Musicians and organizers who have dedicated their careers to creating a vibrant local music scene have now gathered their wildest and weirdest friends to get crowds at the El Rey Theater moving to wicked rhythms for a great cause. This Sunday, Jan. 19, nine of Albuquerque’s most talented and unique bands will put on one hell of a show, entitled “Burning Bright: Rock for California Fire Recovery.” The money they raise will help victims of the recent California fires through the Southern California Fire Emergency Fund.
“Sometimes we do these little pop-ups on the main floor, which is kind of cool because the band is right down there with you,” Burning Bright organizer and headliner Ren Adams says. “Everyone is donating time and effort to do this. Sundays are kind of a challenging day to get people down to watch live music anyway, so this is also kind of a way to help out the El Rey Theater. We’ll get people down there, they’ll have some drinks, donate money for the fund, and the bands will get to play.”
Adams, who is known in the underground dance scene as “DJ Ren,” is a member of the darkwave band Future Club. She has teamed up with fellow goth-rocker and longtime friend Aaron “DJ Batboy” Hernandez of the deathrock band Funeral Process to organize and host the benefit show. The pair are the masterminds behind the popular Apparition Goth Night dance parties in Burque, and both of their bands will co-headline the “Burning Bright” show and bring new music to the stage. Adams, who also does marketing for all of Joe Anderson’s venues (El Rey, Sunshine and Launchpad), says the tragedy in Southern California literally hits close to home. She’s from Los Angeles County and has friends and family in the area.
“I’ve been in New Mexico for like 22 years, but I’m still from California and these are places that were familiar to me,” Adams says. “Aaron has friends and family there too, so it was a personal situation that we all have felt.”
In addition to Future Club and Funeral Process, the event features an eclectic mix of reggae, dream pop, indie and a ton of rock ’n’ roll performed by heavy hitters such as Omio, Lady Uranium, Seven of Nine, Visions of Death, Elovated Roots and Zero Batz. Speaking of heavy hitters, raunchy local punk prodigies Beefcake in Chains will be making a special appearance on the bill. Singer “Sticky” Steve Eiland, who has fronted the band for over 30 years, brings his loud voice and very large personality to the stage to help the cause.
“The Mighty Beefcake In CHAINS sends our raw, throbbing condolences to the victims of the California fires,” Eiland says. “We may be the Bad Boys of Beefcake, but we’re fully strapped in and ready to ride with science to reverse climate change. Let’s stop screwing the planet and start pounding out solutions—together, we can spank this crisis into submission.”
In addition to rounding up some sick bands, Adams and Hernandez convinced other local music personalities to pitch in. Steven Gonzales is providing the back line of band equipment and Pepe Monstrito is hauling in some additional speakers and sound equipment, all for free.
For tickets visit this link.
All show proceeds go to the Southern California Fire Emergency Fund
Burning Bright: Rock for California Recovery
Jan. 19, 6 p.m.
El Rey Theater
622 Central Ave. SW
$10