bands acquaintances and friends through the love of music is something we hold special.
Audience recap:
Coop: For the past month or so that I’ve been ‘in the scene,’ I’ve received nothing but overwhelming welcome and acceptance and that was exemplified at the release show. There was a major sense of belonging among everyone there… and with that, I felt comfort. At least for me, the release gig solidified that I’m accepted in this scene. I’m positive others had the exact same response to it. You walk into an event like this and [you sort of] automatically go, “Okay, all these people are cool.”
On the topic of community in the suburbs, I wanted to mention how supportive every single other artist I met at the release show was; being in a smaller band and just getting going with things, sometimes I’ve felt a bit dorky going up to people and being like “I’m in a band, come to a show!” but in the environment you created I was given advice, made connections and made real friends all through the love of music in our scene. I’ve never felt a stronger sense of belonging anywhere else and I’m excited to see and contribute to this community continuing to grow.
Angelina: Oh man, I was SO excited for the show. The bill drew me in, with two of my favorite local bands: Ceruleum and Vatos Tristes. I knew it was gonna be such a great night. (Added bonus to any new groups I discovered too! S/O to Killmoves.) I can’t believe I almost couldn’t make it, luckily FOMO kicked in & hated the idea of missing it, so knew I had to hahaha. Brain Graffiti has been rallying up some pretty great events and I loved their zine style (I picked up my first issue from Pitt Stop a long while back). I was immediately hooked by the look and feel of it; I loved the multi-layer collage style that incorporates real photos from shows and hand-cut/written blurbs— hearing local band’s thoughts and origin stories, hopefully discovering a new band too.
The energy in the DIY scene is unmatched, and I love that it’s thriving in the burbs. Music & art is what drives the culture and you know everyone is there for the music. That’s what I love the most about going to local shows is the community that’s formed around it because we all just get down, vibe out and have fun I have met so many creative people and have made new friends from the Elgin-area DIY scene. It’s what people talk about, it brings people together, and it’s a beautiful thing that has long-lasting memories
Melany: I was just super excited the whole time. After issue #2, I was anticipating what was to come, and being there for issue #3 felt like an adventure! I felt nothing but a sense of happiness, and I’m so glad I can say I was able to experience this. In my experience, I’ve met some really cool people and Brian Graffiti has been a really big part of that. Having those connections and friendships really makes it feel like a trustworthy community and family!
Fred (we love you, Fred): The Issue 3 release was an amazing one. I was having a shit day, but it didn’t take long for that to change once I was there. At shows like this, emotions are always all over the place for me, from pure adrenaline to just being happy to see friends, to confusion when Garfield and the ambulance show up. But at the end of the day, you always leave feeling great.
I feel Brain Graffiti shows always make the sense of community stronger. I feel any other show you’re there to support the bands, have a good time, and call it a day. For a zine release like this, you’re celebrating the community as a whole. The many different artists, the people who attend shows, DIY venue owners etc. I really believe Brain Graffiti gives the whole community a chance to speak their mind and celebrate what we all love together.
Dylan: I had so many [emotions] it’s hard to express! I loved the lineup and the choices of bands on this lineup! The fact you guys got We Weren’t Invited to be on that bill made me and my buddy Nathan freak out and I knew we couldn’t miss it. I was excited, nervous (wasn’t sure how the crowd would be), and just filled with joy to be there. Cannot wait for more bills like this in the future to be put on by Brain Graffiti! Best fucking time ever.
It definitely brought everyone out for this show. The energy was there, everyone was smiling and having a great time. Hell, even someone broke their leg which ended up making Garfield show up at the same time. It was a wild night and one to remember at that. Multiple people crowdsurfing and having a blast. Non-stop smiles on everyone’s faces. I think this brought something the community needed and was waiting for a while to come around. Such a sick lineup/bill with the coolest fucking people there. Please do more of these!
Jimena (thank you so much for helping with the night): I think I felt a lot of excitement and adrenaline for sure, mostly because of the fact that it was a heavier show and crazy crazy things happened (broken leg, balcony jump). Also excitement because it’s nice to see the community come together and connect with everyone. I was selling merch for Vatos [Tristes] that night so I got to see and talk to a lot of people. Everyone is always so friendly and welcoming in the scene, especially when people get rowdy and hurt. Considering two big name bands from Chicago played in the suburbs, I think the Elgin community is only going to grow more and more. We love progress. Overall it was one of the best shows of the year for sure. I’m biased because I like heavier music, but it definitely left a mark on the community. A real defining moment for Brain Graffiti and bands included.
Jenna: As soon as I saw the Instagram post debut back in August, I had a gut feeling it was going to be a show to remember- and it exceeded even those expectations. the energy in that hall felt so euphoric and triumphant. I just remember looking around and smiling ear to ear because everyone was sweaty and breathless but uncaring to anything outside of the moment. The show radiated pure energy of community; you knew everyone in the room had your back. I think we even saw an example of that support with the dude who broke his leg, haha.
Jay: First of all... the lineup you put together ripped as always! It's been so cool to watch the scale of these grow each time. I love watching all these amazing artists get a spotlight put on them through you. Garfield hanging out by the ambulance was somewhat of a fever dream though. There are a lot of great zines in the area, but I can't think of anyone else who's able to bring people together like Brain Graffiti can. Part of that is due to how you've done a great job at making each one of these release shows feel like a major event. The other part is because you've done so much work for the community, everyone comes together to give back to you with these shows. None of this would be possible without us working together to build each other up.
We’ve realized that through zine-making and show promoting, we’re able to cultivate safe spaces for people. We strive to create safe havens for live music experiences, free of the greed of big sweaty music corporations.
We don’t know where our audience members come from: they might have a great life or come from a fucked-up situation where they don’t feel seen or heard or appreciated.
We want people who read our zine and come to our shows to feel seen and heard and appreciated. Everyone who walks through the door of our shows, moshes and engages in the night is special.
Thanks for reading all of this. We know that it was a super lengthy story, but we really hope that you enjoyed it. All the love in the world.
-Matt and Jess
!!!❤️❤️❤️!!!