George Rindfleisch, producer of 17 Below Entertainment, along with 11 bands featuring young musicians who have been bullied themselves, are bringing their anti-bullying message to DiPiazza’s this weekend.
“These bands and artists jumped at the chance to play this show,” said Rindfleisch, the show’s organizer. “All of them have been bullied. Artists are by nature shy, sensitive, perceptive, wear odd clothes, join choir, are in the school band and do not play sports. The ‘cool’ kids tear into them, perhaps secretly wishing they could be them.”
Artists performing at Sunday’s event include Galvanized Souls, JRyan, Against the Ordinary, Almost Anywhere, Breaking Tempo, Paralyzers, Stereo Love, Stolen Thunder, Whiplash X Band, Ellis Bell and Mona Mae.
Mona Mae – “Breathe”
Rindfleisch, a Seal Beach resident, decided to bring his anti-bullying concert to Long Beach simply because it has a school district. Any city with a district, he insisted, has problems with bullying, and not just in schools.
“There is a fast-growing trend nationwide to call attention to this problem,” he said. “If testimonials come from an artist who also entertains the crowd, the kids pay attention. Bullying doesn’t end after high school. Workplace bullying happens. As long as there are people unhappy with themselves, they will project that unhappiness onto others. The learning point is to deal with it. Don’t give the bully the satisfaction of knowing they had an effect. A victim does not outgrow the pain.”
One in four kids is bullied, and these days much of that bullying happens online, he said.
Galvanized Souls – Carry On
The concert was inspired by an east coast tour called Teen Nation, which is an anti-bullying nonprofit that helped the Long Beach concert get off the ground. Rindfleisch said he hopes these concerts become a trend on the west coast.
The money from Sunday’s show will go directly to help Rindfleisch establish his own nonprofit.
“Whatever profits or funds we get or percent of the cover will go directly into putting gas into the trucks and vans that haul the artists around to the schools delivering this message,” he said. “The structure will be flat. Money in and money out directly, nothing going into administration or hierarchy costs. This is by and for the kids.”
Teens Against Bullying will take place Sunday at DiPiazzas, 5202 Pacific Coast Highway, beginning at 2PM. Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, click here.