‘Despair wrapped in a bow’: Punks play for Palestine in back alley charity show

Andrew Kerley, Audience Editor

A dust cloud forms as the two sides of the mosh pit throw their bodies into each other, arms spinning and drinks spilling. A woman wears a keffiyeh around her neck — a decades-old symbol of resistance — as a single Palestinian flag protrudes out of a drink cooler.

Laughter and melancholy could be heard all night at “Battle of the Bands for Palestine,” an event hosted in the back alley behind Govinda Restaurant on Saturday, March 16 by local music providers ClayHouse in collaboration with VCU’s Palestinian Student Organization, Students for Justice in Palestine and Youth on the Rise.

Six bands and artists competed for the title of champion — all in the name of a war-torn Palestine. Bass and drums duo Wrong Worshippers won first place, as well as two hours of studio time with Timeless Records, according to organizer Uzair Shahzada. While the event was free, attendees could leave donations that went towards charities bringing aid to Gazan refugees. The event raised $750, which was donated to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, according to VCU SJP cofounder Link Alexio.

The show was originally set to be played in the heart of Monroe Park, but the city revoked their license at the last minute, Shahzada said. 

Shahzada was familiar with the owners of Govinda Restaurant, a vegan Indian eatery in the Carver neighborhood, he said. 

Govinda’s owners run their own charity as a leg of a Bhakti Hindu organization, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, distributing food to homeless and hungry people, according to Srimandasa, the owner. He granted Shahzada’s request to use the back alley with no questions asked.

“It’s for a good cause,” Srimandasa said.

 Doors opened at 6 p.m. and music started a half an hour later, lasting through twilight until just after 10 p.m. Homegrown alternative metal band Paradiso opened the show with everything you would expect from RVA’s grungy core: mind-boggling guitar solos, long-haired bandmates and vocals that blurred the line between song and scream.

People hugged their friends while grinning ear to ear as well over a hundred VCU students, local residents and music lovers poured into the DIY venue. A small cardboard box slowly filled with cash throughout the night. Next to it laid a piece of paper with “DONATIONS FOR PALESTINE” drawn on in thick black marker. 

One attendee, Simba Bartell, found out about the event through his network of grassroots community activists. He works with the organization Food Not Bombs — in conjunction with a local mosque — to hand out free food in Monroe Park every Sunday. Bartell has been involved with Palestinian liberation activism since 2015. 

Palestinian liberation is closely connected to the liberation of Black people in America, Bartell said. 

“The same security organizations and companies, mostly private, that are using tear gas to, you know, tear gas people here — they sell to Israel as well,” Bartell said.

Bartell thinks it’s amazing that more people are becoming aware of the oppression of people in Gaza, he said.

“In light of terrible events, it’s awesome that the youth is decidedly pro-Palestinian, and pro-human rights in general,” Bartell said.

In the information age, you can’t shut down information, and as a result, this generation — millennials and Generation Z — have gotten used to very long social movements, Bartell said. Even after physical action dies down, people continue to share posts and read books they wouldn’t otherwise be aware of.

The current “Free Palestine” movement has been going steady for over 165 days after being re-energized by the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people, and the Israeli military campaigns into Gaza that followed, according to the Associated Press. The Gaza death toll rose above 30,000 people after Israeli military forces opened fire on a crowd of people waiting to receive aid in Rafah on Feb. 29.

“The important part to note is that in Palestine — their protest movement, their liberation movement — has gone on for about 80 years, if not a little bit longer,” Bartell said.

Charity shows are a tactic punks have used to establish mutual aid networks for years, according to Kiki Khalilian, guitarist for Camp Werewolf, one of the bands that played the show. 

“Even just like, the idea of DIY touring, initially, was a method of getting like-minded, generally anti-establishment folks, mostly anarchists, but also communists and other leftists, in the same room and established in each other’s communities through joy before mobilization,” Khalilian said.

Bass and drums duo Wrong Worshippers won first place in the battle of the bands — which was decided via whoever attained the loudest cheers from the crowd — with “Not Your Pawns,” a song they dedicated to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who bassist Nick Walker said they “hate” for his policies on both the Israel-Hamas War and transgender youth accommodations.

Youngkin challenged the Virginia General Assembly to pass a bill saying the state won’t do business with companies that boycott Israel during his State of the Commonwealth speech in January.

The movement is for everyone aside from Youngkin, and the scene is supportive of everybody, Walker said. 

“I think being a part of that is good, and also trying to cultivate that is really fulfilling for us,” Walker said. “Just make a space where everyone is safe and is heard. 

People feel hopeless when they see uncensored videos of Palestinian people being murdered all over the internet, according to Aaron Olugbemi, guitarist and singer for the band Solera. 

It’s a grim time, and social media can be depressing to look at, drummer for Solera Oscar Lujan said. 

“I think it’s equally as important to have joyous events where you can also kind of take advantage of this big gathering of people to do some good together and uplift spirits,” Luján said. “That you’re still able to continuously address all these challenges, not only in Palestine but across the world in every nation.”

Events like “Battle of the Bands for Palestine” help people understand the tragedy that is happening, bassist for Solera Rohon Ahluwalia said

“It’s despair wrapped in a pretty bow,” Ahluwalia said.

Correction: A previous version of this story said the event raised nearly $1000. The story has been updated to reflect new information, saying the event raised $750.