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Art and politics can make strange, confusing bedfellows.
German playwright (and all around Commie) Bertolt Brecht would tell you that unless your work directly protests the global capitalist hegemony by alienating the buorgeois theatre-going audience, it amounts to little but titillation for the ruling classes.
On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got post-punk icons Fugazi, who skipped the political theory and went right for a little direct action via a now-institutional phenomenon called the benefit show.
Once an established band with a solid, consistent draw, the group would only perform in their hometown of Washington D.C. if the proceeds went to charities like homeless shelters and free clinics for women.
The third annual Bands For Dance takes a page from the latter’s more practically political activism. The concert – organized in part by Miami-style reggae-punkers Askultura and featuring an eclectic sampling of bands and solo artists – helps fund the Michelle Vargas Dance Scholarship at USF. Plus, the event’s Facebook promises “Colombian food that will put hair on your you-know-what.”
Politics are messy. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone is an asshole. So it’s refreshing to see local musicians rallying behind a cause that doesn’t leave much room for proselytizing or posturing.
Bands For Dance with live performances by Askultura, Mindyou, Riot Agents, Halfway To Moskah, No Sleep, Off Orbit, Xela Zaid, Emily Sheila, Now And Because. Friday, March 2. Churchill’s Pub. 5501 NE 2nd Ave, Little Haiti. Cover costs $5 and all proceeds go to the Michelle Vargas Scholarship Award.
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