The Safe Amplification Site Society, also known as Safe Amp or SASS is a non-profit organization that promotes the legitimacy of music and arts within

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

for participants of all ages. Safe Amp is a member-based organization, and relies on donations for funding. Many of the directors of Safe Amp are prominent musicians in the Vancouver community, including co-founder and general director Ryan McCormick of Collapsing Opposites and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. The organization was created with inspiration from such organizations as

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

The Vera Project The Vera Project, or VERA, is an all-ages, non-profit youth arts organization in Seattle, Washington. Overview Based on the Vera club in Groningen, Netherlands. The name Vera comes from the phrase Veri Et Recti Amici, which is Latin meaning "tr ...

and

The Smell The Smell is an all-ages, alcohol and drug-free, punk rock and experimental music venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The Smell, notable for its DIY ethic, is home to many of the area's avant-garde performers and artists. The venue is m ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. A key initiative for Safe Amp has been establishing a "permanent, legal, alcohol-free, all-ages space for music and arts events" in Vancouver. General advocacy on this issue is also a key activity; Safe Amp aims to put pressure on the municipal and provincial governments and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

's Liquor Control and Licensing Board to amend provincial liquor laws. Recent years have seen many popular live music venues in Vancouver close due to strict liquor licensing regulations, gentrification, the rapid development of condominiums, or noise complaints in the densely populated city centre. Safe Amp is known for its

do-it-yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

all-ages events, which have included concerts and film screenings. In 2012, Safe Amp organized a series of workshops and festivals under the title "Skills for Performing Artists through Community Engagement" ("S.P.A.C.E. Camp") that included notable speakers such as

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...

frontman

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...

and

Nardwuar the Human Serviette John Ruskin (born July 5, 1968), better known as Nardwuar, or Nardwuar the Human Serviette, is a Canadian interviewer and musician from Vancouver, British Columbia.Doug Ward, "Trudeau rolled by Human Serviette", ''Vancouver Sun'', November 17, 1 ...

, performers including

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

and

The Evaporators The Evaporators is a Canadian garage rock band formed in 1986 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nardwuar, its founding member, is also known for interviewing musicians and celebrities. As of 2007, the band consists of vocalist/keyboardist Nardwuar ...

, and representatives from organizations including

Mint Records Mint Records is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based independent record label founded in 1991, by friends and campus radio enthusiasts Randy Iwata and Bill Baker. Mint has put out over 150 releases, several of which have won Juno Awards. His ...

and

K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...

. The organization currently operates a part-time temporary venue in Vancouver's Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood in the former Astorino's dining hall at 1739 Venables Street.

References

External links

Safe Amplification Site Society
Companies based in Vancouver Music venues in Vancouver Social centres Youth-led media {{Canada-company-stub