The holidays have a strange effect on people. Just as Christmas won over the Grinch, the spirit of giving seems to have replaced punk rockers’ “kiss-off” nihilism and replaced it with a desire to help the needy.
Four punk bands will be hosting Punk-a-thon, a concert benefiting Food for Lane County in the EMU’s Fir Room Friday night. Local up-and-comers Compact 56; on-again, off-again punkers Mullet! and first-timers La Peste and Self-Inflicted are all bringing their three-chord frenzy to help the homeless and hungry.
Chris Spinelli, singer for Compact 56 and an organizer of the concert, said that Punk-a-thon is foremost a benefit but hopes that maybe it will change some people’s perception of punk rock and its listeners.
“I think that a lot of people think of punk as really loud music that’s listened to by scary people, but that’s pretty untrue,” he said.
Spinelli said everyone participating in the concert is doing it gratis, even if it means losing money.
The bands are paying for fliers and the EMU Fir Room out of their own pockets, and any canned food or money that comes in goes directly to charity.
This year, admission to the concert is two cans of food or $1.
“We did this last year, and it was really successful,” Spinelli said. “We had a lot of people come, and we collected around 200 pounds of food and about $60. That may not seem like a lot, but it was a big turnout.”
While punk music hasn’t had a lot of success promoting its giving, caring side, members of the other bands are ready and willing to give their talents to a good cause.
Jon Baker, a Lane Community College student and Mullet!’s bassist, said his band is getting back together one last time to benefit what he called a “good cause.”
“We were breaking up because our lead guitarist decided he didn’t want to play with us anymore,” Baker said, “but he came back for one last show after he heard the show was for charity. It’s a cheap way to see a punk show, and everybody wins.”
The members of Mullet!, who play what Baker called “pop-punk,” are going their separate ways after the show, but Baker said that he hopes to keep playing music in Eugene.
“I had a good time in this band, and I’m glad that our last show is for a good cause,” he said. “I’m going to miss those butt-rock solos.”
Andrew Hanna, guitarist for La Peste and a South Eugene High School student, said this show will be his band’s first, and after eight months of practicing they are ready to rock for charity.
La Peste, which means “the plague” in Spanish, has been looking for any opportunity to play, Hanna said. They weren’t even aware that it was a benefit show until after they signed on to play.
“We didn’t know that it was for charity, but it’s a good cause, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” he said.
Punk-a-thon starts at 7 p.m. Friday in the EMU Fir Room.