(flyer art: Kira Lynn Cain)

If you’re skipping Outside Lands this year and perhaps looking for a more productive use for your money, check out this Berkeley benefit for Kids In Need of Defense, a charity that provides legal representation to refugee children. Organized by local musicians, the event promises a day of family-friendly music with food catered from Tacos El Precioso and Moon in My Kitchen this Sunday, August 11.

All the acts, with the exception of Silverware, play sentimental folk-americana music and do so with earnesty and talent. Yea-Ming Chen’s music captures a particularly nostalgic brand of art-folk, with breathy vocals and simple, straight-to-the-point lyrics. She’s unplaceable in history, with equal parts dream-pop and art-rock influence. Silverware makes heavy use of looping in her recorded material, opting to layer her voice over what sounds like the lo-est lo-fi guitar. Her ethereal vocals and pulsing guitar, however, come together to create a hypnotically dark mood that you can’t help but wallow in, particularly on “Dress in Darkness.”

Best of all, the organizers don’t require you to trust them to handle the money — simply show a receipt of your donation for entry. See below for more details, or donate directly to KIND here.

Andrew Cervantes, July, China, Yea-Ming Chen, Jacob Aranda, Silverware
1622 Ashby Ave
August 11, 2019
3pm, $20 (suggested donation)