Some of D.C.’s finest bands are gearing up for a standout concert in support of unemployed D.C. residents who face barriers to stable work. Argo and the Violet Queens, Home Remedies, Massie, and Dorinda will play Rock Against Homelessness, a fundraising show at St. Ann Catholic Church on April 13. The show will benefit Friendship Place, a local nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness in D.C. Tickets are free with an option to add a suggested donation of $15, which will go to the organization’s employment program AimHire.
“It’s incredibly important to me that, no matter what amount of money is raised, we as musicians do this concert and help people find out about Friendship Place,” says Arav Goswami, frontperson and singer of Argo and the Violet Queens. “People need to be more aware of the crisis of homelessness happening here.”
Goswami came up with the idea to organize the fundraising concert. Argo and the Violet Queens already have a history using their talent for the public good; last year the band performed small shows in Leesburg to raise funds for Loudoun Hunger Relief and the therapeutic arts organization A Place To Be. In January, Goswami began volunteering for Friendship Place’s AimHire, a job placement program, and pitched a benefit concert to help raise money.
“I wanted to do what I did before but on a larger scale,” Goswami says. “In D.C., you can get more people involved, especially if you get bands like Massie, Home Remedies, and Dorinda to play at the show. If we can keep the music going for a while, then hopefully more people will walk in and donate.”
Friendship Place got its start 33 years ago as a humble grassroots effort when concerned neighbors came together to help those experiencing homelessness in the upper Northwest. Together they opened a drop-in center on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Tenleytown along with five small congregation-based shelters. In the three decades since, Friendship Place has grown to serve not only all of D.C., but also some surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. According to its 2022 Impact Report, the organization managed to end or prevent homelessness for nearly 4,500 people and secured jobs for 136 people in 2022.
To achieve its mission of “empower[ing] people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to attain stable housing and rebuild their lives,” Friendship Place provides a variety of services that try to meet the many needs of those seeking help. Such services include its short-term housing facilities Valley Place and the Brooks, long-term housing complexes where staff help guide residents through the process of rebuilding their lives, a free clinic where visitors can see health care providers, and more. AimHire, the program that the upcoming concert will benefit, specifically helps people find jobs through one-to-one mentoring from volunteers on useful skills like resume writing, answering interview questions, and filling out job applications.
“Ending homelessness is easy—all you got to do is put somebody in an apartment,” says the organization’s community engagement associate Alan Banks. “The hard work comes after they’re housed, helping them put their life back in order.”
This is especially true for people who’ve been experiencing homelessness for years. Banks himself sought help from Friendship Place in 2010 when he was unhoused. In the past decade, he’s watched as thousands of people have been assisted in finding housing and work. And as a volunteer for the AimHire program, Goswami has seen how Friendship Place helps people find work. The organization also understands the importance of celebrating each win: The office on U Street NW rings a bell whenever a client gets hired.
“I’ve seen it every time I’m there,” he says. “Each time I go, someone in their program has gotten a job.”
Goswami has handled most of the organizing of the fundraiser: creating the lineup, and spreading the word; he even set up the link to purchase tickets. The hardest part was finding a venue, which took about a month.
“It’s a pretty large-scale event and I was looking for a place that we could affordably rent and would be willing to support having it,” Goswami says. “I had to make a lot of phone calls.” St. Ann Catholic Church agreed to make their event space available.
According to Banks, who plans on attending the event despite being “too old” for rock concerts, this will be the first show of its kind in Friendship Place’s history. He calls it a sign of the organization’s growth as it continues its efforts to reach more people. “We are all fully onboard on this,” Banks says. “These performers are doing it for us and we’re thankful for that.”
Goswami is also thankful that the other bands agreed to play the benefit show. “They’re performing for free on a Saturday just to assist with our mission,” he says. “It feels really affirming of this whole project.”
The other acts playing Saturday night are equally excited. The trio behind the pop rock band Massie are no stranger to fundraisers, having previously raised money for the DC Abortion Fund. “One of the biggest roles you have as a musician with a platform is to use your voice to support the community that you’re in,” says drummer Samantha Collings. “AimHire does really phenomenal work for our community, and we’re super happy to be working with them.”
“I really hope this is a success,” Goswami adds. “I hope this ends up being a big event and maybe something we can continue to do in the following years. I know it’ll be a great time.”
Argo and the Violet Queens, Home Remedies, Massie, and Dorinda start playing for Friendship Place at 5 p.m. on April 13 at St. Ann Catholic Church. zeffy.com. Free.