Booking It Better: Howdy Gals
The Women Behind the Curtain
Words by Janine Stankus Photos by Baptiste Despois
For many living in the live music capital of the world, music is more than entertainment—it’s a way of life. But oftentimes, diversity can get overlooked, and this industry in particular is heavily male dominated. Luckily for Austin, there’s a rad group of gals who are looking to change that from the inside out.
Howdy Gals is a women-led booking and promotions agency co-founded in December 2017 by best friends Belicia (Bel) Luevano and Kelly Ngo. Bel, a former booker for the University of Texas radio station, KVRX, and a producer for the campus TV station, and Kelly, a music photographer and videographer, both shared entrepreneurial leanings and fervor for live music.
Bel recalls her early impressions of the Austin scene noting, “It was straight white men in every lineup…I thought, ‘they’re the rock stars.’ But then I discovered some really cool women in music.”
Each member of Howdy Gals books and runs her own shows, with the common denominator being a “safe space” for people of all orientations and backgrounds. The Gals work to cultivate inclusive, safe shows by booking diverse acts and staffing events with like-minded folks. Bel explains, “As a brown person, if I go into a room full of white people, I feel like ‘this isn’t a spot for me,’ or I feel uncomfortable. When you’re out, you want to have fun. You don’t want to worry about your safety or feeling uncomfortable being yourself.”
Since its inception, the group has been steadily booking shows at local venues like Swan Dive, Hole in the Wall, and Long Play Lounge. Bel says that the reception has been positive, adding “I feel really lucky that I know a lot of wonderful venue owners and bands. I haven’t had to deal with any pushback.”
At the end of the day, what keeps Howdy Gals growing is the solid network they’ve built and a shared commitment to community building through music. “I had no idea I would become such a big part of this,” gushes Tiffany. “I’m just excited to see where it all goes.”
Meet the Bookies
After rotating through several early lineups, Howdy Gals recently put out a call for new recruits and ended up with over 72 applications. They managed to whittle it down to a core crew: Belicia Luevano, Tiffany Chung, Catalina Pozos, Diana Buchert, Hailey Hale, Isabelle Barsoum, Kelly Ngo, Lauren Stephens, Lili Hickman, Madison Baker, and Shannon Weidemeyer.
Howdy Gals is looking for pals!
Are you a band looking to get on a great bill, a graphic designer looking for amazing poster exposure, or a vendor looking to sling some cool wares at a show? Give the Gals a shout via the “Apply” section on their website: howdygalsatx.com. You can also subscribe to their new Zine under the “Support” tab.
Contact:
howdygalsatx.com
IG: @howdygalsatx
FB: @HowdyGals
TW: @BookingGals
