PREVIEW: Collective scream brings politically-charged punk to secret venue in brooklyn
Collective Scream shows have always been a place where music meets making a difference. That’s what makes the line-up for the next one so perfect.
If you’re new here, Collective Scream is a benefit concert series in NYC that donates all proceeds to local charities.
The next show at the underground DIY-venue East Williamsburg Econo Lodge on July 31 will be a rager fueled by emo and punk rock featuring Career Day, Fear Not Ourselves Alone, and Allapartus. This one’s for the grassroots Damayan Migrant Workers Association that supports Filipino migrants in NYC and New Jersey, including domestic workers and labor trafficking survivors.
So what makes this show extra special? It just so happens that all three bands on the bill use their music and platform to stand up against injustice. Read on to find out how. Then click here for tickets. RSVP for address.
Career Day
Career Day is a four-piece emo-punk band from Philly and Queens comprising vocalist Desmond Zantua, guitarist Jacob Cutler, drummer Kemal Pohan, and bassist Milo Brooking.
Katy Price
“As an artist, I find there’s inherent introspection required for how I can stand up for righteous causes in an impactful way,” Zantua told TTM.
The band uses music to get the word out about complex issues they care about in an entertaining and cathartic way.
“Our songs cover topics like suburban racism, state violence, and labor exploitation, but we strive to craft our musicianship and melodies in as dynamic and catchy a fashion as possible as to make the message as accessible as possible,” Zantua said. “Everyone is burnt out, so taking the time to read dense theory or essays might be daunting for some, but a 3 minute blink-182-esque song that speaks on matters is a lighter lift.”
“As important as it is for the art to be socially conscious, it is even more important that we direct attention to grassroots local efforts taking place on those pressing matters,” Zantua added.
At a Career Day show, you’ll find political pamphlets or QR codes for local organizations at the merch table.
“The energy of catharsis that comes from the shows in this scene is wasted if it does not extend into effort in the real world,” Zantua told TTM. “Drawing attention to people and groups already doing the work is a conduit towards where the tangible cause work is and, maybe more importantly, grounding people in a communal mindset.”
This show kicks off Career Day’s summer tour promoting their new single, “Last Good Day We Get,” released July 24.
“This song is about harnessing the fleeting gifts that we have in each other and more importantly the gift that we can be for each other,” Career Day wrote in an Instagram post.
FEAR NOT OURSELVES ALONE
Fear Not Ourselves Alone
Queens-based punk band Fear Not Ourselves Alone is lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Jorge Ivan Velez, guitarist Jonathan Baron, Eric Dryburgh on drums, and Charly Sheinberg on bass and vox. “Our band stands up for causes both in our music and our actions,” the band told TTM. “The lyrics in our songs explore questions of identity, immigration and imperialism to ask listeners what a more just society could look like.”
A Fear Not Ourselves Alone set wouldn’t be complete without taking a moment to talk about the importance of organizing. The band also partners with community groups, amplifying efforts to organize around causes they care about.
“Meaningful examples throughout the years have been coordinating a vigil into one of our sets in honor of lives taken by ICE terror, joining the No Music for Genocide campaign by geo-blocking our music from streaming in Israel, and hosting a May Day fundraiser show for Los Deliveristas Unidos to support delivery workers in New York,” the band told TTM.
ALLAPARTUS
Collin McClutchy
Made up of guitarist and singer Adam Woodley, bassist Kevin Dubois, and drummer Danny Caro, Allapartus fuses alt rock and pop punk in NYC.
The band’s politically charged lyrics are inspired by current events and resilient resistance.
“If politics is in the heart, it should be in the music,” Woodley told Through the Monitor. “The more afraid you are to write about something political, especially if it feels like it’s too on the nose, the more I think you should put it in the music.”
At shows, Allapartus fundraises for local organizations that address food insecurity, immigrant justice, and workers rights.
“On top of money being a higher impact in a local organization, it’s an opportunity to connect with people in your neighborhood and feel a sense of agency in and around your home,” Woodley said. “Connection and community is the most valuable end result.”
More about the cause (pulled directly from the Damayan Migrant Workers Association website):
“We were established in 2002 by a group of Filipina domestic workers experiencing employer abuses, like illegally refusing to pay minimum wage, termination without cause or notice, and working overtime without compensation.
Most of our members are undocumented, so Damayan helps them know their rights so they can protect themselves and live without fear. For those eligible, we help them adjust their immigration status. We also focus on labor rights so they learn how to overcome employer mistreatment, such as winning stolen wages, and advocate for better working conditions, such as just wages and benefits.”