On September 7th, we had the opportunity to spend the day with the goodDYEyoung team at the Art + Friends festival in Nashville, TN. This day was so special in so many ways.
We made the drive down to stay with some longtime, hometown friends. After settling in, we took advantage of all that Nashville has to offer. People in that city are much like Buffalonians; They really make you feel at home. The city is spilling over with music + art everywhere. It’s hard not to leave completely in awe of that place.
This festival meant everything to the creators and artists involved. It was the last show of Paramore’s After Laughter album cycle, and they wanted to do it big. They did not disappoint. The line-up of music also included Nightingale, Liza Anne, Coin, Bully, Canon Blue, and a cameo by Halfnoise. (You guys probably hear all these artists on regular rotation in the shop.) There were lots of little pop-ups sprinkled in among interactive art installations. The Epic Girl photo booth was super fun, and Congrats! Records sold out of just about everything, to name a few memorable moments.
Here’s where we get involved… Shortly before we were going on this adventure, we were asked if we wanted to do some demos at the GDY pop-up within the festival. That’s what we truly love: merging art + music. With a massive re-brand just launched, as well as some launches that have happened since, GDY had so much to show off. We’re honored to be part of the artistry team.
When we arrived at the aud, we met up with Megan, who we worked with at the Parahoy! GDY event. She introduced us to the rest of the crew we hadn’t yet met, and also reunited with Local Honey talent Kazia + Madi. The shop Megan designed looked incredible! GDY has such a unique aesthetic. This day also truly kicked off the mindset of EXPRESSION IS SURVIVAL.
This day was extra great because we got to catch up with lots of people we know within the GDY community. It’s so rad seeing a literal community spring up because of the brand’s philosophy. Since GDY launched, we’ve made so many friends all over the world. To get to catch up in person + nerd out over hair, expression, music, hearing people’s stories, hair dreams, beauty questions, travel stories, etc etc etc = wow.
And the day wouldn’t have been complete without a lil drop-in by the creators.
We remember when Hayley + Brian just had a dream. Then they had a plan. They made it happen. And we’re so proud. GDY is so much more than hair color. It’s an ice-breaker for personal expression, a doorway to conversation, a safe way to be you. We can’t put it better than H herself in the STRANDS blog, so be sure to read that. To be able to shake the hands of those who created something bigger than they know is truly great. We get to create our art with the most high quality, healthy product every day. Thank you for welcoming us into the GDY family. We’re truly grateful, can’t wait to see where GDY goes, and hope to be a part of more creative collabs in the future.
photos by Chris Ferguson.
#gdytillwedie
