Despite 2016 going out in a dumpster fire of short-sighted politics and continued pressure from developers to bulldoze what’s left of Atlanta’s urban identity, there’s much to look forward to from the local music scene in 2017. One of the new year’s most anticipated shows is a two-night benefit for the Standing Rock Sioux at 529 on January 12 and 13. The show might not encapsulate the entirety of Atlanta’s current scene, but it’s a diverse lineup featuring a mix of psych-rock, noise, punk, and electronica. Most of the bands on the bill, like Arbor Labor Union, Muuy Biien, and Breathers, are well-established, but there are some newer projects, including Art School Jocks and Jonathan Merenivitch’s solo project Thalmus Rasulala.

The benefit is a group effort spearheaded by WREK music director Bennett Giradot and 529 promoter Kyle Swick in the hopes of providing a concrete outlet for the activism of Atlanta musicians and to show solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux. A $10 donation is suggested, and 100% of proceeds will benefit the official Standing Rock Sioux Tribe DAPL Donation Fund. You can check out the event lineup below.

January 12
Muuy Biien
Reverends
Doesin
Bataille

January 13
Arbor Labor Union
Art School Jocks
Breathers
Thalmus Rasulala

Although the Army Corps of Engineers has denied a final permit for the pipeline, halting construction above the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, true victory has not yet been achieved. According to Tribal Chairman David Archambault II, “We cannot afford to lose momentum and continue to be on edge due to the Dakota Access presence at the drill pad. We also urge you to contact the banks investing in this risky and unsafe project to make them aware of the terrible acts this company has committed and reconsider their financing. Also, I ask all water protectors to make plans to return safely home when the weather permits, avoid conflict, and pivot your advocacy to holding the government accountable with respect to the [Environmental Impact Statement] and our court battles. This is far from over.”

Read Swick’s full statement below:

“This event is a benefit for the Standing Rock Sioux, who have led the months-long resistance to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the grounds that the oil pipeline transgresses Indigenous sovereignty and threatens public health from the local to the global scale. Though the Army Corps of Engineers has formally conceded to aspects of Standing Rock’s demands, a termination or ‘safer’ re-route of the DAPL remains very tentative under the forthcoming U.S. presidency; the president-elect has been vocal in his skepticism towards climate change, and one of the most pronounced themes of the president-elect’s political campaign was the ‘elimination’ of barriers to untapped oil supplies in the United States. While acknowledging the value of collective optimism for the future of the pipeline resistance efforts, allies to the Indigenous Nations of this land must move forward with a historically-informed distrust of this State’s public proclamations of respect for Indigenous lives. Because the influx of protest participants to Sacred Stone Camp has put a strain on local resources, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council has requested that their allies continue to work remotely and from within their own communities to sustain resistance, foster awareness, and encourage divestment from the DAPL. The artists participating in this benefit support the security, self-determination, and livelihood of the Standing Rock Sioux and the Indigenous peoples of the world; we demand federal reparations to the Indigenous populations of this country and the abandonment of the Dakota Access Pipeline project.”

To find more info regarding the Standing Rock Sioux and the Dakota Access Pipeline, visit the benefit’s Facebook event page.

Support the Standing Rock Sioux: A Two Day Atlanta Music Fest goes down January 12 and 13 at 529. Doors open at 9 p.m. A $10 donation is suggested. 100% of donations will go to The Official Standing Rock Sioux Tribe DAPL Donation Fund.

More Info
Web: standingrock.org
Facebook: Event page