Saturday June 29

An Evening for Refugee Aid in Palestine

MALIKAT AL DABKE

BOTTOM/TOP

PANDA GOD

A Benefit For UNRWA-USA

$20 / Doors at 8:00

Join us for an evening of Palestinian music, poetry, dabke, and solidarity at the Black Cat. Malikat al Dabke, one of DC's premiere Dabke groups will perform alongside local musicians and poets to raise funds for UNRWA, which provides critical aid to those in Gaza.

Malikat Al Dabke (Queens of Dabke) is the first all-female dabke troupe in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area, specializing in unique Arab-American and traditional dabke. Fairouz Foty, co-founder of Quartertonez Music School was inspired to start the group to develop a community of women and girls based on a mutual love for dance, Arab and Arab-American culture, to spread the tradition across generations. The group creates a collaborative space to collectively explore Arab heritage through dance within an American setting, as an outlet to preserve our identity and resist the erasure and appropriation of our culture. The most recent choreography incorporates the contributions of its Palestinian, Lebanese, Iraqi, Egyptian, contemporary American, and belly dancing members. It is a true fusion of identities.

Bottom/Top is a melody-driven indie basement rock band. With powerful lead vocals and queer heart-wrenching lyrics, swirly guitar tones, driving bass riffs, and contemporary drums, they all come together to make something familiar yet unique. Scattered throughout the DMV and brought together over Craigslist, Bottom/Top has been making music and performing locally since 2019. They released two singles, "Four Months" and "Cold Calls" in 2023 and are on their way to releasing more in 2024.

Panda God is a 3-piece alternative rock band from Washington, DC. Panda God emphasizes rhythmic diversity and mixed modality and their music touches on a variety of genres. Panda God's live set is dynamic with songs featuring riff-based fuzz and gentle falsettos.