Chicago’s DIY Music Scene Comes Together for Justice in Palestine
On June 21st, The Limelight had the pleasure of attending a local Palestine relief concert, featuring live sounds by Camp Collar, Cosmic Balrog, The 1.800s, and Speedbump. The concert was held within the cozy Chicago neighborhood of Jefferson Park, where 74 attendees showed out for a passionate and heartwarming display of community. According to organizer Matthew Aggari, the concert raised over $850, with proceeds donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).
We got to speak to him about how it all came together!
According to Matthew, the show was not originally intended to be a Palestine relief concert, but once the idea was brought up, all of the bands involved unanimously agreed.
“Cosmic Balrog was the band that reached out to me [to ask] if I wanted to do a show with the 1.800s. Eventually, I pitched my backyard, and they decided to add Speedbump to the bill. That's when I pitched the idea of making it a fundraiser if they were on board with it!” Matthew said.
“Discussions all took place over Instagram in a little band group chat!” he added. Deciding which organization to donate proceeds to was also a collaborative process.
Flyer by @hmgrwnstudios
“I did a bit of research into what organization to donate to, and made sure the other bands were cool with it — or if they had other ones in mind.”
But the collaboration didn’t end there. Matthew shared that much of his community pitched in to run the show successfully!
“The other bands shared their gear — like a lot of the drums and the mixer, and my neighbors lent us their backyard. I had some friends at DePaul I mentioned I was planning the show to, and they asked if I needed help with it. It was really helpful, cause they actually ran doors the whole show.”
Reflecting on the night, Matthew stated, “I think the biggest thing that surprised me was the turnout! It was way more crowded than we expected and I’m really glad cause we were able to raise awareness and funds! There were also folks who couldn’t make it and messaged me about how they could still donate, so I sent them the link to the PCRF donation page!
We at The Limelight thank Matthew, Camp Collar, Cosmic Balrog, The 1.800s, Speedbump, and the community members involved for putting on a wonderful show. You can donate to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund here!
Photos Courtesy of Matthew Aggari and @korequu