Quirk, The

The Quirk is a punk/grunge band from Grand Rapids, Michigan featuring Bek Graham (Shotgun Sally, The Red Lights, and Sorry Hunny), Ivan Marsten, Tim Luce, and Pat Brinkley.

Associated acts include Bong Mountain, Bet on Rats, and Shotgun Sally.

## *The Quirk - EP* and Response to Mulligan's Pub Sexual Assault Allegations (2017)

   *The Quirk* released its debut self-titled EP in 2017. The album was recorded at Knavish Audio and mastered at Cold War Studios, with artwork created by drummer Ivan Marsten and scene organizer/local legend Tyler Dykema.

The band's scheduled album release party with Bet on Rats at Mulligan's Pub was canceled after Julio Gomez (I Believe in Julio) instigated a venue boycott based on accusations of sexual assault and drink-dosing against the staff -- as well as a recent groping accusation made by Gomez's significant other. The Quirk and Bet on Rats moved the release show to Wealthy Theater to accommodate and comfort fans who might be sexual abuse victims.

Vocalist Bek Graham cited long conversations with sexual abuse victims as a critical decision point, and stated she couldn't ethically play a show at Mulligan's Pub while her friends felt harassed, unsafe or unwelcome.

#### ***The Quirk - EP* Track List**

1. Another Man
2. Incline
3. Ground
4. Set a Fire

## *Neapolitan Split* and Advocacy Work (2018-Present)

In June 2018, The Quirk released a split album with Grand Rapids acts Reggie and Minkus on the label Put Out Your Own Records. Both tracks by The Quirk were produced, mixed, and mastered by Rick Johnson at Cold War Studios. The tracks were also released apart from works by other artists on a *Summer 2018* EP.

#### ***Neapolitan Split* Track List**

1. Germ (Performed by Reggie)
2. Where's Davey? (Performed by Reggie)
3. Lewie Pie (Performed by Minkus)
4. Pants (Performed by Minkus)
5. In Her Eyes (Performed by The Quirk)
6. Replacement (Performed by The Quirk)

#### **Disability/Accessibility Advocacy**

Graham suffers from several chronic illnesses slowed The Quirk's touring options -- but they didn't keep her from local activism. She and Tyler Dykema (who uses a wheelchair) began an accessibility advocacy group in Grand Rapids for musicians and fans of music with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Graham also heavily pushed techniques and best practices advised by the non-profit Safer Scenes, documented in Shawna Potter's *(War on Women*) book *Making Spaces Safer*. These practices were meant to (among other things) prevent sexual and racial harassment at shows, and to exorcise sexual predators from places of power.

#### **Safer Scenes Implementation**

In 2020, another Grand Rapids venue, *Billy's Lounge,* was heavily scrutinized for enabling sexually predatory behavior. The venue staff had a long-running, mutually beneficial relationship with rapper Sean Ladd Powell (*SLPXRT, Support the Respectful Pedestrian*) who had been excessively accused of date rape, harassment, and groping over a decade-long period. However, *Billy's Lounge* ignored the complaints until 2020.

In the fall of 2019, one of Graham's lifelong friends -- journalist and Chasing the Sky bassist/lyricist Kay VanAntwerpen -- founded the nonprofit journalism program *The Kreisau Circle*. On Christmas morning 2019, The Kreisau Circle posted an exposé not only collecting years of accusations and police reports against Powell, but also around 8,000 words of laborious fact-checking and verification.

The case against Powell was damning, and he was subsequently banned from almost every venue in Grand Rapids. Most of the venues that initially resisted banning him, eventually caved to social pressure or were convinced by Powell's many long-winded, misogynistic public meltdowns that followed.

In the wake, many more women came forward with stories of harassment and assault that had previously been ignored. The venues of Grand Rapids clamored for a solution. They were finally ready to listen to Graham.

She had previously shown VanAntwerpen Potter's book. The two, along with Kreisau Circle co-founder Finn Jaskowski, contacted Kira-Lynn Ferderber of Safer Scenes and conducted a set of interviews in order to develop best practices for Grand Rapids bars. Ferberder made plans to give a seminar in Grand Rapids -- however, the timeline was delayed after bars closed and social distancing policies were put in place due to COVID-19.

The project is currently on hold.