Punk rock band SYZYGY, pop rock band The Matriarch and folk rock band The Croakes will perform at 7 p.m. August 27 at the Orbit Room. There is a $5 cover cost, and all money will be donated to local abortion resources.
The event will be held for people ages 18 and over. There will be multiple DJ sets in between each rock performance.
Lu Harper, vocalist for SYZYGY, said she has been planning this event since the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“I messaged the band one day,” Harper said. “I was like, ‘I want to put a show together that's like a fundraiser because I feel like everything's really out of control, and I want to do something.’”
Harper said most political decisions and events lead to protests but eventually tend to settle. By creating this event, she said it will show that people are still fighting and still care about this issue.
Related: [Black Film Center & Archive to present open house Sept. 7-8]
As survivors of sexual assault, Harper and SYZYGY guitarist Max Senter said sexual assault is an important aspect of the Roe v. Wade decision.
“A lot of people, when they think of this issue, they think of just women or women who are attracted to men,” Harper said. “But I think a lot of people fail to consider how this also impacts queer people.”
Senter said that by performing as gender non-conforming and LGBTQ people, they will demonstrate that people other than women are affected by abortion laws.
Related: [Bloomington PRIDE to present drag performers DiDa Ritz, Saint at annual Pridefest Aug. 27]
While Senter said larger organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, are good places to support, donating to local organizations will be beneficial to the Bloomington community.
The Matriarch guitarist Mallory Benoit said since she’s from Indiana, she wasn’t surprised when Senate Bill 1 was passed, but students who are from other states may not know the situation they’re in. She said she hopes to raise awareness through this event.
“I wish I could help every single person that needs those resources, and personally offer them things that I have, but we can't do that,” Benoit said. "So instead, we'll just try our best to raise some money.”
