“Let’s get more women on stage”: Shabang announces first gender equity panel and mixer

This year’s Shabang Festival is breaking ground, announcing its first gender equity panel and mixer to take place May 2, in collaboration with Book More Women, an organization that represents gender inequities in the music industry through statistics. 

The event is structured to center around women and gender-expansive representation in music, bringing together DJs, producers and singer-songwriters for a panel discussion and mixer. The event is open to anyone interested in learning and connecting about the music industry.

Nico Mazzeo, a 2023 Cal Poly Business alumni, is spearheading the collaboration as Director of Community at Book More Women and previously worked with Shabang’s marketing teams.

“This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a while, really being on the ground and making a change through an open and honest conversation about the experiences of gender-diverse people and women in the industry,” said Mazzeo. “Whether that be an artist, an industry professional, or a fan.”

The panel format is designed to inspire audiences and provide in-depth responses on the music industry. The conversation will focus on how gender identity shapes real-world experiences from working in a studio, navigating public relations or breaking into the business. The audience will be able to ask the panel questions as well.

“It’s really special that a lot of young people who are in school, who don’t necessarily have those programs in a curriculum, have the opportunity to be around this sort of panel and mixer,” Mazzeo said.

Book More Women, which is currently on its way to becoming a nonprofit, uses festival lineup data to track and expose gender disparities in live music which can be found on their news site. The collaboration represents a shift from data analysis to action.

“After doing data for so long, we’re taking action through this panel,” Mazzeo said. “Let’s get more women on stage…but what does that mean? What does that look like, and why isn’t that happening?”

Local brands have also been contacted for sponsorships, and attendees can expect goodie bags and beverages during the mixer. The goal, Mazzeo says, is community-building as much as conversation. 

“If one person walks away from this being like, ‘I connected with someone, or I learned something that I previously felt was gatekept by the industry’ that’s success to me,” Mazzeo said.