Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who upset establishment candidate Andrew Cuomo to win the Democratic nomination in New York City's mayoral race, got an early boost to his candidacy within the indie rock demographic when he took the stage at an MJ Lenderman concert in Brooklyn back in May. Even though Mamdani is more of a hip-hop guy (he was a rapper himself and used to be a reply guy for Heems from Das Racist), support for his campaign remains strong within the indie music scene, exemplified by a slate of upcoming rallies featuring a cast of underground favorites from across the country, including Wild Pink, Christian Lee Hutson, Palehound, Katy Kirby, Lowertown, Gift, thanks for coming (the solo project of Water From Your Eyes' Rachel Brown), and many more.
Under the banner of "Indie Rockers For A Better New York," a series of four rallies are taking place at New York venues over the course of late August and early September. The gigs, which will include voter registration tables and volunteer opportunities, will double as benefit shows, with the proceeds split between New Yorkers For Lower Costs, NYC Migrant Solidarity, and the Sameer Project, a nonprofit dedicated to providing supplies for displaced families from Gaza. They're sponsored by the podcast Chapo Trap House, the newsletter Perfectly Imperfect, and the magazine Antics, and the flyer was designed by Sarah Goldstein.
Here's the agenda:
08/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool with Lowertown, Venus Twins, Lexie, and Kolb [tickets]
08/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye with Gift, Brutus VIII, Sweet Baby Jesus, and Liam Kazar [tickets]
09/01 - New York, NY @ Night Club 101 with Palehound, Katy Kirby, S.3.R., Kierst, Sofia Wolfson, Tracey Nelson, and thanks for coming, hosted by Will Menaker [tickets]
09/03 - Brooklyn, NY @ Honey’s with Christian Lee Hutson, Wild Pink, Diamond Grinder, and rooftop DJs plus food by EEE’s and late night bites by Mama Yoshi Mini Mart
