SHOW YOURSELF
A Benefit Residency Celebrating AAPI Stories
Celebrate the stories of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists through music and conversation in this residency that runs during AAPI Heritage Month and benefits The Quiet Voice Fund. Tonight, hear from Raye Zaragoza, Alex Wong, and Sarah Kang as they lift their voices and show themselves to New York and beyond.
This series is co-produced by Alex Wong. Sign up to join his Patreon and receive free livestream tickets to every show!
Doors open: 7:30pm
Raye Zaragoza
Raye Zaragoza is a galvanizing presence, a self-assured artist making music to fight for, represent, and celebrate those left too long outside the spotlight. Known for tenacious feminist anthems and fearless protest folk, her stage presence teems with determined morale. As a Japanese-American, Mexican, Indigenous woman, Zaragoza spent much of her early life trying to assimilate with the world around her, to meet punishing standards of beauty synonymous with just one color of skin—and not her own. She has come a long way from that youthful pain, proclaiming “I am proud to be a multicultural brown woman with insecurities and a vibrant intersectional identity that I continue to grapple with. I hope young girls of today will know that the It Girl is whatever the hell they want to be.”
In the aftermath of her breakthrough single, “In The River,” Zaragoza released Fight For You, the protest-driven debut she says had her “finding my voice as a woman of color.” Upon releasing her first full-length, she discovered the beauty, significance, and necessity of her natural identity in a broader conversation; she was ready to celebrate what made her “different” and invigorate those of similar struggles to do the same. This rightful confidence radiates across Woman In Color, Zaragoza’s sophomore album out now on Rebel River Records, her own independent label. The album delivers powerful missives about embracing one’s own identity and discovering the power behind it, all across brisk, emotive, compelling folk melodies. Once deemed “one of the most politically relevant artists in her genre” by Paste Magazine, Raye Zaragoza now offers an intimate exploration of coming into her own, in a country where for many, simply existing is political. Through this album, Raye has written a collection of spirited canticles for herself, for womanhood, and for all the people who had to come together in such an event of divine coincidence that led to her existence.
Website | Spotify | Instagram | Patreon
Alex Wong
Alex Wong creates music to help people remember who they are and show themselves to the world. He has always had a complicated relationship with his own memories, unable to remember his own childhood birthday parties yet possessing many vivid, sensory memories from dreams, places he’d never been, and what seemed almost like isolated vignettes from another life. That dissonance led to the songs on his latest album, “The Elephant and the Seahorse.” As he looked closer at his memories from the past, he was forced to acknowledge that he had been “hiding” his identity as a second generation Chinese-American for much of his life. Memories of being told to downplay his ethnicity in school, social groups, or in the mostly-white music industry, assimilate to white culture, speak with no accent, and keep himself small rushed to the surface, along with waves of shame and anger for buying into this conditioning. A lot of deep questioning followed, which he chronicles for the first time in his song “Show Yourself.”
Alex is a Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer known for his work with Delta Rae, Vienna Teng, Melissa Ferrick and Morgxn, among others. Alex’s music has been featured in movies including “The Last Song” and TV shows including “True Blood.” Alex has toured all over the world, performing at festivals like Coachella, Outside Lands, and Corona Capital, in arenas in Mexico City and theaters in Europe and Japan, and on NPR’s Mountain Stage.
Alex has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows From Story to Song and Foresight and is a 2022 Keepsake House Artist in Residence.
Website | Spotify | Instagram | Patreon
Sarah Kang
Sarah Kang is a Korean-American jazz/soul/R&B singer-songwriter based in New York City. Born in South Korea and raised in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas, her music, much like her life experiences, crosses the borders of genre. Her inspiration comes from artists like Crush, Bruno Major, and H.E.R.; however, her earnest voice paired with soul sensibilities and thoughtful songwriting creates a sound that is all her own. Her hope is that her music can encourage listeners to ask important questions and provide safe, cozy spaces to rest.
Sarah has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows Sarah Kang and Foresight and is a 2022 Keepsake House Artist in Residence.
Also featuring special streamed guest…
Surrija
Surrija—Electro art pop that plays with asymmetry, glitch, and electronic treatment of her roots in classical training. She spent 4 years developing her latest record, SURRIJA (self-titled), a feral departure from her previous work as Jane Lui, her given name. It’s off-kilter, tactile and intentional. Earmilk claims it “is simply on a different wavelength … chilling and seductive”. Released April 2020, the album features Matt Chamberlain (David Bowie, Perfume Genius, Fiona Apple), produced by Surrija, Sophocles, & Maxwell Gualtieri.
Surrija has worked with Son Lux, Matt Chamberlain, Tom Brosseau, Felicia Day, Kate Earl, Kina Grannis, with contributions featured on the soundtrack of Everything Everywhere All At Once. She was arranger and cast member of Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee (Off-Broadway Signature Theatre 2020, La Jolla Playhouse 2019, OSF 2019), composer for All’s Well That Ends Well (OSF 2019) and Secret In The Wings (Coeurage Theatre 2017).
With all tickets benefiting…
The Quiet Voice Fund
The Quiet Voice Fund was created by Alex Wong and shares its name with one of his songs, written around a simple idea: our voices don’t have to be LOUD to be strong. Alex believes that true power doesn’t come from being aggressive, selfish or dominating, but rather from the courage to be authentic and empathic, and to speak for those who can’t. The fund supports incredible organizations and people who embody this belief as they fight every day for the most vulnerable among us, through education, individual empowerment, and community strengthening. The supported organizations for this series are Stop AAPI Hate, Hate is a Virus, Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit, AAPI Women Lead, and Center for Family Life in Sunset Park.
And keepsakes sponsored by…
Allison Tran
Allison Tran is an illustrator in Brooklyn, NY. She likes to draw soft, sweet, tender things, and prints them via silkscreen and risograph. Allison is also the founder of Touchy Feely Studio, a soft object studio featuring hand emoji pillows inspired by Lazy Sunday Cuddle & Care Lounge, an installation and collaboration with From Here to Sunday from 2018.
Diana Ho & From Here to Sunday
Diana Ho is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work often focuses on the transformation of everyday objects, exploring the mundane, yet deeply intimate relationship we have with our belongings. Diana received a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts and has since worked with off-Broadway theatres, indie musicians, and world-renowned fine artists. Her latest venture is From Here to Sunday–an art gift shop and gallery in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
From Here to Sunday began in a fake bodega within a real museum by artist Diana Ho with the simple act of sharing baked goods. This gesture is at the root of the business, which values creating an inclusive community through artful gift-giving. Each product is lovingly made in limited quantities by talented artists—ranging from paintings, to zines, to jewelry, to baked goods, and beyond. This small business continues to evolve in different contexts, whether it is a pop-up shop or an art exhibition. Now with a brick-and-mortar space, From Here to Sunday strives to utilize its platform to uplift marginalized artists through a decolonized lens.
Even Keel
Even Keel was founded by En Tsao, who was born and raised in tropical Singapore. She moved to New York 13 years ago to study art and design. She eventually transitioned to natural skincare and started incorporating what she learned into her soap recipes, which slowly led her down the path of just making recipes for everything she would generally buy to treat herself—candles, diffusers, bath salts, etc… except she gets to dictate and KNOW that everything is 100% natural and from sources she would feel comfortable personally using.
Flair Chocolatier
Flair Chocolatier’s journey started in New York, 2018 with a quest to push the boundaries of chocolate, setting a new standard for chocolate taste and design. Each bite should be a tasting experience that stimulates your senses and brings up memories of places around the world. Way more than “just chocolate.” Genie Kwon leads the development of recipes and artistic presentations for Flair. Esquire magazine named her as the 2017 “Pastry Chef of the Year” for her memorable desserts at Oriole, the 2-star Michelin restaurant in Chicago that she co-founded.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Kam Hing Coffee Shop
Kam Hing Coffee Shop is a landmark of [Manhattan] Chinatown. It opened its doors about 35 years ago and is famous for its light, fluffy, and moist sponge cake. Chinese American owner Liz Yee and her family opened Kam Hing Coffee Shop as a way to pass down memories from generation to generation. Besides the original sponge cake version, you can find a multitude of flavors such as pandan, matcha, ube, black sesame, and coconut. (Bio by Izzy Chan and With Warm Welcome for The Infatuation.)
Spring Cafe
Casual choice for vegan burgers, bao buns & smoothies, presented in a counter-serve format located right outside the Canal St. subway station in Manhattan Chinatown.