Blow Water has recently made waves in the local music community by combining the concept of
food and Jazz, merging them into let’s say a very tasteful experience. Sabrina has a background
in events management, having studied it at university and has long been associated with the DJ
and music scene, both in Hong Kong as an intern for Respect Magazine and within her time
residing in the UK.
Dumplings and Jazz is the ideal combo, Sabrina stresses how Jazz is the ideal recipe for dining
situations, mainly because it can compliment just about anything. Jazz has historically been the
genre of choice for people who want a slightly different experience and perhaps wanting an
environment that resembles more of a living space. This has long been the case with Jazz bars, as
venues such as Ronnie Scotts are pioneers of this experience.
Sabrina mentions that this isn’t something new and has been going on for a long time, particularly
within Theatre. She gained insight from venues such as Cafe Oto in London, who have similarities
with their approach and decided that Birmingham as a city was missing this sort of experience. A
main feeling from the Blow Water crew was a need to enhance the local music community. This is
evident as the funds generated by ticket sales are distributed directly to the artist. The modern
music industry has made it very difficult for independent musicians to invest in themselves as
artists or make any sort of income. Blow Water with this approach is an example in how
grassroots creative businesses can be invaluable to the local community.
One thing noticeable is the drive to grow the brewing Birmingham Jazz scene, many musicians
that perform are local to the area and will be able to gain new fans through the exposure that
Blow Water provides. Jazz in particular is a genre that naturally engages the audience, mainly due
to the musicianship involved, so the intimate setting of the cafe is the perfect space for audiences
to witness this. It’s also worth mentioning that Zyggurat, a local musician is involved with music
related matters and is able to offer his extensive knowledge to aid in future events.
The pull of the Blow Water concept has bought to the city Internationally acclaimed names.
Kamaal Williams on the Jazz front was a brilliant booking, as It provided the opportunity to
experience a high level musician in an intimate venue such as The Hare & Hounds. The option to
dine beforehand was a very nice touch. From a consumer perspective it provides a very cost
effective option of both dining and seeing a renowned artist for less than £50.00. Sabrina states
that restaurants in Hong Kong that serve up Korean, Shanghainese and Japanese foods are the
main inspirations for her dishes, with Dumplings proving to be the go to dish for the Jazz Cafe
events. A successful DIY approach will almost certainly offer something that enhances the local
community as-well as creating a local buzz. Blow Water with its regular Thursday Jazz events do
just that. Its regular monthly/bi monthly occurrences can entice different demographics to the
events. An example of this was at the midweek Kamaal Williams gig where the crowd was very
mixed in age and demographic. The stereotypical elitist connotation that is often associated with
Jazz was nowhere to be seen, everyone was there for the music.
The Blow Water space hosts a variety of diverse events, including dumpling and candle making
classes, indigo dyeing and in particular The Dumpling Room, which is an event that showcases
innovative musicians that span across multiple genres. The previous event hosted the brilliant
producer and live act Surgeon, but this time Surgeon was dictating the ambience with his
selections for the whole evening. The event itself was very wholesome and warm with Surgeon
providing the perfect selections to accompany the tasty dumplings. From someone who is a great
admirer of Surgeons approach to music and in particular his live sets, it was really interesting to
see him in such a unique environment. The vibe of the night outlined the togetherness of the local
community and its great to see another edition of The Dumpling room happening in the summer.
The next event takes place on Sat Aug 5th on the rooftop of members only club Eighteen Club
Space. The lineup is packed full of talent including Trieste, Zyggurat, Adam Shelton, Surgeons Girl
and On The Rocks Records. The music is on from 4pm-2am and the BBQ will be on from 4-6pm
serving Hong Kong style Swiss chicken/mushroom rice. This event is a great opportunity
experience the Blow Water vibe in a unique setting. Event link below!
Sabrina and the team at Blow Water have been able to bring a tried and tested formula in an area
where it was needed. The timing of events such as The Jazz cafe and the Dumpling Room is
ideal, as nowadays it seems less and less people are going out, or if they are going out they need
an experience which differs from the status quo of Fri and Sat Night events. Large scale events
which feature touring bands cost an absolute fortune and is less appealing in a cost of living
crisis. What Blow water excels at is keeping the core of discovery at its heart. Unlike social trends
today where people seek what’s popular on Tik Tok, Blow water keeps it organic where the
attendee does not have to know everything about the artist performing, they trust in the concept
and are open minded enough to explore and take in the music and the vibe. Blow Water has
really been a breath of fresh air and its very exciting to see what happens next, as they are looking
to grow the brand out of Birmingham. In a post covid world where creative businesses struggle to
make ground its great to see a grass roots business excel by simply loving what they do.
Blow Water
Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/blowwater.co/
https://www.facebook.com/BlowWater.co/
Dumpling Room Rooftop Edition
https://ra.co/events/1726550