THANK YOU

A little over a year ago I shot out a desperate request on Facebook asking if any girl in Richmond wanted to learn how to DJ for free because while there are other girl DJs in Richmond, there weren't many. I won’t lie, it wasn’t an attempt to better the world we live in; it was a selfish request. My hope was that maybe one girl would answer my call and that maybe, just maybe, she would like DJing records enough to share a night with me somewhere. It isn’t that I mind DJing with guys but my thinking at the time was it would be really great to have at least one girl in the mix since the RVA DJ community is so male dominant.

Much to my amazement 5 women replied to my offer and shortly there after we met at my apartment where I offered a brief lesson in how to DJ vinyl. I think most people would be shocked at how easy it really is from a technical standpoint and truly the hardest part is having enough record to put together a quality set and having a fine tuned ear to know what a good set actually sounds like no less how to handle changing your set on the fly if your crowd isn’t loving the music you have selected. Anyhow, I think we maybe met one other time and incredibly, all the girls were naturals. Like any good story, this one has a touch of dumb luck. My boyfriend asked if I thought these talented ladies would be interested in DJing his birthday party at Cous Cous. Remarkably all 5 of them said yes.

That was really it. Cherry Bomb was born. We wanted a fun name that was both feminine as well as tough and Cherry Bomb was a perfect fit. We have the Runaways to thank for that or I guess Kim Fowley too but he gives me the creeps and I hate giving him credit for much of anything. There were never any Cherry Bomb tryouts. It was all a happy accident with an even happier result. The 5 girls who responded to my cry for help became the permanent CB line up and the only change that has occurred along the way was that one of us moved to DC back in the Winter so we have been down to just 5 of us since.

I knew these ladies had great taste in music and were on their way to becoming solid DJs but what I didn’t expect was how multi-talented everyone is. Yes, we DJ records but in order to pull off successful dance nights, you need a team of people who can work well together, who are creative, and who can follow through in an organized manner to promote your events. Each of us offers and brings to the table a different skill set so together we really do have a super group who can create our gorgeous fliers as well as work as a team to promote our events through as many channels as possible.

Over the past year we have DJed nearly every month somewhere in town, sometimes twice a month and last December we challenged ourselves with a new project. We wanted to find a way to work more closely with the community by pooling the talents of those around us while also raising money to give back to the community who have supported us. RVyAy is a rock and shop where local vendors can sell records, vintage wares, and art / crafts while Cherry Bomb DJs play music or bands perform. All of the money raised from the renting out the table space and small suggested donation at the door goes to different charities each time while at the same time a gifted group of vendors sell their goods! Each time we put together one of these events we learn a little more, improving along the way, and are endlessly reminded of how fantastic and talented our community is. It is our hope to continue with RVyAy twice a year and plan on our next one to take place early this December.

So here we are, a year later, celebrating it in style at Cous Cous this Saturday. Per the norm, it is free and just this one time only, there will be a poster given away to the first people through the door as well as some yummy treats to be eaten. (all FREE!) I would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. We are still learning and improving all the time so we also thank you for your patience with us along the way. Incredibly over the past 12 months the 5 active members of Cherry Bomb also now each own their own set of turntables and a mixer which means we are also self reliant DJs now who have the capability and confidence to do events independently as well. We will also be welcoming a new member to the CB family shortly and there will be lots more on that subject to come!

That being said, there is a lot to celebrate about Cherry Bomb and I am really looking forward to tomorrow night. It means a lot to me on so many levels; not only as a salute to dumb luck, but to the inspiring friendships that have grown out of Cherry Bomb, the proof that a little hard work does pay off, and last but not least, a chance to play some of my favorite records for those who have showed us love from day one. Seriously, thank you. 

And thank you ladies of CB for being the highlight of my 10 plus years of spinning records.

We have a lot to celebrate, JOIN US! Saturday, June 19^th, 10PM, Cous Cous, FREE, 21+

XOXO,
Lightning's Girl