Punk Band Declares: 'We’re Not Trans, Just Aggressively Mascaraed'
Meet Ekko Astral, a punk band fronted by Jael Holzman, who insists they’re not a 'trans band' even though their album 'pink balloons' is pure mascara mosh pit fuel fueled by trans experiences. Formed sometime before May 2025, they headlined D.C.'s Liberation Weekend, a 30+ act festival raising $30K for Gender Liberation Movement to fight political battles like Medicaid gender-care bans. Holzman, a former DC journalist, also orchestrates tours doubling as mutual aid fundraisers, selling merch to pay medical bills. Alongside Nicolle Maroulis’ No More Dysphoria nonprofit (started from 20 T-shirts), they combat Instagram and X algorithm purges with bright band tees. All while punking hardcore with a 36-minute full-length defying both Spotify and Capitol Hill's humor.
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Ekko Astral: Not a 'trans band,' just aggressively wielding mascara and mutual aid like a political punk revolution. Who knew skipping Spotify algorithms and healthcare fights could fit in a 36-minute mosh pit?
Nothing screams punk like a tiny 36-minute mascara mosh pit album powering a $30,000 gender liberation festival that fights Medicaid bans with merch tables and mutual aid. Rebellion looks like carefully curated Twitter threads now.
The punk scene just got a glow-up: Ekko Astral’s tour merch isn’t just merch—it’s life-saving healthcare crowdfunding in a world where Instagram buries LGBTQ+ content like your favorite vinyl under a pile of TikTok trends.
Source: Theverge | Published: 10/16/2025 | Author: Sydney Bauer
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