Hardcore favorite Destiny Bond, which includes LGBTQ+ members, posted on social media Thursday, July 17, that it will no longer be performing on Sunday, July 20.
“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,” the post read. “Apologies to anyone who was planning to see us.”
Shortly after, local straight-edge hardcore group Time X Heist announced that it’s canceling a previously planned opening slot on Sunday as well, according to a similar social media statement.
“After careful consideration and conversations with our peers and trusted friends, we have decided to cancel our appearance at Punk In the Park,” the band wrote. “We cannot in good conscience 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.
“While we hoped to use this platform as a way to speak truth to power, we have heard in these conversations that it would be more harmful than beneficial,” the post continued.
In lieu of the Punk in the Park spot, Time X Heist is instead focusing its energy on a Monday, July 21, show at D3 Arts with Start Today, Stand Tall, The Difference and Moral Law. “Also, in solidarity, we will be donating a portion of Monday’s door at our D3 show to charity,” the band notes in its post.
A petition to boycott the Denver edition of Punk in the Park was started in April, after it was discovered that Brew Ha Ha Productions owner Cameron Collins sent several hundred dollars to Trump and right-wing causes in 2024. But the protest picked up steam earlier this week as the event neared; it's scheduled for Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, at the National Western Stockyards.
According to FEC records summarized by OpenSecret, Collins donated $250 to Trump’s campaign on May 30, 2024. An additional $104.10 was earmarked for the Trump National Committee JFC, Inc. on August 2, 2024, while $524.29 more went to other Republican causes — WinRed and Never Surrender, Inc. — during the year, according to public individual contributions listed for Collins and Brew Ha Ha Productions on the FEC website.
Destiny Bond and Time X Heist are the only bands that have taken action as a result of the revelations.
“Some of are friends are still playing and we respect their decision,” Destiny Bond noted. “Everyone addresses something like this in their own way.”
The decisions were met with overwhelming support, at least according to the hundred-plus comments shared on both Instagrams.
Brew Ha Ha has not provided a comment on the bands dropping out, but Collins sent Westword a reply in response to the petition earlier this week.
“My focus has always been on bringing people together — not dividing them,” Collins said. “Brew Ha Ha Productions exists to create inclusive, fun and safe spaces where people from all walks of life — regardless of race, sexuality, beliefs or political views — can come together to celebrate music and community.
“The punk rock scene I fell in love with and have been a part of since I was fourteen years old has always been rooted in individuality, questioning authority and standing up for free expression,” he continued. "That ethos continues to guide everything we do.”
Brew Ha Ha is well-known in the alternative music scene; the company teamed up with NOFX for the Punk In Drublic presents NOFX Final Tour in 2023-24.
Collins pointed to all the other beer and music events Brew Ha Ha has organized over the years as evidence of his commitment to the aforementioned ethos.
“At the end of the day, our events are not about politics — they’re about music, connection, and good times. That’s where my heart is, and that’s where it’s going to stay,” Collins added. “Over the years, I’ve proudly provided a platform for artists to reach hundreds of thousands of fans. We’ve paid millions of dollars in artist guarantees, and not once have I ever censored or restricted a band’s message or voice. Our track record speaks for itself.
“To suggest otherwise is not only false — it fundamentally misrepresents who I am, what I stand for, and what Brew Ha Ha Productions embodies.”
