TIME X HEIST And DESTINY BOND Drop Punk In The Park Denver Festival After News The Festival Owner Donated To The Trump Campaign

Punk In The Park festival owner Cameron Collins of Brew Ha Ha Productions has been under fire since April due to a reported campaign donation to the Trump Campaign through Brew Ha Ha Productions.

On April 4th, an Instagram account by the name @stoppunkinthepark posted a screenshot that allegedly shows a donation to the Trump campaign for $225 on May 30th, 2024 from Brew Ha Ha Productions with the caption:

As a long-time lover of punk rock and many of the bands on this bill, it stings to see a festival that’s supposed to represent our anti-establishment ethos being tied to politically divisive figures such as Trump. Punk in the Park, a new festival in Denver and other U.S. cities, is currently mired in controversy due to its organizer’s support for Trump, a figure whom many in our community find profoundly antithetical to our values. So many of these bands are too good to support this festival.

Brew Ha Ha Productions are the organizers of this festival…

Trump‘s time in office has been marked by policies that seemed to bolster the wealth of the already privileged few — an oligarchy at odds with Punk’s democratic spirit. According to a report by the Brookings Institute, wealth inequality significantly worsened during Trump‘s tenure: the richest 1% of Americans increased their wealth by a staggering $4 trillion. This is fundamentally incompatible with the punk ethos that values socio-economic equality.

We must send a strong message that we will not support festivals and organizations that do not align with the values and beliefs of our community. Let’s stand together to halt Punk in the Park from coming to Denver. It’s time to show that we, the punk rock community, are not just a demographic to be monetized, but a collective force that stands for socio-economic justice. Nazi punks, F%$# OFF!

Bring your voice to our cause — sign the petition today. We are also calling on venues to throw shows for as many bands as possible on this bill who will already be in Denver July 18-20.

After that post in early April, a petition was launched to ‘Stop Punk in the Park Festival in Denver,’ which has 895 signatures at the time of writing.

The Shambles Tavern – a bar and venue – were the first to pull out of the festival on the 7th of July, stating that they “will not be contributing to Punk in the Park or Unhinged Festivals in Denver, or any other locations.

5 days ago, on the 15th of July (Tuesday), Denver Westword wrote an article, covering the petition, and once that article was published – bands started dropping out.

3 days ago, on the 17th of July (Thursday), Destiny Bond was the first band to drop out of the festival, stating that they would “no longer be performing at this weekend’s Punk in the Park in Denver. After learning and reflecting on the fact that the owner of the festival donated to Donald Trump‘s campaign for president, we’ve decided playing as planned doesn’t align with our values. Apologies to anyone who was planning to see us.”

Then, 2 days ago, on the 18th of July (Friday), Time X Heist also followed suit by dropping out of the festival, citing similar causes, saying they “cannot in good conscious support organizers that put profit over people. We have decided to step away from this fest to stand in solidarity with our trans siblings, immigrants and others negatively affected by the current administration and policies of the day.

The band then stated they were playing a show tomorrow, the 21st of July (Monday), and they would be “donating a portion of Mondays door at our D3 show to charity.”

Guttermouth also announced they would not be able to make the festival, but due to their “Fearless Leader“‘s emergency procedure. No further details were given about the procedure, but the band said they would “share more” in “the near future,” and had “no plans to cancel the remaining shows for the year.”

Today is the last day of the festival, so the story may continue to be ongoing.