BOYTOY by Tony Accosta

Salons were typically a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held for guests to amuse one another and to refine their tastes and increase their knowledge through conversation. “Either to please or to educate” as it pertains to the classical definition of the aims of poetry. Salon No. 7, curated by Lindsey Mills of Salt Witch Studio, is presented as a “celebration of forward thinking Womyn,” in a series that applauds women of all creative backgrounds and their contributions to culture and community.

This edition’s artists are musical: BOYTOY, from New York, and Mo’Booty and Glass Body from parts closer to home. BOYTOY is a garage-y rock band with a penchant for bright sounds drenched in fuzzy tones and dreamy, ’60s pop harmonies. Mo’Booty, from Miami, play a blend of surf and punk that can be described as cinematic. The trio’s latest release is a cover of Françoise Hardy’s “Le Temps de L’Amour” that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Tarantino film. Glass Body, formerly the Water Colors, are an artsy noise-rock outfit that churn trippy, Black Sabbath-style heaviness through a Sonic Youth filter. 

Mills, of Surfer Blood fame, started Salt Witch to help bring awareness to local artists and maximize their opportunities to get things done. The Salon series at Voltaire in West Palm Beach, with its emphasis on distaff creativity, is a continuation of programming that used to take place at the Kismet Vintage store in Delray Beach, where Mills and her Salt Witch cohorts would film local acts in concert.

There are naysayers in every scene who will deny the evidence of the good things happenings in their midst. For everyone else, showing appreciation to the people who work tirelessly to make things happen is oxygen for a community’s creative spark. If we don’t appreciate what we have, it’ll go away. The Salon series illuminates the talents of the artists who call South Florida home and the visitors who bring their work to us. It’s also an opportunity to honor the women who sustain the scene and continue to entertain, educate and inspire.

Salon No. 7 with BOYTOY, Mo’Booty and Glass Body takes places February 5 at Voltaire ~ Tim Moffatt