For a few months since the election, I’ve been talking to people about how un-genuine Michigan can be. So many people and places seem to be putting up a front to be digestible–realizing this was off-putting, to say the least. The thing I’ve craved most has been community, and I find that there is nothing as grounded in community as music.
The week before the election, Bella’s Beatdown Bunker in Detroit hosted a three-day festival called Bunkerween. The festival highlights a variety of DIY acts from shoegaze to traditional hardcore.
“I’ve always loved DIY music, without getting too personal, when I was in high school spaces like the ones we try to create were a safe haven for me to be myself and openly queer and leftist,” said Zach Antonelli, one of the organizers of Bunkerween. “It sounds cheesy but this hardcore and screamo shit saves lives.”
These values shine through in the festival’s composition as a whole–all of the bands are purely DIY, and the community aspect is beautifully built in.
“[Bunkerween] was the kindest environment I’d been in for a music show,” said an attendee. “Everyone was in a giant group but everyone was talking to each other and it was beautiful. It’s very ask a punk where to go and you’ll have a good time.”
Hardcore spaces are inherently progressive and open; the Internet has only benefited building community due to the accessibility aspect. Keeping these spaces free from individuals who go against these values is so important, and Bunkerween (and Bella’s Beatdown Bunker by extension) understands this deeply.
“There were too many shows at places that let known abusers and bigots in or didn’t pay bands and it was garbage to be around. With the help of our close friends, we cultivated this community based on the basic respect of not only bands but every person that walks through the door,” said Antonelli. “People get their ass beat and dragged to the street if they display behaviors that we don’t tolerate. It keeps people who may be disruptive and predatory out.”
Bunkerween is fundamentally a celebration of Michigan DIY and hardcore. In light of recent moments of insincerity, it’s clear that spaces like Bella’s Beatdown Bunker don’t just provide music, they provide belonging.
