another saturday night

Girl Gang Productions Presents

The Shondes @ The Circle Bar (1032 St Charles @ Lee Circle)
Saturday, July 8, 2006
Doors@ 9pm

A Benefit for The Latino Health Outreach Project (LHOP)

Donation at the Door: $1.00-$1,000,000
no one turned away for lack of funds

About The Shondes:
Shonde: shahn-duh Yiddish; a disgrace, a pity, an outrage

The Shondes are, in a word, shondes. In Yiddish, "shonde" means a
disgrace or an outrage, and might be used by a Zaide to describe
something completely abhorrent and shameful. The band members, like
so many others on the margins of the communities they come from, have
been called shondes. As queers and trannies, radical activists, three
anti-occupation Jews and a Shiksa, they have both struggled with being
called "disgraceful" and also awaken each morn' - Jews and Shiksas
alike - committed to continuing to be "disgraceful" as long as that
means speaking for justice, organizing for Palestinian
self-determination, and working to support radical queer communities.
Not to mention the fact that this Jewish band includes a Shiksa - a
shonde in and of itself. Through music, performance, and humor, The
Shondes make this struggle into a moving and sustaining experience for
themselves and their audiences. Through their songs, they boldly
proclaim: "We are proud to be shondes"!

Based in Brooklyn, The Shondes are a rock quartet made up of drums,
bass, guitar, violin, and powerful, intertwining vocals. With the
drama and grit of Patti Smith, the vocal complexity of R.E.M., the
punch of Sleater Kinney, and a songwriting style inspired by Bach, The
Shondes' music is driving, dramatic, and unabashedly brave, mixing
elements of Rock and Classical music with radical political content.
Temim Fruchter's rich and unexpected drumming style mixes with Louisa
Solomon's (ex-Syndicate) driving and melodic bass parts to create
solid yet explosive rhythm. Brannigan's luminescent and powerful
guitar interplays with Elijah Oberman's (ex-Syndicate) mournful and,
at times, sample-like violin to create a vibrant counterpoint. In the
style of a classical quartet, all instruments are fore-grounded in
their compositions and in their performance. Top that off with their
signature style of simultaneous vocal melodies rather than a
traditional melody-harmony structure, and what you've got is far
tastier than even the Manieshande. Hailing from musical backgrounds
ranging from Classical to Jewish to Feminist Punk, The Shondes both
embrace and subvert these traditions in their compositions. Every
song explodes with energy, getting audiences up off their tuchuses and
onto the dance floor as well as sparking political passion. The end
result is a unique sound that is devastating, heartbreaking, and
transcendent.


About Latino Health Outreach Project:


About three weeks after the levees broke, a few women from the Common
Ground Health Clinic began scouting areas of New Orleans in order to
assess healthcare needs on the ground. We quickly realized that among
the many gaps in the city's public healthcare infrastructure was a
source of culturally competent, bilingual healthcare for Latino
residents and cleanup workers. We began setting up clinics on
sidewalks and parking lots in front of hotels where large numbers of
workers were staying. Initially, the clinics consisted of two
healthcare providers giving tetanus shots and over-the-counter
medications. Within a few weeks, more providers were added, including
MDs, nurse practitioners, acupuncturists, and herbalists. We now do
one clinic a week early morning at a day-labor pick up site, one in a
church, as well as occasional clinics at hotels or other sites. In
addition to providing health care, we are building relationships with
organizations who have a history of working in New Orleans' Latino
community.

About
Girl Gang Productions:

Damn right, we're still here and doing shows. Have a show idea or
someone you want to bring to town? Let us know.