Since their alliance in college, the Baltimore queer punk and noise band, Blk Vapor, has been a force to reckon with. The passionate band is made up of three conquering souls, Kirby, Safra, and Proxy. With high praise from a Lakota elder and neighborhood, their sound has been noted to sound like “controlled chaos,” a compliment they don’t take for granted. 

Their music inspiration is eclectic in nature and sound with genres such as grunge, R&B, punk pop, Disney rock, and break-beat music to name a few. Their recent three-song-single Vaporising encompasses a fellowship-type vibe that one only grows sympathy for as each song plays. 

“With Vaporising, we really wanted to showcase what we could do. Through working on that project we realized we record best live & then can track the individual instruments over that. We never want recording to make our songs static so it felt good to have a flexible process that was honest to our experiential/live nature. The reception has been really warm but we can’t wait to get down some of the new stuff we’ve been touring with.”

This group is special and won’t disappoint at this year’s fundraiser. I had to ask how important it was that they were supporting trans women of color. Their answer was as poignant and original as their sound.

 “Speaking as Proxy, my job is supporting trans women of color like myself. That activism is a big part of what makes what we have to say in our music real and actionable. We refuse to play with others who aren’t down & see ourselves as a cleansing force that has the power to oppose casual transphobia in the scene. We support each other in our diverse trans expression. Also supporting trans women makes your skin clear.”