Ground Control
Ground Control Touring's fourth annual Abortion Access Benefit Series brought eight acts and a packed Lodge Room together for a night of music in support of reproductive justice, with Mind's Eye closing it out as the undeniable highlight.
Artist: Mind’s Eye, Shannon Shaw, Harmony Tividad (of Girlpool), Diners, Starling, Kid Sistr, Emory, Urika's Bedroom
Venue: Lodge Room (L.A.)
Date: 1/24/26
Ground Control Touring's fourth annual Abortion Access Benefit Series landed at Lodge Room on January 24th, raising funds for reproductive justice organizations including ACCESS Reproductive Justice and the Chicago Abortion Fund, with 100% of proceeds going to NOISE FOR NOW. The night was one of four simultaneous benefit shows across the country, with sister events in New York, Austin, and Chicago.
Hosted by Syd and Olivia, the night moved through eight acts — Diners, Emory, Harmony Tividad (of Girlpool), Kid Sistr, Starling, and Urika's Bedroom — spanning indie, folk, and beyond, with the crowd staying locked in from start to finish. Mind's Eye closed out the night as the undeniable highlight: self-described as "kinda like the Beatles if Yoko was a goth Latina," their live show delivers on every bit of that energy. Frontman Vince came off the stage and danced with the crowd, swapped heartbreak stories, and had the room laughing and dancing in equal measure.
BAMBU
Filipino-American hip-hop veteran Bambu debuts "Their Burning the Boats" at The Paramount in Boyle Heights, joined by Faith Santilla, Klassy, and DJ Phattrick. A night of unapologetically militant Filipino hip-hop and culture in East LA.
Artist: Bambu; Klassy; DJ WenLuv; DJ Phattrick
Venue: The Paramount (L.A.).
Date: Oct. 10, 2025
Bambu sold out The Paramount in Boyle Heights for his last US show of 2025. The Filipino-American hip-hop veteran had dropped his new EP the night before, "Their Burning the Boats." The EP's title comes from Spanish conquistadors burning their ships upon arrival in Mexico, forcing conquest through blood. That web of colonialism connects Mexico, the Philippines, and Los Angeles. Bambu traces those lines, the Black and Brown solidarity and resistance against empire, in every bar.
Keffiyehs in the crowd. DJ WenLuv opened with a set that had the room bumping early, then DJ Phattrick took over the 1s and 2s for Klassy. Halfway through Bambu's set, Faith Santilla stepped up. She spoke about the Community Self-Defense Coalition, the work being done to resist ICE, blessed us with sharp prose, gave a lesson in anti-imperialist solidarity that drew the line from Palestine to East LA. When Bambu came back out, the energy was different: sharper, heavier, the crowd locked in.
Shooting this night was special. Watching mga kasama, fellow Filipino artists and cultural workers creating for the culture, here in Boyle Heights, reminded me why Kilig exists. Music for the culture, serving the people. Unapologetically militant, alive, and loud.
