Anti-cancer benefit captures DIY spirit

While most L.A. 20-somethings spent this Sunday holed up in their living rooms blazing through cases of beer while watching the New Orleans Saints take this year’s Super Bowl title, a little more than 200 music-savvy Angelenos gathered at The Strange on Melrose Avenue for a jam-packed day of underground — and not-so-underground — music, all in the name of cancer awareness.

Lo-fi heaven · Brooklyn-based Vivian Girls headlined the “No Cancer!” benefit show.

The sold-out event, concisely named “No Cancer!” hoped to raise money for Irene Garcia, the mother of a prominent L.A. scenester who was recently diagnosed with what an event volunteer would only call “an extremely rare form of cancer.” All proceeds from the daylong festival — including ticket revenues and merchandise sales — went directly to the cause.

Organized by local indie promoting giant Sean Carlson and his team at FYF Fest, “No Cancer!” brought together an eclectic group of well-known and under-the-radar bands from Los Angeles and across the country, with acts hailing from New York and Texas performing over the course of the afternoon.

The event’s lineup read like a “Best Of” list of the lo-fi recording world. Included in the lineup were Los Angeles’ flagship noise band No Age, Brooklyn all-girl three-piece Vivian Girls, local buzz-worthy noise pop group Best Coast (fronted by ex-Pocahaunted member Bethany Cosentino), The Smell staple and longtime scene presence Abe Vigoda and local alt-country group, Darker My Love.

Initial audience response to “No Cancer!” was so enthusiastic that the event, originally scheduled to take place in an East Hollywood backyard, underwent three venue changes to accommodate all those who RSVP’d; unlucky audience hopefuls were turned away at the door but many remained on the sidewalk to peer through the glass doors and hear the music.

The festivities — fueled by free Colt 45 and inexpensive vegan hot dogs — began at noon with the L.A. punk outfit Animal Style, which, despite having only formed several months ago, has already played a handful of shows at The Smell and other famed local punk venues.

Local band Wounded Lion proved to be the most impressive underdog band on the “No Cancer!” bill with a tightly-knit performance encompassing noise rock, early punk and synth pop — not to mention an ambitiously executed noise pop cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.”

Throughout the day, the set times were staggered so larger and more popular bands could play alongside some of the lineup’s less-established groups. Despite their early set times however, both Abe Vigoda and No Age played to a rowdy, mosh pit-loving crowd in the completely packed venue.

Although intimately connected with the L.A. do-it-yourself scene, No Age seemed the most out-of-place band after taking the stage. With a musical career extending back to their official formation in 2005, No Age’s performance was far more refined and dynamic than any of its peers on the “No Cancer!” bill — a rather strange quality to bestow upon a traditionally punk band.

The event, however, was not without its own set of pitfalls. Cosentino, the 23-year-old founder of the increasingly famous Best Coast, drank so much throughout the course of the day that, come performance time, she forgot how to play her songs and had to restart several times while apologizing profusely to the audience.

Once she gained her footing, the performance was disappointingly lackluster — especially after many in attendance had praised her musical abilities from her show at The Smell the night before.

Similarly, despite the lavender cancer awareness ribbons donned by the day’s audience and the cleverly designed posters festooning the venue (“No Age says NO to cancer,” “Abe Vigoda does NOT like cancer,” “Best Coast hates cancer”), numerous attendees commented on the show’s ironic activism; despite being an admittedly anti-cancer event, audience and band members alike could be seen crowding The Strange’s outdoor patio smoking cigarettes and drinking can after can of beer.

However, for all the lifestyle hypocrisy present at “No Cancer!”, the afternoon truly embodied the spirit of the L.A. underground DIY aesthetic — something that recent critics of the local music scene have prematurely labeled as on the down-and-out.

The bands voiced an open support for the event’s anti-cancer cause, rallying the audience to donate money to cancer research and expressing their happiness at seeing such a successful event.

Toward the end of No Age’s set, drummer and singer Dean Spunt noted that “everyone [at the show] has had a member of their family or known someone affected by cancer.”

“It’s really great to see everyone lending their support,” Spunt said.

Cosentino, too, shared similar sentiments during her performance.

“I really wanted to say that we are so happy to be involved in such a great event,” she said. “It’s amazing how many people are here, and we are really excited.”

Run entirely by volunteers and put together in less than two weeks by the organizers, “No Cancer!” proved that the L.A. music scene not only has one of the most extremely loyal followings in all of indiedom but can rally together support for a noble cause — all in the name of an afternoon of good music.