Who says Black people aren’t killing it already in the alternative music genre? Darkside of Da Moon is a two-day music event that features black artists in the metal, rock, punk, and hardcore music scene. Started back in 2021 by the bands Move, Buggin, and Zulu–this festival showcases Black artists from all over the country, disproving the decades long myth that we can’t exist in those genres.
I had the privilege of going to the Sunday lineup on August 20th at the Bowery Ballroom. This was an all-day event, giving each artist roughly half an hour to perform. The heavy line-up was full of incredible musicians who each brought a powerful vitality to each time slot. This is probably the first event I’ve ever attended that not only had all black artists performing in the alternative scene, but also allowed black people to have a safe space to dance, headbang, and mosh with the community. It was a high energy event all throughout the day.
The downstairs level of the venue had designated tables for bands to sell merchandise and socialize with fans. Everyone was really friendly, and I was able to get these dope shirts from the band Rebelmatic.
While I didn’t get to stay for the entire event, every band I saw did an amazing job. This was also a great opportunity for people to discover and support new bands and artists. I had just recently learned about Zulu, and was so excited to find out that they had so many fans. From what it seemed like, this event didn’t have very many sponsors, so it was pretty incredible to find out that all these creatives were coming together to pull this off.
I think this event would have been instrumental to so many of us growing up with a love of the metal/punk rock genre. There’s this feeling of great isolation and even fear of safety attending predominantly white concerts in the same genre. Too often we attend shows, doing the look around— hoping for members of our own community to be present. This was an event that was specifically made for us. It felt like the alternative kid in me who was always feeling out of place finally had somewhere to stand confidently. I took in a moment, went outside the venue and looked around – a crowd of Black people dressed in punk and alternative fashion who just seemed happy and comfortable in their element. This was definitely a life changing moment. To know that not only that these spaces exist – that we CAN make these spaces for our community and they will thrive.