DNA Lounge Kicks Off Band for Being Virulent Misogynists
This fantastic photo of the DNA Lounge is by Shutter Slut
This came across my Facebook feed over the weekend and I figured it was something I had to share. Hosting everything from clown burlesque shows to underground amateur wrestling to the longest running goth party in the nation the DNA Lounge is an integral part of keeping San Francisco strange. Because of this I’ve been trying to think of ways to promote their Patreon page other than just “Hey these folks need your help”. So, if the fact that the DNA Lounge is one of the last truly countercultural places left in San Francisco isn’t enough to merit your support, the following story should be.
You can read the whole version of it right here but the gist of it this: A member of a metal band with the most absurdly cliched metal band name ever, Destroyer 666, was quoted as saying that the women sharing their stories within the #MeToo movement were just a bunch of “cunts who need a hard cock”. When Jamie Zawinski, owner of DNA, heard about it he said to his team “Destroyer666 is not playing on my stage. If you can get them off the bill great; if not, cancel the whole show.”
Destroyer 666, the band kicked off the bill at the DNA Lounge (image from Metal Archives)
Then the folks at DNA Lounge found out that for the past decade there had been talk that the headlining act, Watain, might be Nazis. Luckily for DNA Lounge, Watain cancelled the show.
Obviously this is a truncated version of what went down and I recommend you read the whole thing here.
In the post Jamie says, “With the world going to shit, I think it’s more important than ever to make ethical decisions before financial ones.” And that to me is why this story is so important. The folks at the DNA Lounge could’ve just played dumb and made some money off some horrible misogynists and possible Nazis. But even though they need the money to stay open, they chose with their heart instead of their wallet.
That my friends is why you should support the DNA Lounge. Not only do they put on dope events, they are proactively fighting for inclusion, diversity, and a world where shitty fucking misogynists don’t have a place to play. So buy tickets to their shows. Eat pizza at their cafe. And become a member of their Patreon. I just pledged $10 a month myself.
I just pledged my $10 a month to the DNA Lounge. You should become a Patron too.
