As a young suburban hardcore kid I was confronted by issuesof gender inequality not through the writings of feminist leaders like GloriaSteinem, or through the efforts of groups like the National Organization forWomen. Instead, my eyes were opened to these realities by songs like 7 Seconds’“Not Just Boy’s Fun,” Fugazi’s “Suggestion,” and Reason to Believe’santi-domestic abuse anthem “True Love Always.” Yes, all of these songs camefrom the limited perspective of a malea point that Riot Grrl acts like BikiniKill and Team Dresch would usefully point out. But they were a start, andwithout them I have the feeling that a whole bunch of overly aggressive teenageboys would have never even begun to consider such issues.
It is in this tradition that I am heartened to see thatendeavors like the upcoming “DIY Against Domestic Abuse” show are still takingplace. Jason Ellis, a member of local act Half Gorilla, has been organizingthis benefit show for the past three years. And there is little doubt that suchefforts are needed at the moment. According to The Wisconsin Coalition AgainstDomestic Violence, there were 59 deaths in the state in 2009 that wereattributed to domestic violenceup from 36 in 2008. Another Wisconsin-based organization,Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, recently noted that 2009 saw the numberof victims calling for shelter away from an abusive partner was up 144 percentover statistics from the preceding year. Proceeds from this year’s show willbenefit the Milwaukee Women’s Center, a local organization that serves victimsof domestic abuse who often lack the resources to escape such dangeroussituations (85 percent of those they assist live near or below the federalpoverty level). Like all such groups across the country, the center can use allthe help they can get in these economically trying times.
Not only is the show for a great cause, but Ellis hasmanaged to stock the bill with a wonderful lineup of Wisconsin-based bands.Headliners Get Rad will undoubtedly stage-test some new material from theirupcoming full-length “I Can Always Live” (A one-sided 12” e.p., titled “Whatthe Fuck Happened to Common Sense?,” will be available at the show). I am alsoexcited to see Milwaukee’sQuest for Fire – who throw some Greg Ginn inspired guitar lines over theirspastic sound – and Appleton-based Choose Your Poison, whose brutal take onearly ’80s Midwestern hardcore reminds me of why I still covet my Necros’records. And to provide a touch of diversity, Milwaukee metal up-and-comers Face of Ruinand Owlscry round out the bill.
DIY Against Domestic Abuse, with Get Rad, Face of Ruin,Choose Your Poison, Owlscry, and Quest for Fire, takes place at the Borg Ward (823 W. National Ave.)on Saturday Feb. 6. Doors open at 7 p.m.
