On October 24, 2026, Baltimore-based band Turnstile brought an estimated 60,000 people to the DC Washington Monument for a free benefit show supporting humanitarian relief in Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan. The final date of the Never Enough Tour Pt. 2 turned one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks into a gathering place for punk music and charity action. Through a fundraiser organized with Human Concern International, the show has raised more than $260,000 toward humanitarian aid, surpassing its original $150,000 goal.
Before the band played, Human Concern International’s Hassan Wadi described how the organization’s work had helped a young girl from Gaza get transportation to Egypt and treatment at a hospital there, saving her leg from amputation. It was a direct reminder that the necessity of aid for people affected by conflicts and cuts to humanitarian funding is not an abstraction. Bringing this cause to DC also carried political weight; speaking truth to the seat of American power is distinctly hardcore. This show continues the legacy of other free shows on the National Mall like Rock Against Reagan or Fugazi’s iconic performances for social justice causes.
I have photographed countless shows in Baltimore’s DIY scene, but I had never experienced anything like this one. I was at the front of the barricade in the audience. A wave of thousands surged forward at the opening song. Crowd surfers moved continuously overhead while multiple mosh pits opened behind us. The scale and crush of the crowd was staggering, but it was the same Baltimore energy I knew. This was hardcore amplified with one big mosh under the Washington DC Monument.
Sam LevinThe scale and crush of the crowd was staggering, but it was the same Baltimore energy I knew. This was hardcore amplified with one big mosh under the Washington DC Monument.
At the end of the night, Turnstile closed with “NEVER ENOUGH” and moved into “T.L.C.” Frontman Brendan Yates crowd surfed as the audience embraced him back.
On May 10, 2025, I photographed Turnstile’s free show at Wyman Park Dell in Baltimore—the kickoff for their Never Enough tour Pt 1. It felt as though the band’s hometown came together to send its love out into the world. That show raised more than $35,000 for Health Care for the Homeless. From Baltimore to Washington, the two concerts demonstrate how artists can turn the momentum of a live performance into material support.
Turnstile came out of Baltimore’s DIY hardcore scene, playing spaces like Charm City Art Space and the Ottobar before reaching audiences around the world. They have direct ties with bands like Trapped Under Ice who carry a special place in helping define the sound of hardcore music. The band’s growth has not erased those origins.
These benefit shows reflect a tradition in which artists do more than entertain; they garner attention around urgent needs and use their reach for direct impact. Baltimore has given the world some of its most culturally impactful artists. Turnstile shows a city’s influence is not measured by its size or power, but by what its people create and what they choose to do with that influence.
