Bad ass of the week: Ami Lawless
Recently recognized as “BEST DJ IN THE BAY AREA” by SF Weekly magazine, this gladiator is also a successful musician, mother, retired firefighter, writer and proud owner of “Everlasting Love” art gallery in the lower Mission District of SF.
Where the fuck do I start? Going into this interview, I knew Ami as the vocalist of VOETSEK and host of her own radio show “Cold ones and rolled ones”. I thought I did, but quickly realized I had NO IDEA just how bad ass this woman really is. This week we get to know the woman behind the voice…
In her late 20’s Ami became a firefighter sometimes working up to 70 days straight…retiring from firefighting at 37, she went back to school and became a case worker. Ami and her partner of 13 years have three 26 year old sons. Twins as well as a young man they started fostering as he was in need of the safe, loving home they had to offer. Damn, dude. I can only imagine what a challenge it must have been to raise three boys, the same age at the SAME TIME. Avid campers that love to fish, this family always has a good time; though some members of the family are better at actually CATCHING fish than others.
“I swear my partner is a “Fish Whisperer” we camp and travel quite a bit and she ALWAYS catches something. You know what I’ve caught? A fucking Sting Ray. I’ve been stung by a sting ray. Bullshit. Haha”
I present the love birds pictured above 🙂
A self-proclaimed “Bay Area Lifer” Ami is fighting the good fight in our art community at large:
“Let’s preserve our local art! Let’s keep what’s ours! Creative types always seem to be the first ones pushed out of stores/locations even though they’re the ones contributing priceless art to our lives. “Everlasting Love” is all DIY, handmade art and collectibles. It doesn’t matter what you’re into, there’s something here for you. Paintings, taxi dermy, jewelry, a great bone selection, plants even! There is quite a bit of “Dia de los Muertos” influence as a whole.”
GO TO EVERLASTING LOVE and find your next favorite piece; SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND THE PEOPLE THAT FIGHT TO KEEP THE ART COMMUNITY THRIVING AT A REACHABLE, COMMUNITY DRIVEN LEVEL!
As a vocalist Ami has been an integral part of the punk and metal scene for years. You’ve heard her scream for DAIRY QUEENS, VOETSEK and as of this last year, BEDRUCKEN. I hadn’t heard BEDRUCKEN; I asked how she might describe their sound and how the opportunity came about:
“BEDRUCKEN had asked me to be their vocalist. When they described their sound as Doom, I was kind of like, “Meh…I don’t man, that’s not really my jam” Of course then I actually listened to their shit and it totally grew on me in a big way! When I initially said no, BEDRUCKEN was flying in a vocalist from Portland. I don’t know who she was, but when I said I was down, she went back to Portland and we’ve been jamming ever since, man.”
Fuck yeah, I can’t wait to check them out at their next show. Ami BRINGS IT to the mic on stage and on the radio.
You can catch Ami’s radio show every Thursday 6-8pm, “COLD ONES and ROLLED ONES” aka CO/RO via RadioValencia.FM. You can listen on the radio or online. Let’s hear what BAY AREA’S BEST DJ has to say about CO/RO:
“I play hardcore, punk and metal music. I’m just a huge fan that gets to interview people I normally wouldn’t have the chance to. I think that fact that we don’t exclusively interview musicians and branch out to authors, film makers and actors set us apart from the others a bit. SF weekly didn’t notify me when they announced me as “Best DJ in the bay area” Shit, I only found out because of my friends tweets and texts congratulating me! I’m STILL shocked. Just proof positive that punks and metal heads can fill out a form and vote! Haha
I still haven’t even mentioned that for the last 10 years, Ami has been writing for “Short, Fast and Loud” doing band reviews and artist write-ups. Jiminey fuckin’ Christmas, I don’t know how she does it.
“I’m just a music fan, dude…you’ve got to have outlets. These are mine.”
Well, the next time I want to complain about “never having enough time to do the things I love” I’ll remember Ami’ story and promptly shut myself the fuck up. Retired firefighter, case worker for children in need, Radio show DJ/Host, vocalist, fighting for the greater good of the art community and most importantly, a loving partner and mother. Ami, I salute all that you have and continue to do for our community at large.
Links to all that is Ami’s endless accomplishments:
Radio Show:
Listen to COLD ONES & ROLLED ONES with Ami Lawless, every Thursday 6-8pm bay Area time zone. on RadioValencia.fm or 87.9FM in Frisco
follow @AmiLawless on Twitter & lawless6669 on Instagram
Bands in chronological order:
https://www.facebook.com/dairyqueensband
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Voetsek/300850028510
https://www.facebook.com/Bedrucken
Short, fast and Loud Magazine:
http://www.sixweeksrecords.com