Mike Achille – Best Remote Volunteer! Total understatement—this dude runs the chosen shows crew keeping music listings on the site! We never see him but he does good, invaluable work for the cause. Love you Mike!!
Adam Cain – Best Mailman! We have had a lot of great folks make our EMAILVISION newsletter their own over the years but Adam takes the cake – sassy, unique blurbage for everything. Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. You’re amazing Adam!
Adam Tuttle – Best Responder! Always willing to help out at shows and Black Market and always lets us know even if he can’t! Same for the chosen shows crew. If Adam isn’t the one getting that last minute show up on the site he is the first team member responding so we can get someone else on it. This is the way to be. Model Vol. Love ya dude!
Aimee and Steve – Best Boston Veteran Volunteer Newbs! These two know wtf is up but they’re not dicks about it. Modestly offering to take over a humongous distro area (Cambridge), we had no idea they actually knew where they were going… but they do! In more ways than one. Looking forward to stepping up our visual art and sponsorship game with these two in the new year. Love you people!!!
Chloe DuBois – Best Catch! Chloe used to volunteer a few years back and having her come back to our organization is a big win for the Boston arts community. In addition to creating and implementing her own portable gallery walls (GPS) Chloe has brought her experience as artist and curator in Boston to BRAIN Arts and is doing incredible things with the Hassle Art section – go look at the listings for once! It’s going to be a great year.
Chris Hughes – Best BH Music Editor – So many people have tried to take on the monumental job of BH music editor and failed that what Chris did in his first month makes him look like Rasputin. Never die Chris!!! Chris is ushering in new era of music writing here @ the Hassle site. Guy rules!
Chris Kruger – Best Virtual Sacrifice! After helping us tremendously get our analytics game together our website malfunctioned and we had to sacrifice our analytics to keep the site afloat. Rendering Chris K’s activities temporarily useless. Hope we can work on some more back end development in the new year dude. And if anyone reading this knows about the linux apache php css stuff please for the love of jah holler!!
Derek S – Best Spy! Keeping his identity somewhat secret is actually useful here as Derek (since coming to us this summer) has been doing research into the legalities of our org activities and future activities. Keep it up Derek and keep your head down.
DLM – Best Smile! No matter how deep in the email hole we put the dude he still comes to our weekly meetings with a smile. Take it easy this year DLM, you’re no good to us dead.
Dan McMahon – Best Vet Vol! Feels weird to give a superlative to someone who literally RUNS SHIT but we realized Dan M is one of the veteran hassle volunteers having been with us over 3 years now so let’s celebrate the dude. How long has it been anyway bro? Don’t matter, you’re a lifer and we love ya. For fans of Hassle Fest – if it weren’t for Dan M we probably would have shut the whole thing down after Hassle Fest 3 lost thousands of dollars.
Eirik Hansen – Best Greeter! Eirik keeps it light around here and thank goodness. If new volunteers walk into the room we usually send them Eirik’s way to prove that we are not all humorless nonprofit obsessed freaks (like Sam) before we put em to work. Cheers Rik.
Emma Leavitt – Most Productive! When she’s not getting a rad artist to make a flyer for one of a dozen shows we do in a month, Emma could be found booking a monthly droney psych show at a church in JP, organizing art events, volunteerhangs and workshops, playing with her band Atlas Lab, finishing a painting commission, beginning a large scale public mural project, teaching art classes or maybe sleeping? We aren’t sure she does that. Thanks for all the hard work Emma!
George Gordon – Best Raffle Pusher! George carries out the crucial task of organizing the Black Market raffle. He’s so into it he is actually down with the nickname “Raffle”. You’ll see this cutie behind the table raising money for our nonprofit with generous donations from our beautiful vendors <3 You rock George. Also nominated for: best hair
Hrushabh T – BEST NEW SOUND VOL! – With almost no warning Hrushabh jumped in and did sound for us on at least 3 clutch shows in 2017. The first I think was our first show ever at the church in Harvard Square and Hrushabh laid it down like a pro. Especially useful for me the show thrower with no sound skills… I (and all the bands and fans) needed this dude and he came through on time, stayed late, even helped load and didn’t ask for a thing in return. Another show he did was for the infamous Lydia Lunch which was packed and also extremely loud and harsh. I was glad we saw him again after that one. Looking forward to more in 2018 brother! Quit Berklee and work for the Hassle!!
Jan Esbra – Most Gullible! Actually the opposite. Jan is the dude at the meetings making the other volunteers think he flew his private jet the weekly meeting. This one will throw you for a real loop which is a nice change of pace of the rest of us who are so rooted in boring reality. Thanks for being there, Jan. Oh yeah and thanks for managing the entire production of the Compass all year. That was huge.
James Moore – Largest Heart! James Moore is known as James MUAH around here because he’s got so much love to go around. Muah never leaves a homie stranded, especially a fellow hassle volunteer. James Moore is always there when you need him even if its just to hang deeply! Biggest dude in the org so it’s not a surprise he has the biggest heart but he puts that shit to use every damn day. He also moves the PA system to every show and all the gear to and from Black Market. Most important member of the org perhaps but we’ll leave it at most loveable.
Jameson Johnson – Most Ambitious! We are so thankful for Jameson because she couldn’t have come at a better time to help out with the art section. Especially since she’s working on a publication of her own!? Even with a full plate she still manages to come through for us. We know your project is gonna be amazing! Check it out at bostonartreview.com ya’ll eventually you won’t be able to escape its awesomeness.
Karla N – Best Volunteerhang Host! You can always count on Karla to come up with the best ideas for our monthly volunteer hangs, and provide the best snacks. She has really delivered since joining the Hassle! From lawn games on the Common, to a record listening party at Deep Thoughts, our hangs went from being a place for new folks to get acquainted with the org, to any and all volunteers actually hanging! I’m looking forward to planning our 2018 hangs together!
Kat M – Rookie Of The Year! If you met Kat for the first time you probably wouldn’t believe she was still hustlin’ at Boston University and just joined BH this year because she has the poise and motivation of a seasoned Hassle volunteer. She really brought life into the Prod team and our marketing and communications game is so much better and consistent because of her. She will truly be missed as she heads to L.A. for the spring semester. We hope you come back dude! MVP for life!
Matt M – Most Creative! I trust him more than anyone to start up this new science section for the website! He’s not shy about his passion for the field. He’s getting his Ph.d in chemistry at Harvard, so it’s a no brainer he’s leading this initiative. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this new section!
Melissa Roberts – Must Follow! In case you didn’t know, Melissa is the mastermind behind our Boston Hassle Twitter account. Her tweets are like little breaths of fresh air to interrupt the same old feed you see. If you’re not following @BostonHassle, what are you doing!? Get on it! Sass and sassafras all in under 420 characters.
Father Alexander – Most mysterious/esoteric! This one goes to the Father hands down. He’s in and out of the website on his own path, but whenever he’s in it’s that much stranger around here. Beyond that, he’s out in the real world, leaving audio Hassle Shows artifacts which he calls, Hassle Byproducts, around town and beyond, where good lahd knows who is finding them…
Tim Davison – Electronic show booker extraordinaire! He may be a rebel, and thus a little cagey now and then, but if there’s a more solid booker of live experimental electronic music in the Boston area I’d like to meet them (and then tell them about how I think Tim is actually crushing it harder).
Saritha Ramakrishna – Most stressed and best dressed! Since meeting Saritha, I have always admired her ability to look so well put together despite how busy her life is. I’d be lucky to put on matching socks if I was as busy as she was. With her starting grad school at MIT, we are extremely grateful to have her stay on top of the ever so crucial grant writing and research for us. Thank you for providing us with your amazing writing skills for grants (and the website)!
Silvia Beier – Best Collaborator! Silvia helps us tremendously in so many ways. She has been helping us with the space hunt over the last year or so and despite opening her own craft store (in a space she found while hunting for the new hassle headquarters) she still makes time to help us fulfil our promises to our donors and following through with our mission. Plus she will show up with ice, snacks, store soundgear, whatever is needed to help keep these volunteer-run activities running. We love you Silvia! Go visit THE CORNER ART ROOM in Brighton and get crafty with yourself people!!
Simone N – Best Vibe! Sometimes you just get a good feeling from someone and Simone is one of those folks. There were a few volunteerhangs and a mutual friend or two but from pretty much nothing Simone jumped in to help Matt M with the science section and threw down to get us some free beer for the Confront Your Issues show. She also saved our ass by showing up and helping Chloe set up her GPS (portable gallery walls) with just enough time to get all the art hung. It was already all good then we discovered her skill for signage and art. Renaissance player. Best vibe.
Sophia Giordano – Exceptional Leadership! Making the Black Market Flea happen every other month is a monumental task that is made to look easy. Keeping up with dozens of vendors, coordinating all the volunteers, handling the unanswered emails are just a few of the challenges Sophia handles with ease. There are a lot of qualities she poses to make this all manageable but we think it’s her exceptional leadership that takes the cake. Volunteers want to work with someone who is so smart, level-headed and fun and that is her. Sophia inspires her fellow volunteers like no one else in the org and we are all so lucky to have her involved <3
Molly Dower – Fewest Words, Highest Impact! Again it feels weird to write a superlative for someone who is literally running shit but Molly is a standout volunteer beyond her top title (accountant). She sees the bigger picture of our orgs mission and our potential to shape our world and you can tell by how she carries out her tasks and interacts with her fellow vols. You might not even notice her at the meetings or at shows cause she is a woman of few words but while other people are playing games on their phone waiting in line for the bathroom molly is invoicing our newest sponsor or breakdown the payouts of the artists that night. A quiet killer. She is absolutely invaluable to BRAIN Arts and we wouldn’t be a 501 © (3) nonprofit without her. If you can identify her tell her what a great job shes doing but even if you gush don’t be surprised if all you get is a modest “thanks” because she’s unlike most people her incentive to volunteer comes from deep within her exceptional character and the dedication to doing good stuff.
Sinai Sampson-Hill – Most Pro Tho! All of our fellow volunteers display impressive ingenuity and, regardless of their successes or failures, invent systems and strategies to streamline our cultural activities. Sinai does it too she’s just so pro about it! Bringing experience to the table is a huge part of it but professionalism isn’t just about effectiveness, its about attitude. Sinai has the best attitude in the bunch – both positive and ambitious. These qualities, combined with her efficiency and wherewithal, helps her command her extremely important position (volunteer coordinator) with relative ease. It’s going to be an incredible new year with Sinai at the helm of our volunteer coordination. If you’ve considered getting involved now would be a good time because you will be welcomed and get to work with this humble, sweet and impressively talented woman.
Tabor Heiking – Cousin Get-Shit-Done – Tabor has been floating around the org for over a year now. Primarily a chosen shows team leader (getting music events up on the hassle site) he has also popped up to help with events like the Allston street fair, shows at our warehouse in allston last year and even at the Confront Your Issues show. Despite being extremely busy with a job that requires him to travel weekly he still makes time to come home and help the fam. Like that distant cousin who we don’t see enough but we trust is out there getting shit done. Keep it up cuz!
Maria S – Best Vet! Veteran Volunteer is like an oxymoron because most humans run out of steam or patience with volunteering all the damn time but Maria Sedjo is at the top of this elite tier of sweethearts. She has been having an impact in the Hassle for years now, from show volunteering to volunteer coordination, even getting in front of the camera to help do silly fundraising videos. Homie is just down for cause. And she continues to contribute even as she balances being a competitive athlete, an extremely popular night owl and working for a damn living. Love ya Maria thanks for sticking around and keeping us going!!
Oscar G – Most Film, Least Full Of Himself! Talk about veteran vols… Oscar has been managing the entire Film Flam section of the Hassle/Compass for years now. He’s obviously organized and efficient but is also just a delight to work with. So it’s no surprise that the FF team has set the bar for consistency and growth in the content department. Dude is literally a boss of bosses and just floats around like a chiller. If I was as effective and consistent as this dude I would be a cocky P.O.S. So cheers to the dude who covers the most film and is the least film of himself. Don’t ever change Oscar. Also nominated for best stache, naturally.
Rumi Ito – Freshest Blood! Fresh face, even fresher attitude. Rumi has been a friend for over a year now, only recently getting more involved, but already making such a difference in org morale and team confidence. We need more people like her because she brings a freshness to the new squad with both refreshing enthusiasm (taking tired tasks into the next phase of effectiveness) and surprisingly fresh ideas like hanging deep beyond the Volunteerhang and just jumping into a task in progress – two obvious but not so obvious team building things. That’s just what she’s like, naturally rad in a “why didn’t I think of that?” way. She’s also a healthcare professional helping people all over Massachusetts at clinics and on remote locations wherever needed. Heart of gold this one. So glad you’re hangin around Rumi looking forward to big things in 2018!!
Jon Rodiger – Website Watchdog! Don’t bother trying to friend this dude, Jon is one of our anti-social media pillars and thank goodness because not enough people see the value in websites – being free from corporate control (go fuck yourself facebook). This sudbury native and I are kindred spirits I feel, doing our thing just for the damn sake of it. Our tastes are also aligned so that helps. Literally keep bumping into each other at Kal Marks shows. Anyway thank Jon for getting last minute rad music events up on the site and removing confusing or incorrect info from the front page he’s one of those special people who sees a problem and chooses to solve it rather than walk the other way. A rare breed, dude.
Julian Lemus – Top Special Ops! If we need to erect a wall in the middle of a ballroom or build a computer from scratch just to meet our nonprofit needs we call Julian. One of one overqualified volunteers Julian’s engineering background and experience make some of our greatest challenges look like childsplay. And it is… Even the big shit is childsplay to him. Dude tests robots and drones for a living. Anyway besides being extremely cool and modest this stud just gets shit done. Regular tasks involve doing the Compass distribution “drop run” and advising us on our tech hardware. Glad to have you Julian, look forward to the next time you say “you know, there’s a much easier way to do that…”
