Spoon, Superchunk, Nada Surf, Sonic Youth, Walkmen Members & Others Playing ‘Flip These Houses’ Political Benefit Show

With 68 days left until the midterm elections, a group of rockers are getting together for a Sept. 28 show in Queens, New York, to raise money for pro-Democratic causes. The “Flip These Houses” show at the Knockdown Center will feature an all-star indie rock lineup including members of Spoon ( Britt Daniel), Sonic Youth (Lee Ranaldo), Superchunk (Mac McCaughan), The Hold Steady (Craig Finn), Patti Smith Group (Lenny Kaye), ex-Walkmen (Hamilton Leithauser), Ted Leo, Wrens (Sam Cohen, Charles Bissell), Nada Surf (Matthew Caws), Guster (Ryan Miller), Urge Overkill (King Roeser), as well as Laura Cantrell, Eszter Balint and several others. 

Proceeds from the show, billed as “protest music, political music, and unity through song,” will benefit Power to the Polls, a Women’s March offshoot that is launching a “national voter registration and mobilization tour to win in 2018” and other grass roots groups seeking to take Congress back from Republican leadership. Early bird tickets ($39) for the show are available here.

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“President Donald Trump, the Trump administration, and ‘Trump-ism’ as defined by the Presidents words, tweets, and policies, is an existential threat to the nation and to Western democracy as a whole,” reads a statement announcing the show. “This concert is a call to all citizens to vote for the opposition party in the November 2018 elections. (Democrats and Independents who caucus with Democrats), and to raise awareness and funds to help win our country back from those who will let it’s legacy be destroyed.”

Other acts slated to appear include: Michael Shannon (actor/musician), Nicole Atkins, Mick Collins (Dirtbombs), Amy Rigby, Jeffrey Gaines, Jason Narducy (Bob Mould Band), Sammy James Jr. (The Mooney Suzuki), Syd Straw, Richie Birkenhead (Youth of Today), Caithlin DeMarrais (Rainer Maria), Richard Baluyut (Versus/Flower), Anders Parker (Varnaline), Eric Davidson (New Bomb Turks), Steve Myers (Afghan Whigs), The Resistance Revival Chorus, Tom Clark (2A Treehouse), Mike Fornatale (Left Banke), Renee LoBue, Lenny Zenith, Graham Norwood and more.

With all 435 House seats up for grabs on Nov. 6, Democrats need to flip 24 G.O.P. seats to reclaim the House, where they have been in the minority since 2010. In the Senate, Republicans need to win just nine races to hold onto their slim majority, while Democrats have to hold 10 seats in state Pres. Trump won and  win 28 to take control.

 

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