LA GIVES BACK: FIRE RELIEF Scheduled For 1.29 @ THE BELLWETHER [LA]

The devastation continues to unfold from the wildfires in Los Angeles, but one heartening aspect of it all is seeing so many people and organizations assemble in the relief efforts.

As we witnessed with the extreme flooding of the Southeast Coast caused by Hurricane Helene in September, and during endless other national emergencies, time and time again, we can’t rely on the government to come through to do much other than protect capital by unleashing military and law enforcement on the victims who have already lost so much. The tax and insurance money we pay into these systems only goes in one direction, bleeding citizens dry, while obstructing access to the funds for which they are supposedly intended.

I’ll keep my rant short(ish), this time, but our hearts never seem to have time to recover before aching for the victims of the next tragedy. At this point, it all just overlaps.

But, again, the REAL community is the upside. We do for ourselves and for each other. We see who comes through and we remember. It reminds us of our shared strength and makes us stronger.

No, I’m not wearing linen pants and burning white sage in front of a tapestry, as I type this, but unity in the aftermath of tragedy continues to move me like any other simpleton that cries into their feel-good memes. We live in a country where people lose everything and have to crowdfund just so they don’t wind up on the streets over medical expenses, so it’s all gross. And yes, NONE of this needs to be happening and there should 100% be more help and government resources being distributed to US victims of disasters like this. But, until that changes, at least we know there will remain plenty of individuals and organizations willing to step up to contribute however and wherever they can. There is still some humanity in these streets.

Today, the folks from IHEARTCOMIX, Brownies & Lemonade, Another Planet Entertainment, and Teragram Presents announce the 7th installment of their LA GIVES BACK benefit series, and this time the focus is on fire relief. What’s cool about LA GIVES BACK is that, since it’s an ongoing project, the organizers already have a head start as far as knowing what to do and having things in place to make it happen. In the past, the fundraising project has sought to provide assistance to the city’s homeless community by throwing benefit shows and even a global telethon. LA GIVES BACK: FIRE RELIEF will be a live event held on January 29th at The Bellwether in Los Angeles with 100% of the proceeds going to “charities which support victims of the fire, first responders, and animals who need help due to the devastating and fatal Los Angeles wildfires.”

The lineup for the event is yet to be announced, but the press release notes that “previous LA GIVES BACK lineups have included ZEDD, Bonobo, Madeon, Flying Lotus, TOKiMONSTA, Boys Noize, A-Trak, SNL’s Sarah Sherman, JPEGMafia, Louis The Child, Tim Heidecker & Weyes Blood, Eric André, etc, and the event series has collectively raised over $250,000 for LA-based charities and initiatives.” More details will arrive in the coming days. 

The following quotes are from the festival organizers.

“There’s nothing the IHEARTCOMIX team and I care about more than our Los Angeles community—it’s what made us who we are. Over the past few days, it has been extremely painful to witness so many close friends, family members, and colleagues lose their homes. Even more heartbreaking, is knowing the road to recovery will be long. In moments like these, we believe it’s our duty to channel our best talents to support those in need. LA Gives Back has always been that vehicle for us, so we hope this event will make a meaningful contribution in providing some relief to our community.” – Franki Chan, IHEARTCOMIX

“The devastation Los Angeles has endured the past week from these wildfires made it clear we had to do something. LA Gives Back has been our longstanding event series focused on providing aid to our city and we’re so happy to bring it back for this crucial moment to provide wildfire relief for our city.” – Brownies & Lemonade

“Los Angeles is home to a vibrant independent creative community – we’re proud to open our stage in support of our neighbors who lost everything in this disaster.” – Casey Lowdermilk, The Bellwether

Tickets will go on sale through The Bellwether website soon.
Presale begins Tuesday, January 21st at 10am. (password = LAGB)

Stay alert for updates; contribute however/wherever you can – even if that’s simply through emotional support or sharing info – and, most importantly, keep your heads up.