How Arizona Bands Are Supporting Teachers This Weekend

Arizona bands are giving back to public schools this weekend during Jerkfest at Yucca Tap Room in Tempe.

The lineup features Playboy Manbaby headlining each night, with Willetta, Fine China, A Blackbird En Route, Celebration Guns, Map, Palm Springs Eternal,  and Jordan Murawa on Friday, April 27. Saturday, April 28, will feature Porn Bloopers (from Washington), No Volcano, Sun System, and Elna Rae.

Entry is free, with all proceeds from merch sales going to Donors Choose, an organization that encourages people to sponsor projects — from library books to musical instruments — for schools in need.

"My sister is a teacher, and it seems like Arizona doesn’t fully support public education, whether it be having one of the lowest records for paying teachers or schools not having enough money to pay for supplies for classrooms," says Justin Weir of Celebration Guns.

Weir's label, Lumberjerk Records, is throwing the event as a celebration of the new compilation, Straight Outta Comp Vol. 2, following the release of Vol. 1 last November. With that release, they raised over $550 and supported three classroom projects.

This volume is nearly twice as big as the first, with 23 tracks from the bands playing the event, as well as Tripaw'd, There is Danger, Phantom Party, Built By Animals, and more. It is available now as a CD, cassette, or digital download on Bandcamp.


The artwork was designed by Charles Barth, singer of Palm Springs Eternal, an "emo-revival" band he formed late last year with Chuckie Duff (Dear and the Headlights). They've released a few singles already, and Friday will be the band's very first show.

"My previous projects and my perception of how they’ve been received by people have been integral to my identity and self-worth. This is not that," Barth says. "This is having fun writing pop melodies in the style of the bands I grew up listening to."

Barth is also excited to support Donor's Choose, given the national conversation on funding for education.

"It’s especially relevant right now, too, what with the #RedForEd movement, and the walk-outs and everything. It’s absolutely a worthy cause," he says.

Headliners Playboy Manbaby contributed their song "The Fun" the compilation. It's from the band's new album, Lobotomobile, released earlier this month.

They're coming off a west coast tour in support of the release, which means they're ready to tackle two nights in a row. However, don't expect the same set.

"There will be no repeated songs between the nights," frontman Robbie Pfeffer explains. "We just put out a new album so we've got some new stuff to play and some golden oldies."

One thing that they can definitely promise? "A really good time with a wide variety of music, cheap booze and filthy, barley functioning bathrooms."

Jerkfest will be Friday April 27 and Saturday April 28 at Yucca Tap Room in Tempe. Admission is free.