FUSE TV - How Indie Rock Bands Are Making Show Spaces Safer For Everyone

Earlier this month, we spent Modern Baseball's Holy Ghost record release day with the band, an experience that resulted a few hours of powerful conversation about personal and professional growth. One moment that didn't make the cut arrived in the first hour of the day, where the guys detailed a soon-to-be launched tour hotline. Co-frontman Brendan Lukens explained:

"It's something we grabbed from [Massachusetts rock band] Speedy Ortiz. Basically the concept is, if anyone feels threatened or that they're not in a safe environment at [a Modern Baseball] show, they can hit us this hotline and contact us, the collective us. We'll be talking to security and talking to fans and making sure everything's going okay. A lot of it is with issues of security, a lot of it is with men grouping girls. We just wanted to offer something to fans."

When asked if there have been issues with this in the past, Lukens offered:

"Yes but nothing that can...people have never been able to reach us and when they do it's at the end of the show. We haven't been able to hear all of it. They ask you to take photos and add, 'Yeah, someone pulled my hair and I got pulled to the ground.'"

Bassist Ian Farmer jumps in, "Or 'Someone grabbed my ass every time they walked behind me.' Those are only the people who've been able to tell us." 

Drummer Sean Huber adds, "It's literally every show." Lukens says, "Obviously there's slight concern of it being abused but I think the general good of it will come out on top." 

Modern Baseball aren't the first to recognize issues of safety in their scene, but they're definitely part of a new movement of bands hoping to promote inclusivity and social change within it. Let's unpack.