In order to get into punk rock, it seems like you have to be a bit of a historian. What I mean by that is that often kids from this generation get into punk by means of a mainstream version of it, then later read up on punk in books, zines, or websites. I was no different. On my quest to find “punk” when I was younger, I came across words like “community” and “tolerance”, but not until I attended Different Kind Of Dude Fest last weekend did I truly see the meaning of those words demonstrated for my generation.

Different Kind Of Dude Fest is a music festival based in Washington D.C. which aims at redefining masculinity, promoting discussion on sexism and gender, and providing a space for intense punk bands to perform. This two day festival also served as a benefit for H.I.P.S., a group that assists D.C. area prostitutes in leading healthy lives, and UBUNTU, a North Carolina based collective of women of color and sexual assault survivors that promote discussion about their oppression.

The bands chosen to play DKDF couldn’t have been more appropriate. The bill for the first day included Mass Movement Of the Moth, Ampere, Daitro, to name a few, but the band that seemed to best embody the spirit of the fest is Des Ark.

Click “read more” for the remainder of the review and more photos.

Des Ark’s set was the most compelling performance I’ve ever seen. If you’ve seen them live before then you know it’s not an overstatement. Singer/guitarist Aimee Argote plays as if each song is her last. She screams each lyric until she is red in the face or her voice cracks. Tears streamed down her eyes during Des Ark’s acoustic songs. Although these moments were very touching, the most poignant moment of their set is when guitarist Welch Canavan spoke about his efforts in being a “different kind of dude.”

Canavan recalled going to the first DKFDF three years and was amazed that he had a chance to organize the current one. Despite this, he stressed that “it doesn’t take much for a man to stop saying bitch or interrupting women” but it takes a lot more to find the root of a person’s sexism and try to work on it. While explaining this he too broke into tears and discussed ways that he was trying to overcome his sexism.

After seeing Des Ark I felt like nothing could top their performance. After them, French hardcore band, Daitro, played. There was nothing too memorable about their set but it was enjoyable, the same with the fast paced band, Ampere, that followed them.

Headlining the night was D.C.’s Mass Movement of the Moth. Before they began their set, they announced that it would be one of their last and that they would soon disband. Nonetheless, MMM played with their usual enthusiasm and diverse mix of spastic screaming, dub, pop punk, and electronic dance music.

Check back to read a review of day 2 of the festival plus photos of Circle Takes The Square, Off Minor, and The Max Levine Ensemble.

Des Ark

Daitro

Ampere

Mass Movement Of The Moth

Click here to learn more about the mission of Different Kind Of Dude Fest and a list of reading materials for further learning.

Tags: Mass Movement of the Moth, des ark, dkdf, photos, show review //