Punk bands are still using their music to incite change

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0:29Okay? I need your energy, whatever energy you give me. I'll get it right back to you.

0:43Meet the punk band turning anger and hate into love and positive energy.

0:59It's Friday, December 19th, and this is Here and Now, Anytime from NPR and WDUR. I'm Chris Bentley.

1:08Today on the show, what's your favorite Christmas movie? Here and now, producers go to the mat. Bridget Jones's Diary, which to me, it's the only Christmas movie that should ever exist. I don't even think that was a Christmas movie, but I could be convinced. Also, we've got a recipe for cranberry swirled cheesecake with an Italian amaretti cookie that will be the talk of the table around the holidays. is. But before we get to that, let's rock out. Our digital producer, Grace Griffin, caught a great show recently by the up-and-coming Baltimore band Pink Shift. They recently wrapped up a tour in support of their second full-length album, Earthkeeper.

1:49And by the way, Grace booked Chapel Rhone on the show before she was huge, so I trust Grace's taste. Pink Shift is a punk band, and they channel some of the righteous anger that's long been a part of that subculture. Their songs condemn immigration raids, anti-trans policies, and the war in Gaza. But rather than wallow in despair, they want their fans to channel their energy into love for one another. As Grace Griffin puts it, they love the world enough to want to change it. I'll hand it over now to Grace. It's a rainy Thursday night, and about 100 people shuffle into a tiny music hall to escape the weight of the world.

2:32No amount of hatred could ever stand up to your humanity. Just remember that. Okay? They're here for relief, release, and resolve. What's up? We're pink ships! The house lights dim, cheers erupt, and the punk band suddenly electrifies the crowd. They grab their instruments and launch right into their first song.

3:00Pink Shift has always responded to the world as they see it. And their latest album, Earth Keeper, released in August, is a timely call to unify in an increasingly divisive world. Lead singer Ashreeta Kumar articulates that on stage, alternating between screaming into the mic and addressing the crowd tenderly. Because tonight in this room we are not divided units, we are one.

3:28We all share the same wave ray. You feel me so, Boston? I need your energy. Okay? I need your energy, whatever energy you give me. I'm gonna run back to you. Oh, I'm sharing forever, you've got that! So I need it! I need it right now! Pinkshift formed in 2018 when Kumar met guitarist Paul Vallejo at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The pair started playing music together but needed a drummer. Outside an on-campus practice room, Kumar and Vallejo overheard a musician who would soon become the third member of their band. Myron Hongbaishi remembers the song he was practicing that day.

4:16It was Helena by the rock band My Chemical Romance.

4:35I was learning drums at the time and Helena was one of the songs that like got me used to like a punk beat. So that just happened to be the song that they heard as they were like passing by. Tonight They're all in their mid-twenties now. And after earning multiple degrees in science, the bandmates turned their focus entirely to music. Their proximity to the nation's capital has always informed the message behind their work. Pinkshift has used their online platform to criticize the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, including raids in Washington, D.C. and across the country. In their protest song, One Nation, the band emphasizes the oppression of Palestinians.

5:31And they've taken action. Pink Shift played a few shows to raise money for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund and promoted mutual aid funds for immigrants in D.C. It's like all the more reason, at least like for me to, you know, actually like address and like talk about like these kinds of things. Because, you know, that's where we grew up. Challenging Injustice is the crux of the first song on Earthkeeper titled Love It Here.

6:06Love It Here is a song that was very important to set right at the beginning. saying that this is where we're coming from. This is the society that we're living in, trying to figure out our own relationship to humanity. We're living in a society that denies humanity to many. The many they refer to include trans people, people of color, and women, all groups who have been historically marginalized in the U.S., as Kumar made loud and clear at their live show. And it keeps getting worse! It keeps getting worse. It keeps getting worse. They attack your rights. They attack your humanity. And then you start to question, am I even doing it right?

6:56Like, am I even doing it right anymore? It kind of feels like you're falling. In many ways, Pink Shift follows a lineage of artists who were loud about what mattered to them and unafraid to question authority. In fact, that's a cornerstone of punk. The culture of punk is so anti-establishment. Tavia Nyong 'o is a professor of American Studies at Yale University. He says punk has always been about empowering young people to protest artistically without censorship. By most accounts, punk in the U.S. began in the 1970s to reclaim the art form as record labels began producing more polished, mainstream rock music.

7:38Local punk scenes popped up in Olympia, Washington, New York, and Pink Shift's native D.C. area. The genre was largely dominated by white men at its inception, but offshoots like Riot Grrrl, Sister Girl Riots, Afropunk, and Queercore took shape soon after. More and more people realized that there could be space for themselves as Black and brown people in a genre that they would have felt unsafe or unrepresented in. And they've continued organizing to make local punk scenes more inclusive. But in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in 2020, Hongbaizhi's music publication started putting out lists of black and brown bands to support.

8:20To him, that felt tokenizing. It's very easy, actually, for us to get pigeonholed into certain spots because of the way we present ourselves. But in reality, it's just, like, who we are. Pink Shift wants their music to speak for itself. Even starting a band is a form of resistance, Niyango says. But it's not just about protest. It's both about protest politics, but also about mutual aid. And not just, you know, getting out into the streets. They could certainly pull resources. And I'm sure there's internet organizing as well. With that love, I free Palestine! Die!

9:02With that love, I say that trans lives are human lives! Mia Panin attended the show with a friend. They say Pink Shift's new album feels like a personal invitation to nurture community around them. I felt a lot of it was about keeping relationships that are important to you in times of political turmoil. And a lot of the songs, I think, felt very caring for each other and the community in a time like this. Just being angry at the world is not enough. Kumar says rage has to be rooted in love to be productive. Anne believes community building and collective activism can spur tangible, positive change.

9:42When injustice is done to you, no matter who you are, I feel that within my soul. and I will fight for you. And that is where my rage comes from because I love you as a person and I love you and your humanity. They think self-love is important too. Earth Keeper is ultimately a record about inner growth and spirituality, underscored by the last track on the album called Something More. I was dreaming but I won't but to forget Life is beautiful, created my own vision of it Shattered bones, will they redone themselves again? There's castles in the sky, I know there's something more than that I want to see you in my soul Cause I want it!

10:44The song dares listeners to envision a better world and trust themselves to create it. Dream of something more. The future is full of optimism, innovation, and hope. Those systems are burning themselves down, and all of you get to build it back from scratch.

11:10Never let go of that dream. I know you're thinking about it. Never let go of it.

11:23Here and now is Grace Griffin. If you want to catch Pink Shift live, it looks like they've got two more U.S. shows in January, in Baltimore and New York, before they're off to Europe. Well, there's really nothing punk about our next story, but that's okay. Coming up, what's your favorite holiday movie? I am a sucker for the classics this time of year. I usually watch White Christmas at some point, or at least most of it. My favorite theater, The Music Box, here in Chicago, has an annual showing that people bring fake snow to. It usually starts with a sing-along led by the in-house organist. This year, I caught the theatrical version instead at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois, which smartly skipped some of the second act numbers.

12:11But anyway, whether it's a classic, classic, like White Christmas, or a modern classic, like Elf, when it comes to picking a favorite Christmas movie, you've got choices. And as Robin Young will learn after the break, an impassioned chorus of people who will back you up.

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13:18And as the holidays get closer, so does the tension around the Here and Now office, because that's when the very boisterous debate begins. What is the best? Fill in the blank. Last year it was Christmas song, this year a holiday movie, and people, gauntlets are being thrown down all over the place. Each here and now staff are bringing it for their favor. We want to start with our newest host, Indira Lakshmanan. Hello and welcome. Hi, Robin. You're brave to enter this arena. So what is your best holiday film? For me, there's no contest. It is Love Actually. Oh, yeah. The 2003 movie, to me, opens up in one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

13:55It's a scene from Heathrow Airport where we see lots of real people, mothers and children, husbands and wives, families embracing each other. And speaking over the top is Hugh Grant, who plays the prime minister in this film. General opinions starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed. But I don't see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.

14:39Love this movie. Love actually. So much. I have it on VHS. You're old school. What more do you want us to know? I mean, everything. This movie, I watch it every single year with my family. It proves that love doesn't have to be romantic. It focuses on eight couples. It shows us platonic love. One of my favorites is the washed-up lounge singer played by Bill Nighy and how he deeply loves his manager in a platonic way. It's hilarious. The subtitles on Colin Firth's marriage proposal to Aurelia. I mean, come on. Soundtrack, brilliant. This is a winner. I don't think we need to say more. Okay. Well, but we're going to.

15:15So, Indira, thank you. Thanks, Robin. Okay, let's bring in producer Kalyani Saxena, a romance reader. And I have a guess for your film. What is it? Bridget Jones's Diary, which to me, it's the only Christmas movie that should ever exist. Okay, tell us why. The first time that Bridget Jones meets Mark Darcy, who is like a Mr. Darcy variant, Bridget Jones is like a refurbished Pride and Prejudice. They meet at this Christmas holiday party, and it is the most uncomfortable, like, chemistry-less interaction. And you think, how are these two people going to end up in love? Okay, well, let's listen to a little.

15:46Are you staying at your parents' for New Year? Yes. You? Oh, no, no, no, no. I was in London at a party last night, so I'm afraid I'm a bit hungover. Wish I could be lying with my head in the toilet that I call normal people. Awkward. New Year's resolution, drink less. Oh, and quit smoking. Yes, well, perhaps it's time to eat. Okay. Kalyani, awkward? Yes, but it's this really great story because, yes, there is a love story between Bridget and Mark, And you see very quickly how their temperaments are different from one another. But there's this iconic line in the movie where she has a conversation with him and she's like, I know you think that I'm a mess and whatever.

16:29And he says, no, I like you just as you are. And is that not what romance is? To be seen and loved just as you are. And of course, there's a scene at the end of the film where there's snow and an epic love declaration, which makes it holiday enough for me to say it's the best holiday film. Okay. Well, now we literally want to bring in to the studio from the control room where you usually are Matt Reed, our sound engineer, and you are showing exquisite taste in your pick. It's The Apartment, the 1960 comedy romance with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. But explain. I was going through some Christmas movie list and I felt really robbed when I saw this one a couple years ago.

17:07And I just, it was the first time I'd seen it and it blew my mind. I loved it so much. Okay, let's listen to a clip. Who are we hearing here? You're hearing C.C. Baxter, the main character in the movie, played by Jack Lemmon, and he's talking to higher-up Fred McMurray. There's going to be a shift in personnel around here next month. As far as I'm concerned, you are executive material. I am? Remember, Baxter, this is going to be our little secret. Oh, yes, of course. You know how people talk. You don't have to worry about that. Not that I have anything to hide. Oh, certainly not. It's none of my business.

17:39Four apples, five apples. What's the difference? The quick way to summarize it is that he's essentially turning his apartment into an Airbnb for all of his higher ups at the corporation that he works at so he can get ahead. Okay. And the Christmas aspect is? The most important parts of the film happen on or around Christmas. Christmas Eve, he closes down a bar with Santa Claus. and then on Christmas Day some sad events occur that I think add to the melancholy but it's nice to have a little bit of melancholy thrown in with all the glee. Well now we have another sound engineer, Caleb Green who also has exquisite taste in movies.

18:22You've chosen It's a Wonderful Life. Oh, it's a classic. I spent my youth going to see it live in theaters at the Strand Theater in Clinton, Massachusetts and about 10 years ago when I first met my fiancé I brought her there and the lasso the moon scene came to mind right away. And right then and there, I was like, oh, I'm in love with you. I'm so in love with you. And let's take a listen to that clip. What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around and pull it down. Hey, that's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, all right? I'll take it. Then what?

18:57I love all of this, that you took your future wife to see it in the same place you had as a kid. and that families watched it together. Oh, yeah. And I'm also a huge fan of David Lynch, who loves It's a Wonderful Life. And one of the things that I listened to him recently say, so this is a 1946 film. Right after the war, he comes home and does this amazing movie. He's wondering if he still has the stuff, as David Lynch would say. And the scene where he's losing his mind when nobody knows who he is. He's screaming, Mary, Mary. It's the moment when this defines his career in so many ways where he does still have the stuff.

19:32He has the stuff. It's a very heavy movie. Yeah, it's touching. Okay. Now we have to bring in our favorite syndication manager, John Peck. He brings our show across the country, and of course you selected Die Hard. Why? On Christmas, I grew up in a Jewish family. We would go see a movie and get Chinese food, and with my dad, it was always like some inappropriate action movie. It is a Christmas movie, and it's my favorite one, and it makes me think of my father and this weird legacy of seeing very strange movies at a very young age. That's what this time of year is all about. You know, memories and families and sometimes piercing memories.

20:10So just a quick synopsis of Die Hard. Well, it's an off-duty police officer who's going to visit his wife. Their marriage is a little bit on the rocks. It's a holiday party. It's going to be very awkward for him. Terrorists take over the holiday party, and he's actually much more comfortable, I think, probably in that scenario than he would have been in the cocktail party. This one guy, John McClane, Bruce Willis, was a breakout role for him. The building blows up, but everyone's fine. And it was, you know, magic was made. And Merry Christmas. It was Merry Christmas, you know. The holiday was saved.

20:38And I can't think of a better movie that takes place on Christmas that blows up more buildings. It's just silly and fun and the kind of thing I enjoy with my family. So that's what I think about family and Christmas. And it's silly. It's why we love you, John Beck. Thank you, Robin. Okay. Well, now we want to bring in producer and chorister Thomas Danielian. His choice? Oh, it's the Muppet Christmas Carol. It's just joyous. I mean, infectious music. Actually, there's a big family tradition for me. We all watch it at the same time on Christmas Eve, wherever we are in the world. You know, actually, it means more to my mum.

21:10Why don't we call her? Absolutely. We love your mum in Scotland.

21:19Hello. Hi, mum. It's Thomas. Are you there? Thomas. Hello. Hi. Okay, I have to break in here. Hi, Mrs. Danielian. How are you? We love your son. But he sort of is a Muppet, isn't he? He's so positive and kind of, right? Has he always been this way? Yeah, and he does a great Kermit the Frog as well. Go, Thomas. Well, I don't know what you mean, Robin. I can't do the accent at all. Okay, Thomas, take it. Yeah, so, Mum, why is it that Muppet Christmas Carol is your favorite holiday movie? Oh, well, I've loved The Muppets since I was a student in the 1970s and I used to watch it with my friends. And then, of course, add into the mix Michael Caine.

22:01He's brilliant and he was determined to play the part of Scrooge straight. He refused to make any allowances for the fact he was working with puppets. And I think it's a great version of A Christmas Carol. Well, let's listen to a little.

22:21Fa-la-la, with a burst of pleasure we can arrive. Fa-la-la, it's a season when the saints can employ us. Fa-la-la, to spread the news about peace and to keep love alive. Oh, wonderful. There's Thomas Thomas there. Wonderful. Thank you so much for loaning us, your son. That's okay, as long as I can have him back sometimes. And we wish you a happy holiday all watching and listening together to the Muppets movie. Thank you. Happy Christmas. Thank you. Okay, some honorable mentions here. Producer Hafsa Qureshi loves the Jim Carrey, Dr. Seuss Grinch. I do too. Michaela Rodriguez loves The Year Without Santa Claus and Love Hard.