Moms Demand Action took over Littlefield for action against gun violence

There was a big bash at the newly renovated and relocated Littlefield in the Gowanus region of Brooklyn to bring attention to gun violence and call for action and legislation for gun control put on by Party to Protect for Moms Demand Action which is a division of Everytown for Gun Safety. The night was full of great bands, DJs and dancing, burlesque dancers, artists and their reflections, raffle giveaways, comedians for some laughs, lots of calls to civic duty and action, and even face painting, fancy photo booth setup, and flash tattooing station.

The music portion included one of my favorite Brooklyn bands called Crazy Pills. This power trio is still one of the most potent and catchy rock and pop bands of the last decade, with a classic Pretenders meets Joan Jett feel, and some expert fronting and guitar solo mastery by Amanda B. and one of the most kick-ass driving rhythm sections in town by drummer Jim Wood and bassist Edward Anthony. They are ready to follow up their ridiculously cool debut album Restless, and I personally can’t wait after hearing much of it now.

After that was the awe-striking experience that is Alexander F, a punk band that demands your attention. I only caught them for the first time last year, yet alas, they’ve been in hibernation for the last several months, but during which frontman Alex Toth has been jamming with his other project, the Brooklyn indie dance band Rubblebucket, but this band is an experience indeed. Sure, Toth still cranks out some solidly bizarre dance moves, but in this guise he is spastic and full of convulsions and outbursts that provide a splendid blend of pure punk and art pop sensibilities. The result has many feels of classic Devo and Talking Heads as well as a generous helping of the B-52s and the Sex Pistols.

The Brooklyn quartet bro rock group Elliot & The Ghost closed out the musical portion of the night with some wild revelry. Lead vocalist William Thompson, drummer Daniel Edwards, guitarist Brett Giroux, and bassist Connor Jones are clearly a close and tight group of friends, and the music earns that unity, mixing darker themes with madcap party making with an extremely easy going feel. They’ve been on the scene since 2014, but they’ve definitely gotten some more high-profile attention as more recent, and it’s clear as to why, as they seem to be experts at mixing a classic raw T Rex romp and a smoother MGMT dance/pop feel. They just released a full album earlier this year, so let’s hope they’ll finally take the time to tour it around and share their awesomely insane antics with more lucky music addicts everywhere.

Great music and a carnival of fun activities aside, there was a very serious side to the night, as everyone’s minds were clearly centered on gun violence prevention and calling for more action to stop it from damaging all of our lives. There was lots of people getting signed up, coaching and informing on voting options, and even speeches by the likes of Tia Christensen, who told a harrowing and breathtaking account of how she survived the Las Vegas music festival shooting massacre and the emotional toll it has taken on her since. Statistics show 96 people die from gun violence in this country every day, not included those just injured, and that is something we can all band together to change. You too can do to take action against gun violence, text “Honor” to 6443 and visit momsdemandaction.org for more information, and as well, you should also contact your local government representatives and demand action now!