Part 1: My journey and thank you to Highbrow Lowbrow
Part 1: My journey and thank you to Highbrow Lowbrow
Hello friends,
Thank you for taking the time to read.
I write these words from a place of immense gratitude, with a clear perspective and a heart that is at peace.
That means I’ve finally have caught up on all of the sleep I missed out on :)
My intention in writing this statement is to take a moment to reflect on the past few years, voice my gratitude, and, most of all, to be as transparent as I can.
This is NOT a story about Highbrow. That’s for another time and for another day.
These words are for my family, friends, community—and most of all, for myself.
This is also for those who are pursuing and building something greater than themselves:
To the rebels, the mavericks, the dreamers.
To the ones who wake up every day pushing forward despite life trying to push back.
To the entrepreneurs, creators, leaders, and anyone who has sometimes found themselves buried by their own pursuits.
To those who deal with their own mental health struggles.
I hope my words and journey serve as a reminder that you are not alone, and that what we’re all dealing with is a wild part of the human experience.
The eighteen months I spent at Highbrow Lowbrow were remarkable, life-changing, exhausting and truly fulfilling. I know—only 18 months. Just as long as Studio 54!
From our early days with just a playlist and a cooler, to the moment two giant robots walked into the house to help us celebrate our first anniversary, the journey was nothing short of extraordinary.
Some of my fondest memories are from times where you just had to be there to truly appreciate the moment:
Our first ACL buyout where Sofi Tukker graced our living room. Shhh.
Our first ever member Paul opening the first-ever gag gift during our first White Elephant party. (Sorry Taylor W, Paul was first)
The first time we unveiled the margarita machine and made frosés for an all-women’s clothing swap.
Crowning all of our member of the months (Taylor, Katy, Tony, Meg, Justin, Amanda, Grant) (You really had to be there, right Amanda)
Rolling up to Lady Bird Lake with a floating DJ barge. TWICE!
However all of the special community nights, movie nights, game nights, women's events, men’s circles and countless theme parties.
But my greatest memories aren’t actually mine—they’re yours.
For me, the best moments were stepping back and taking it all in, event after event, night after night.
It was:
Watching the bewilderment on people’s faces when they walked through the door and asked, “Where the hell am I,” Or getting a sword placed in their hands.
Watching our team laugh, have fun, and find their way while bringing all their talents and passion to the community.
Watching our clients and artists create magic in the space and seeing their visions come to life.
Witnessing two people commit their lives to each other with their families in our Thunderdome—just hours after a DJ crushed an incredible afters set with lasers, smoke, and dancers in that exact same spot. Fcking WILD!
Seeing members, friends and guests come in on random nights, only to find themselves catching a sunrise together.
Ultimately, what stands out the most are the countless moments where strangers became friends, and friends became family.
Not only are those my favorite memories, but they are what I consider our greatest achievements:
The people who started as bartenders or door staff and grew into becoming the lifeblood of our community, and have gone on to become strong leaders in their respective communities.
The countless relationships, businesses, DJs, artists, and brands that began with us.
The multiple friend groups and communities that were born in those moments.
What lives on from those 18 months we co-created together is, in my heart, the greatest success of Highbrow Lowbrow.
When magic is created by a group of people, even changing one person can change the entire story.
I want to honor as many of you as I can who helped make Highbrow Lowbrow what it was.
To every team member I had the pleasure and honor of recruiting, hiring, or working alongside:
Thank you.
GT, KD, Dre, Karley, Jack, Gabby, Taylor, Alexandra, Sarah, Erin, Neako, Lexi, Shayan, Cooper, RJ, Kendall, Rob, Maddie, Joe, Sierra, Brooklyn, Nichols, David, Margo, Ozzie, & every single person who was contracted with us, volunteered, or pitched in—you made every day at work feel like the most fun session at recess.
Looking back, I couldn’t have worked with better humans. Each of your contributions made this place truly special.
You brought out the best in each other, and, because of that, you brought out the best in our members, clients and guests.
I love you all and can’t wait to see the amazing things you all continue to do in your lives.
To every member who chose to be part of our weird, wild, and amazing community:
Thank you for your time, trust, energy, and friendship.
Each of you brought something unique to the collective, and without even one of you, the story wouldn’t have been the same.
To those who poured in and gave us life, to those who brought their love, hearts, and God-given gifts to make us more than just a community but a family—thank you.
Whether you came to the club once or every weekend (and then some), you made her truly special.
To our clients who trusted us to provide a space to host, create, and share with your guests:
Thank you.
You helped shape Highbrow Lowbrow into a place where incredible events happened—and brought so much wonder to our city, so much so that the whole city of Austin mistakenly gave us all the credit!
I learned so much from so many talented organizers, hosts, and operators.
YETI, Secret Disco, RISER, ZEST & Co, Meat Carnivale, BMI Music and White Claw, Daybreaker, Strength in the City, SWEATPALS, SoFar Sounds, Dame Dynamite, Ascension Leadership Academy, Hallie Rose, and so so so many others.
To our amazing clients who had their private events with us.
Those are some of the best memories that were made. I’m so glad we got to share in some special moments with you and your guests.
To the local Burning Man camps and Artists who co-created such incredible magic with us:
The Badillac, Fractal Droid, Rippers Row, The Gong Spot, Art Island, Disorient, and many more—thank you for connecting Austin to the Burning Man community.
Because of you, so many got to experience their first trips to the playa, including myself. That spirit has continued to spread through our respective communities and I believe it is what sets Austin up to become one the most special places to live.
To all the artists, DJ’s, Bands, musicians, comedians, performers, technicians, vendors, and brands who shared their gifts, talents, and passions with us:
We witnessed such a vast scope of creativity—music, film, food, performance, dance, art, fitness, wellness, magic, comedy and so much obscure, weird and wild things in between.
One of the coolest experiences has been seeing so many of you grow into your talents and shine on some of the biggest stages.
To everyone who helped us move furniture, carried speakers, stayed to clean, or even took out the garbage—thank you.
To the city of Austin and all our visiting guests who helped us throw unforgettable parties and create the most unique experiences.
I can’t thank you enough for embracing our culture and for always bringing the best vibes.
To my brothers and sisters who made this journey epic, fun, wild, and truly life-changing.
You know who you are, and I love each and every one of you. I’m so grateful for our friendships and the moments we created together. More importantly thank you for being there when I needed you most.
To my brother Max, formerly known as Handstand Max for introducing Chip and I.
And lastly, to Chip and the Forsythe family:
Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.
I hope I was able to give as much as I received. You created a space that allowed me to use all my God-given talents and gifts. Ultimately, you gave all of us a place to call home.
As a boy, my favorite book was The Outsiders.
There is a famous poem by Robert Frost that Ponyboy and Johnny read together, which I feel perfectly sums up our time together at Highbrow Lowbrow:
"Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay."
I’ve learned that nothing great lasts forever. It’s great not just because it happened, but because it can never happen the same way again.
The time we all co-created and shared in this city is ours forever.
We can choose to hold onto the pain of change, or we can choose to honor the beautiful moments we shared.
2024 has been incredibly powerful, profound, and also incredibly challenging.
As I prepare to step into 2025, my heart is finally at peace, and I am so grateful to have had this unique experience with each of you.
Mistakes were made, and I stand accountable for the ones I am responsible for.
2024 I struggled to show up.
It’s hard to keep the good times rolling when you lose so much. I’ll discuss this fully in Part two.
There are countless lessons and opportunities to grow from.
With humility and grace I look forward to making the improvements and necessary adjustments.
But friends….there was also so much we got right.
Oh yes, We pushed the boundaries.
We danced between chaos and serenity.
We were the ultimate paradox.
We took the island and burned the boats.
We stayed up late and got weird.
We loved, we cried, we laughed—and yes, we fought.
But when she was alive and her doors open, we always hugged before we left her.
That’s what creators, artists, rebels, mavericks, and anyone who dreams big ultimately do!
And that’s what WE did!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
What’s next?
I’ll share more in the next part, but I’ll leave you with this:
This year, I went through an extraordinary journey that tested the limits of my mental health and forced me to endure many dark days.
However through that journey and the countless support of my family and friends, I found a peace I’ve never felt before—a greater perspective and a deeper appreciation for life.
Now, I get to create and build from that intentional mindset and space.
And in case you thought this was the end, let me be clear:
The next chapter of our journey is just around the corner.
I’m not done and I can’t wait to co-create more magic with our incredible community.
Stay golden and much love,
James Q
Up next:
Part 2: The End and What’s Next
What Happened: How the sale, transition and search took its toll on me.
Accountability and Vulnerability: My struggles, mistakes, and personal realizations.
What Now: The vision for the club, community and what we will do in 2025!
More cool images below and HERE (just be sure to tag us on IG)
