Familiarize Yourself Chicago
Project by Ashley Brown
Familiarizeyourself.com was started in June 2009 by Ashley Brown, an avid music fan who wanted to express her passion through creative writing. Familiarize Yourself quickly expanded; within one month four passionate music lovers, all of whom had no previous experience in music journalism, joined Brown's team.
Since then, It has become a music project that has brought together industry professionals through informational interviews, and reviews of artists working their way up the musical food chain. The Familiarize Yourself crew writes because we are overly passionate about listening to new music. We are not critiquing or judging the creativity of the artists; we are explaining our addiction and how each musician helps bring us one step closer to that euphoric state.
MISSION
FamiliarizeYourself.com has spent more than six months interviewing local artists and building a relationship with Chicago’s music scene. The talent that can be found on local college campuses and at local sandwich shops cannot be ignored, and Familiarizeyourself.com wants to continue helping these aspiring artists' dreams by launching a music series around the city of Chicago. Our goal is to give back to the local music community.
Discussions have already taken place between local coffee shop owners and artists to create a music series that gives both local and touring artists a place to perform and to receive additional online press with the use of FamiliarizeYourself.com. This local series would be free to attend, but FamiliarizeYourself.com would encourage attendees to support the local coffee shops who are giving us the venue by directing the waved entrance fee towards purchasing goods at each shop.
Reward Photos

Project location: Chicago, IL
Every dollar counts! Donate $1 and receive a personalized 'thank you' note with a FYW button!
For every $10 donation receive a hot-off-the-press screen printed FYW bag. The bags come in purple, red, or black.
For every $30 donation you can receive a hot-off-the-press screen printed FYW bag.... FILLED. These bags have been filled with some of the finest music goodies from sponsors such as GrammyU, File-13 Records, and Minty Fresh Records. The bags come in purple, red, or black.
For $50 you will be invited to join us at the ultimate "thank you" party, an intimate concert with a local up-and-coming Chicago act at a special venue TBA. Stay tuned for details.