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For as much awareness that has been brought upon HIV in recent years, it's still called an "unhuggable" disease because of the stigmas and misconceptions surrounding it -- though, no, hugging someone with AIDS will not cause you to catch it yourself (duh).
"HIV/AIDS is not like any other disease in so many ways," Stadel says. "Many living with HIV are living in fear, not of their diagnosis or the progression of their disease but because of the judgement and discrimination they face in the eyes of the community. We hope to one day live in a peaceful world that begins with accepting each other, without prejudice or blame, as we are, for who we are."
In honor of the event, Peachcake singer Stefan Pruett put together a nine-song mix of tracks he says were chosen after he put himself in an AIDS patient's shoes -- of someone who desires love and doesn't want to be judged. You can listen to the mix below, and expect to hear mostly new material from Peachcake during their set at the event, with performances of tracks from their current EP, This Wasn't Our Plan.
"Art is a very odd but powerful medium that plays off the abstract parts of our world, but it also instills a message of whatever people want to perceive from it, and that can really go a long way," Pruett says. "It just made so much sense to bring this catharsis full circle, into something that's seemingly impossible to overcome. I think the biggest revelation for me through all this was, really, the power of hope and love is great, and that's something that I think in the long run no disease will be able to defeat."
For more information on Paint for Peace on World AIDS Day, log on here.
World AIDS Day. Peachcake's Save The World Mix. by Peachcake
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