So you guys are stoked about beer. Last week I announced that the label is partnering with Blue Island Beer Company to do an “Underground Communique” Russian Imperial Stout. While I’m also excited to see how it turns out, BIBC offering to donate a portion of the profits to a charity of my choice is another major reason to be stoked. It didn’t take me long to decide — I’ve asked them to donate money to:

This is why:
I figured as a record label, it should be a music related charity
AND
I would like to see more ladies performing music. Period.

Back in 2012 I attended a benefit show for GR!C where a band from its camp opened for a “super-group” Fugazi tribute band. The students did a great job. It was pretty inspiring, and that night stuck with me. As soon as the brewery asked me to pick a charity, GR!C was the first thing that came to mind.

Here’s some details I’ve borrowed from the GR!C mission statement so you can get a better understanding of what they do:

GR!C are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering girls’ creative expression, self-esteem and community awareness through music.

They host week-long summer camp program is organized around motivating girls ages 8-16 through instrument instruction, music composition coaching, recording workshops, song-writing workshops, hands-on activities, technical equipment workshops, guest speakers, team-building activities and band performances. We seek to provide positive and supportive role models for campers though interaction and participation by volunteers who will share their experiences as women involved in some form of making music.

Please take some time to check out their site, and if it inspires you to do so, please donate to them… or come out to the bottle release party this Saturday at the BIBC brewery and buy this beer to benefit GR!C!

I’ll have the label distro/store with me selling records and hanging out for a few hours too. Should be a fun time. Hope to see you there.
-Justin.