Radicals and activists from all walks of life came together at First Trinity Lutheran Church and the Tavern this weekend. A show called "Festival of Organized Resistance" was put on each night in the two locations.
The programs were organized around the pillars of social consciousness and were part of the National Conference of Organized Resistance.
Friday night's event was the first Festival of Resistance at First Trinity Lutheran Church, located at Fourth and E streets. In the basement of the church, groups of radical students and young people congregated to take in the sights and sounds of independent bands Requiem, Marathon, Bear and the Butterfly, True if Destroyed, and the Feverfew. The various styles in attendance Friday night ranged from folk (the Feverfew) to hardcore (Requiem), providing a veritable spectrum of aural experiences.
Brian Kruglak, a senior in the School of Public Affairs, helped coordinate the show at First Trinity Lutheran by booking the bands and securing the venue. Kruglak noticed that this show, in comparison with the conference's shows of the past, was smaller and people in attendance seemed to be there for one band in particular - Requiem.
"Some people enjoyed it, [but] some were there for a harder sound," Kruglak said.
Requiem went on last, and the bulk of the remaining people crowded around the makeshift stage. Requiem plowed through four energetic, powerful songs that left eardrums throbbing.
The atmosphere was immediately political, as the band went straight into a story dealing with death and war in Iraq. The attitude was distinctly anti-capitalist as other members of the collective came out with various signs and banners emblazoned with the anarchist symbol.
Elements of political theater attempted to shine through, but seemed to fall short when a Coca-Cola bottle, perhaps ironic but perhaps not, was used to prop up a radical banner.
The second "Festival of Resistance" was in the Tavern on Saturday night. While in stark contrast to the hardcore/indie rock scene at the first festival, the hip-hop bands showcased at the Tavern maintained the same level of political dissidence. The bands that played were Head Roc, Cypher Dissident, Food For Animals, Welfare Poets and Son of Nun.
NCOR participant Ryan Fox, 20, from western Massachusetts, went to the hip-hop show in search of something to do while staying with friends on campus. He enjoyed the way the event provided a different, relaxing environment.
"People could [come] share ideas about political and social justice on a different level," Fox said.
The events surrounding the conference provided a solid sense of community for everyone there.
"[NCOR] is not just '9 to 5 workshops,'" said School of International Service graduate student and NCOR Collective member Megan O'Brien. "[It's] not just sitting in a classroom, it is learning in other forums."
Kruglak compared the conference and its events to a school day and recess.
"Now that you are friends, you can play together," he said.
