In an effort to empower women, as well as support public aid services, the Boston University Women’s Center sponsored an all-woman concert bill featuring The Fun, Casey Desmond and Tasneem Nanji at BU Central Thursday night.
School of Education senior and Women’s Center President Lindsey Plait said the annual concert is a way for the Women’s Center to support not only women in music but also local groups that provide services to women, including the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
“It began as a showcase for female artists, who historically have not gotten as much airtime and press coverage as male bands,” she said. “The event has just blossomed as a space for empowered local artists and a way to raise money for good causes.”
Women’s Center Events Chair Melissa Carr agreed with Plait’s assessment of the concert’s purpose.
“We want to promote empowerment to women,” the College of Arts and Sciences sophomore said. “It’s often difficult to see women in media and music. It’s often overrun by men.”
Women Rock veterans The Fun, a punk band from Berklee College of Music, started the show by joking with the audience in between songs.
The Fun’s lead singer Lilly O’Brien said supporting BARCC was important to her and the band because of the free services it provides to women.
O’Brien added that the fun atmosphere was another factor that brought the band back for a second year.
“It’s really fun to play here,” she said. “We have a really great time playing here.”
Singer and songwriter Casey Desmond took the stage next and played a mellow pop-rock set.
Desmond began her set by applauding the audience and the Women’s Center for their support of BARCC.
“You guys came out here for a really good reason,” she said, “not only to rock … but to support a really good cause.”
Like The Fun, Desmond brought her own fan base to BU Central, but by the end of the set she said she had some new fans.
“I loved Casey Desmond,” CAS sophomore Sarah Prager said,
Tasneem Nanji, the frontwoman for the band Jungli, finished off the night with a solo set.
Like the other artists, Nanji expressed her support for BARCC.
“I think that [BARCC] is important because women who have experienced rape or sexual abuse need to have an outlet,” she said. “Rape survivors and victims need to have a place where they can seek solace.”
Carr said supporting BARCC with this concert was important to the Women’s Center for several reasons.
“[BARCC has] lost money due to government funding cuts and because BU doesn’t have a rape crisis center we like to show our support to the community ones because [BU] students are using those resources,” she said
Supporting women in music was another focus of the event, according to Carr.
“I know that it’s difficult for women to see themselves as empowered people in society,” she said. “It’s just good to go out there and support our women, its good to support the empowered women up there.”
Amber Jaycocks, a BARCC volunteer, was at the event to provide information about BARCC and said that the support from this concert was important to the organization’s success.
“BARCC functions mostly from grants and donations so [support from the Women’s Center] helps in every aspect,” she said.
Heidi Lasker supported BARCC last year as a performer at Women Rock and returned this year to support the event. She said she also helped to connect the Women’s Center with this year’s artists.
“It’s important to support organizations that help women and make sure they have enough funding to keep helping women,” she said.
CAS freshman Tasnim Azad said she enjoyed the variety of music at the concert.
“I think it was a really good mix,” she said. “They’re all here in support of one thing but they have different vibes.”