Music can be such a boy’s club.
Bri Bevan wanted more spaces for female musicians to feel comfortable performing, so she made her own concert series called Woman Crush Wednesdays, an inclusive monthly music event featuring women, trans, and non-binary artists.
“I was going to open mics and it was always guys performing,” Bevan says. “And my musician friends who were women or femme presenting were afraid to play at these open mics because they didn’t feel comfortable singing about certain topics to a room where there weren’t many women. I felt that we needed a safe space for them to express themselves.”
Woman Crush Wednesdays began as an idea Bevan tossed around to friends that turned into a showcase of female artists. In 2019, the first showcase took place at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s former downtown location.
“Everyone I talked to was on board,” she says. “That event went really really well and people keep asking me for more opportunities to do something.”
After a brief stint at Hardywood and a pandemic hiatus, the series returned in 2021 and now takes place every first Wednesday of the month at the Camel with three female artists or female-fronted bands on each bill. The whole purpose of the series is to be a safe space for anyone who wants to enjoy a night of music.
The series also is not limited to a certain genre. Acts who have performed at Woman Crush Wednesdays include folk, rock, synth pop, rap, and more. Even comedy, spoken word, and poetry acts have performed. It also provides an outlet for female artists to get together and network within the community.
“Some of the people that played a set at Woman Crush Wednesdays met another person there and now they’re in a band together making music and that’s amazing,” Bevan adds.
The series is also a good way for brand new artists to stick their feet into the music scene in a safe, welcoming environment with a captive audience.
“We’ve had people who have come and played three songs and that’s great because this is a place where the artist can comfortably share whatever they have,” she explains. “I remember one of our shows featured a 15-year-old and it was her first live show ever. Her music was really somber and when she played, I saw so many people sitting on the floor at the Camel just watching her set.”
Bevan admits to being surprised how well the series has taken off.
“It’s growing a lot and still continues to grow, but it seems to be important to people and it was something that was really needed,” she says. “Fifty to 60 people are showing up to a show and I’m in the back of the room silently crying and overjoyed that people attended.”
Bevan is keeping busy planning additional shows along with open mics that are more inclusive. Every Woman Crush Wednesdays show through the end of this year is booked, but the organizer is always looking for artists interested in playing as she works on next year’s lineups. She even started a Woman Crush Wednesdays series in her hometown of Fredericksburg after a number of artists there reached out to her to help create a similar event for that area.
“It’s on the third Thursday, so I’ll have to come up with a new name for that one,” she says, laughing.
However, Bevan says she can’t take full credit for the success of this series, stating that the support and dedication of the venues, artists, and fans are all what make Woman Crush Wednesdays so special.
“So many people have helped me with this project and are so involved now that it’s become this cool movement that has snowballed past me,” Bevan says. “I’ll just book the shows and make the posters and everyone else can bring the good vibes.”
The next Woman Crush Wednesdays takes place at the Camel on Wed. Aug. 7 as part of Richmond Music Week. The evening features Sweet Touch, Trash Rocket, and Flora and the Fauna. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at thecamel.org.
