After a year in lockdown, Future Front Texas (formerly Boss Babes ATX) is returning to The Line Hotel to host Swim Sessions — a four-part poolside series, celebrating PRIDE and our new name.
Come through all summer long to vibe alongside women and queer DJs from 7 to 10 PM CT on the last Thursday of each month. Every session will showcase a lineup of creative businesses homegrown in Austin—and you'll be able to catch our new art installation in hotel’s lobby, too.
Swimming is optional, masks are required and mutual respect is a must. Tickets are $10 and every cent will benefit community initiatives we care about.
Capacity is limited for your safety (and ours).
WHAT TO EXPECT AT SESSION FOUR
A three-hour set by Austin-based DJ Shani
An outdoor market featuring five artists and designers from The Front Market: Cactus Clayworks, Karmita, Maribel Falcon, Mercedez Rex Designs and Tsz Kam
An installation by multidisciplinary artist Paloma Mayorga in The Line Hotel* lobby
Open-air poolside vibes
*Feel free to book a discounted room at The Line Hotel that weekend by using the code GETHERE at checkout.
MEET THE DJ
Heavily influenced by the soul, funk & jazz scenes of Chicago’s south side, DJ Shani (she/her) has always been enveloped by music. Throughout her childhood, her family taught her the roots of her sound (Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, Reggae, Funk, Soul), while the radio (Energy 88.7fm, B96, WGCI) taught her the future of her sound. After a few years in the rave scene, first as a patron then as a promoter, she noticed that the energy was inviting, but it was missing something. While she was a junior at Loyola University - Chicago, she set in motion what would be her biggest contribution to the House music scene to date.
In May of 1998, DJ Shani created & produced a Deep House radio show coined “The Groove Temple®” on WLUW-88.7FM that filled a void for the most prominent, yet canceled house music radio station, WBMX. She has a humble, personal & realistic outlook about the DJ craft, “For me, it was & still is about sharing music, providing a music experience to people & giving exposure to DJs who aren’t given the chance to play out. I come from musicians – both grandfathers played music in the same band. My grandmother played piano, my uncle plays guitar and my immediate family still plays music for a living.”
Her father, was an avid record collector, her stepfather, guitarist Abdul Hakeem of the world music Chicago-based group Funkadesi, toured with Rita Marley when she was in high school. Her brother, who goes by the moniker KrushLove, has been making music longer than she’s been a DJ. Her mother is the only one that doesn’t make music, but she more than makes up for it by being a playwright. When people say they’ve grown up with music, she relates.
Even after her graduation from Loyola in 2001, she continued to produce The Groove Temple®, was a freelance writer for various Chicago music magazines (5Magazine, L’Afrique) & worked at the famous Gramaphone Records. There, she helped promote both, by organizing the first ever record fair between Gramaphone & WLUW. In 2004 she moved to Paris & attended L'Universite de Paris - La Sorbonne. She performed at La Maroquinerie with Karl The Voice (Playing for the City) and at Sanz Senz with DJ Wamba (Les Nubians).Once returning from Paris, she kept producing & hosting The Groove Temple®, continued as a freelance music journalist & DJ’d throughout Chicago for various residencies, events & music festivals. In 2006 she worked with Jay-Cee & Glenn Underground, wrote & performed “Mon Ami, Mon Amour”.
In 2013, she was diagnosed with MS and attributes the music & DJ culture to her healing. For 17 years, DJ Shani was the Executive Producer of the Saturday night, 4 hour radio show, with hundreds of listeners worldwide. The Groove Temple® has hosted an impressive roster of guest DJs & interviews like Derrick Carter, DJ Touch (France), Osunlade, DJ Légo, Alix Alvarez, Sean Haley, Oscar McMillan, Lady D, DJ Frique, Bucie, Andre Harris, Phil Asher, Leonard Part VI, Black Coffee, DJ Heather & Ron Trent just to name a few. In October of 2017 she relaunched The Groove Temple® and partnered with Soundwave Radio and 92.3 fm in London, England. The Groove Temple is now back to basics with the same vibe and energy that it once had almost two decades ago. In 2009 she moved to Austin, Texas where she currently resides.
This series’ DJs have been curated by FFTX team member Jp Rivera-Felizardo.
HOW TO ATTEND
Tickets are $10 by donation (free for FFTX members and hotel guests). Your ticket includes your pool pass. You must reserve a ticket in order to attend.
All ticket proceeds will benefit community initiatives we care about. This session's benefitting project is our very own Creative Future of Texas Fund, a micro-grants program for women and queer creatives and small business owners in Texas.
Name your own ticket price at check-out below:
HOW WE'RE STAYING SAFE
We offer some lovely virtual options for those uncomfortable gathering in-person.
IRL event capacity is limited at all of our spaces to reduce crowding of any kind.
All of our IRL events will be held in outdoor and open-air spaces.
All guests at FFTX spaces are required to practice mutual respect and social distancing.
All guests at FFTX spaces are expected to follow APH’s Stage 4 Guidelines, including:
Fully vaccinated individuals should wear a mask indoors and when social distancing is not possible.
Partially or unvaccinated individuals should stay home and avoid gatherings.
PREPARE YOUR VISIT
VENUE LOCATION + ACCESSIBILITY — All Swim Sessions will be held at The Line Hotel Austin pool deck, which is located at 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, Texas 78701. The venue is wheelchair-accessible and all activities will occur on the ground floor.
PARKING — We highly encourage utilizing rideshare or carpooling as there is limited valet parking available onsite. This venue is easily accessible by Austin public transportation, too.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES — ASL interpreters can be provided upon request. Si necesita traducción al español para participar en este evento, envíenos un correo electrónico a hello@futurefronttexas.org.
If you have a question about the building's accessibility or anticipate needing assistance, shoot us a line at hello@futurefronttexas.org. We're happy to help and will get back to you. :)
MEET THE PRODUCERS, FUTURE FRONT TEXAS
Future Front Texas is a 501c3 nonprofit, homegrown in Austin, Texas. We started as a grassroots meet-up series called Boss Babes ATX (bbatx) in 2015. We are run by a four-person staff and a network of amazing volunteers, each committed to cultivating the spaces we want to see in the world.
Alongside our members, collaborators and partners, we nurture creativity, community-building and professional resilience in Texas. We make spaces where women and queer creatives, founders and leaders can grow together.
Currently, we produce The Front Festival and Market, a year-round learning club and conference, as well as multiple community-care initiatives. You’re invited to join us, of course. You can learn more about how it all works, our team and what we do: futurefronttexas.org