07.08.06

girl gang productions presents...

the shondes

saturday, july 8, 2006
@ the circle bar
1032 st. charles @ lee circle

doors: 9 pm
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

open act(s) TBA

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.


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.