Catbite And Laura Jane Grace Release Live Record To Benefit Fire Victims

Concerned musicians are finding creative ways to support people whose lives have been dismantled by the ongoing wildfires and devastation in Los Angeles.

Philly four-piece ska-punk band Catbite have shared their live collaborative set with Laura Jane Grace, founder of Against Me! and front person of Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers, via Bandcamp as a pay-what-you-want download with 100 percent of the net proceeds being donated to relief efforts.

“We’ve done the ‘pay what you can’ a lot, especially when raising money for a cause, and it always works out great,” says guitarist Tim Hildebrand. “A lot of people will fall right in the middle with pricing, but then you give people the opportunity to give more if they have the means.”

The 27-song Operation Ivy set was recorded live at a secret Riot Fest 2024 afterparty for a sold-out audience at The Empty Bottle in Chicago. Fortunately, the set was recorded by sound person Jacopo Fokas and is now available for download, having been meticulously mixed by Catbite’s own Ben Parry.

With the fires impacting people within and beyond the music community, proceeds will be evenly split between Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which provides immediate financial assistance to music industry professionals impacted by natural disasters, and Best Friends, which is on the ground in Los Angeles supporting local animal welfare organizations while ensuring the safety of the pets and staff in their West LA Pet Adoption Center.

“When finding ways to give back, we always have gravitate towards animals and the arts,” says Hildebrand. “So, knowing that’s what we wanted to do, I did a bunch of research and landed on the best organizations — Best Friends animal society and Sweet Relief.”