Long Beach locals joined together at Alter Society Brewing Co. for a benefit concert to raise funds for LA fire victims on Saturday, Feb 15.
Just from ticket sales, the concert raised $722, with 100% proceeds going to organizations such as Alta Dena Girls, Pasadena Humane, California Fire Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity which support those affected by the fires.
The event was organized by Long Beach City College student Audrey Herold who has been organizing shows in the Los Angeles and Orange Country area for about a year.
“Right when we saw the fires happening we were like, we got to do something,” said Herold.
Fullerton band, Catammonia, headlined the show and received support from Lizi, The Anti-Groupies, Alyssad, Grimson, Azalea, and Another One of Your Tone Deaf Friends, making for a stacked lineup.
Each band took the stage and shared their own stories about Los Angeles, and expressed how much the city means to them.
Singer-songwriter Grimson shared that he was flying into LAX from Germany when the fires were taking place, giving him a bird’s-eye view of the destruction happening below.
Seeing the damage the fires caused only motivated him to help out anyway he could, bringing him to this fire aid concert.
When choosing the lineup for this event, Herold decided to pull from her list of artists she had worked with before, most notably The Anti-Groupies.
The Anti-Groupies, a female led rock band from Long Beach, have performed at four of Herold’s shows, becoming familiar faces in the Long Beach local scene.
Following in the footsteps of artists such as Paramore, Amyl and the Sniffers, and No Doubt, the Anti-Groupies take most of their inspiration from female led rock bands.
The Anti-Groupies drummer and LBCC student Kyla Foster says she feels most inspired by “The Beatles, Ringo Starr, and 60’s, 70’s rock.”
All of these influences can be both seen and heard when they take the stage.
Alongside the performances, the event collaborated with local art and jewelry vendors such as Tim Chadez, Artemist, Scarlet Redux, PoppyRu Jewelry, and Ahhdart.
Ahhdart, a screenprinter and painter, finds himself most often selling his art at punk shows and underground raves.
“I am inspired by life itself,” Ahhdart said.
Ahhdart’s love of science, math, the energy of the universe, and gaining new experiences are used to guide his artistry.
He feels most like himself in his art when he’s able to be as unique as possible, often not going in with a specific idea in mind, “It’s all momentary,” said Ahhdart.
Both the lineup and various vendors helped bring in crowds from all over the Long Beach area to support those affected by the fires.