Photos by Dylan Simmons
A dark cloud has loomed over Los Angeles in recent months. With the emboldened Trump administration launching a campaign of ICE raids across the country, his xenophobic war on immigrants is omnipresent in LA. Impassioned protests subsequently popped up across the city, fighting back against the unlawful treatment of our neighbors, family, and friends, and firing back at President Trump’s authoritative overreach. Every morning when I drive to work, I pass dozens of Trump-issued soldiers armed with military-grade rifles surrounding a city building mere blocks from my apartment. As I write this, Trump has just added another $20 billion to ICE’s budget, making it the “highest funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.” Trump and his allies are evidently determined to sow division, fear, and hopelessness among the citizens he’d sworn to protect — and in some ways, he has achieved this goal. Lately, I feel as though I am constantly fighting the urge to give in to the anxiety and helplessness that arises every time I check my phone. Yet, there remains a glimmer of hope, a light refusing to be dimmed. I see it in my peers — in ordinary, everyday people showing up to protests, defending their marginalized neighbors, and contributing to mutual aid. I see it in my fellow student journalists pulling all-nighters and facing off against police to document campus protests. And I feel that spark of hope again tonight, burning in the Moroccan Lounge.


Tonight, all this devastation and fear has metamorphosed into something beautiful. On July 2, musicians and music-lovers alike came together at the Moroccan Lounge for a show aptly titled “F*CK ICE” — an event hosted by Mala Suerte and SadGirl benefitting those victimized by ICE raids. All proceeds from the show went directly to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, a mutual aid organization providing legal support to immigrants and those facing deportation. And with a setlist full of local alternative bands, the event drew in a packed crowd for a great cause. Impassioned lyrics screamed into mics over a pit full of people moshing determinedly offered a cathartic release of the pent-up frustration that’s hung like a cloud above many Angelenos. In between sets, the crowd made a mass exodus outside to mingle over shared lighters for a moonlit smoke break. Seeing this room full of strangers come together for art and for justice reminded me of the immense power that we have in numbers, and reaffirmed the importance of community, especially when both private and state institutions fail us time and time again.

I entered the venue as colorful psychedelic projections illuminated Draag, an LA-based five-piece. The enigmatic band is highly unique and experimental in its sonic ambitions, making them difficult to pin down to just a single genre; for the sake of this article, however, I’ll offer alternative rock, shoegaze, and ambient pop. Still, their discography cannot be relayed purely by a description; you have to immerse yourself in their Spotify to fully grasp the project. Better yet, go see them live; the band performs prolifically around LA, and their discography is truly brought to life onstage, as blaring guitars and eclectic industrial interludes are distorted through booming speakers. Put simply, Draag is not just a band, but an experience, and knowing that they’re using their art for good has made tonight’s performance their most special one yet.
Another noteworthy set was that of SEUDO YOUTH, a new and welcome addition to my playlist after discovering them live tonight. The four-piece is a rising hardcore band in LA, and a perfect complement to the night’s setlist. Upon hearing their melodic screams cut through the dark, hazy room over a blur of limbs flailing in the mosh pit, I was immediately hooked. Their fast-paced tracks and impassioned vocals were a much-needed catharsis for the tired and frustrated twenty-somethings in the audience eager to move.


Altogether, the passionate creativity of the artistry exhibited tonight combined with the angsty fervor of the audience culminated in a cathartic night of dancing, yelling, and moshing; a therapeutic transformation of pent-up frustration into art, community, and action. I hope that everyone left the Moroccan feeling the way I know I did about the state of our country: a little bit more relieved, and a lot more hopeful.