>With a relentless barrage of harrowing headlines in the news, many drift between somberness, bitterness, and learned helplessness. But when news broke out about the California wildfires, collectives across the U.S. turned to fundraising, donating, and promoting emergency shelters. Advocacy didn’t stop there, however, as many organizations—some very close to campus—held benefit concerts. In Brooklyn, the Music Hall of Williamsburg hosted NYC for LA, a four-hour sold-out benefit concert. Featured artists included Lark LePage, Aria Lisslo, Simone, The Radio Relics, Sid Simons, The Thing, Juice, Sarah Kinsley, Charlie Burg, Quarters of Change, and Laundry Day. At the end of each performance, artists gave a brief speech about their connection to California and performed a song related to the state.
The concert started with indie songs sung in hushed whispers, led by LePage, Lisslo, and Simone. Tales of heartbreak, melancholy, and frustration laced with golden tinsel — particularly in Simone’s performance of her song, “Emma,” as she sang, “Take your clothes off, baby / So I can see through you” — rang throughout. Although written as a love song, one could hear Simone’s lyrics as a plea for connection during global turmoil.
Later into the night, the soft love ballads swelled into roars of adolescent anger. Under the influence of glossy electric bass guitars and drums, attendees were soon swept up by the new sound’s quick rhythm, led by NYU’s The Radio Relics, a progeny of 70’s and 80’s rock. While the concert’s first set was thematically focused on the devastating parts of love, this set spoke with a sharp tongue: angry, but veiling fragile feelings of pain and loss — feelings that currently resonate.
After several hours, rock shifted into alternative pop, featuring artists like Juice, Sarah Kinsley, Charlie Burg, and the concert’s headliner, Laundry Day. Electric bass guitars were replaced by pianos, acoustic guitars, and violins, creating a dreamy atmosphere. One could liken tone of this set to exhaustion after reading back-to-back upsetting news reports. But the exhaustion didn’t segue into helplessness. Rather, it transitioned into hopeful aspirations, prevalent in Kinsley’s empowering “The King,” as she sang, “Let’s fall apart and start again.” But while aspirations are the backbone of change, the popular alternative rock band, Quarters of Change, represented enforcement, through its energetic sound backlit by bright red lights.
Before the final performances of the night, Laundry Day’s lead singer Jude Ciulla-Lipkin cried, “Fuck Trump!” The audience murmured in response, likely thinking about his recent inauguration and the wave of regressive policies it brought — including the prohibition of DEI initiatives, mass deportation plans, the rollback of transgender rights, censorship, and more. If anything became clear from this concert, it’s that, for the so-called “golden age of America,” all the second Trump administration has done so far is expose the brittle and hateful bones of American culture. And many are heartbroken, tense, and fearful. But Laundry Day’s decision to react directly to the election reflected the people’s growing restlessness and desire for change.
After being left on that heavy note, the night ended with the performers singing “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, which Laundry Day labeled “a classic.” And clearly, they were right. Everyone in the room, performers and attendees alike, bellowed, swayed, and stomped along to the iconic pop hit.
But in this context, “Party in the U.S.A,” an anthem known by nearly every early-2000s baby, elicited multiple haunting questions. Should we continue indulging in joy when the world is on fire? How much more can one shut themselves in before reaching a breaking point, when the sharp teeth of the outer world break into their skin?
Although the answers are unclear, these worldwide events, driven by power-hungry political leaders, are intended to strip away joy and suck all hope dry. And historically, community has been an elixir for reclusion, healing even the deepest wounds and sparking revolutions.
At NYC for LA, almost all attendees turned their phone flashlights on when asked if they had any connection to California. Evidently, in Ciulla-Lipkin’s words, now, more than ever, “community is everything.” Thus, art events like NYC for LA are vital for fostering unity, creativity, and change. Clearly, no one is giving up anytime soon — and neither should you.