PWR BTTM’s rapid rise, from the New York DIY scene, to having one of 2017’s most anticipated indie punk records, is a surge that only seems possible in the last decade. At first glance or listen, PWR BTTM is clearly a queer band. The two band members, Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce, who identify as queer and non-binary respectively, perform in drag and fabulously grotesque glittered faces. Sharing lead vocals, guitar, and drums, the duo’s lyrics concern LGBTQ+ life earnestly and intimately.
After the release of their debut 2015, Ugly Cherries, PWR BTTM found themselves not only garnering praise and popularity but also as spokespersons of social justice. The band’s upfront and unrepentant queerness served as an agent of empowerment. Their shows were treated as safe spaces and saw Hopkins and Bruce preach love, acceptance, pride, and equality. Earlier this year, the band required venues to have gender neutral bathrooms on their rider for their fans. A month later in March, PWR BTTM joined Bands Take A Stand, a campaign that spreads awareness of sexual abuse and misogyny while raising funds for A Voice For The Innocent, a charity that supports sexual abuse victims.
2017 saw great things for PWR BTTM. Their highly anticipated sophomore release, Pageant, was released last week on Polyvinyl, and they are scheduled to begin a tour of North America and the United Kingdom later this month. Earlier this month, popular music site, Noisey, called the duo “America’s Next Great Rock Band.”
But last week also most likely saw the end of PWR BTTM in what has been the most spectacularly sudden fall from grace the music world has recently seen.
May 11, one day before Pageant’s release, a post was made to the DIY Chicago Facebook page accusing Hopkins of being a “known sexual predator” and “perpetrator of multiple assaults.” The author then alleges that she has “personally seen Ben initiate inappropriate sexual contact with people despite several ‘nos’ and without warning or consent.” The post goes on to accuse Hopkins of bullying other queer artists for PWR BTTM’s gain and making advances on minors while knowing they are underage. The post also makes note of how “almost every single one of Ben’s victims is queer.” The author did not claim that Hopkins assaulted her meaning the victims and events remained unknown. The post urged a boycott of PWR BTTM and a refusal to allow them in safe spaces.
Expectedly, the post gathered attention and drew several responses. Victims of Hopkins’ alleged assaults and advances messaged the author of the original Facebook post thanking her for confronting the band. New York based band T-Rextasy, one of several openers for PWR BTTM’s upcoming tour, tweeted “We wish we could say these allegations come as a complete surprise, but that is not the truth...” explaining how they were made aware of the allegations when they agreed to open but decided to continue with the tour instead. Now, they were making the decision to drop out. Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis tweeted that she knew of one victim who in February reached to the band “hoping to find some reconciliation and peace and was met with inaction.” PWR BTTM’s other half, Bruce, was accused of being complicit with Hopkins and insulting the victims.
Later that day, PWR BTTM shared a statement that responded to the allegations with surprise. In order to “address this matter head on,” the band created an email account so that a “survivor or someone working directly with a survivor can discuss the allegations being expressed on social media.” The account would be handled by an undecided “mediator” and wouldn’t be accessible by Hopkins. The post, which included no denial or statement of Hopkins’ innocence, ended the response stating “Our primary goal here is to ensure that a survivor of abuse has a voice, that their story should be heard and that people who cross the line should be held accountable.” The post left PWR BTTM’s future unclear.
The day after the allegations were made, the online publication Jezebel published an anonymous account from an individual stating to be one of Hopkins’ victims. The account accused Hopkins of engaging in unprotected sex without consent and sending her unwanted nude photos.
Since, PWR BTTM has been dropped from festival slots, venues, their management company, and their label Polyvinyl. Their music cannot be found on iTunes, Tidal, Google Play, or Spotify. In less than five days, indie’s arguably hottest band has seemingly lost everything. As of writing, PWR BTTM hasn’t made any further comments other than their original response. Their future remains unknown.
While it is important to note that these allegations are unproven, the entire situation falls into the unfortunate catch-22 of sexual abuse claims and accusations. The law treats the accused as innocent until proven guilty, but too often, a steadfast denial of allegations prevents future victims from speaking out. However, a staunch castigation of the accused, even if found innocent, can harm reputation and image immensely.
But the multiple sources seemingly verifying the abuses, Hopkins’ lack of denial, and ostracization from the music industry does not cast PWR BTTM in a positive light. Each day, the public’s views of PWR BTTM grow increasingly negative, and while any artist accused of such severe abuses would garner mass criticism, these allegations being against PWR BTTM are in a different context.
PWR BTTM is a queer punk band. Unlike other artists who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, but do not want to be identified or politicized as a gay artist, PWR BTTM are unabashedly, unapologetically queer. Their image is steeped in queerness; their music is saturated with it. By the end of the year, PWR BTTM was primed to be not only one of America’s most prominent LGBTQ+ bands but also one of music’s largest advocates of social justice. Hopkins and Bruce have positioned themselves as advocates for the marginalized--especially the sexually marginalized. The allegations against Hopkins could not find a more ironic band.
This is the reason for these accusations to be so sickening. It is almost unimaginable for someone to act against their image in such cruel ways. The band’s celebration of consent and inclusion are almost as equally important to the band as their music--both of which are now viewed as hypocritical.
One especially disturbing aspect of the allegations is that Hopkins committed these abuses against multiple queer-identifying individuals. The LGBTQ+ community faces a much higher risk of sexual abuse than the general population with some studies showing half of all transgender individuals will experience sexual violence. For PWR BTTM to potentially be contributing to these statistics is beyond terrible.
Besides the LGBTQ+ community, PWR BTTM also represented the DIY ethic and scene. The various DIY scenes in cities around the country all embrace a similar punk and social justice ethos. In my hometown of Birmingham, and across the country, the DIY community is extremely welcoming of all individuals and has attracted many members of the LGBTQ+ population. Scenes like DIY Birmingham have created a home embracing acceptance and progressive attitudes towards social issues. For PWR BTTM to use this scene to create victims of sexual abuse is a betrayal of DIY music’s collective safe space and PWR BTTM’s own philosophy.
If these allegations are true, the same forces that caused PWR BTTM’s acclaim and popularity will be the same as the band’s downfall. It is no surprise that a fanbase that takes sexual violence so seriously would respond with such prompt disgust. Even if Hopkins’ is not guilty of the claims, it will take a miracle for the band to be held in the same regard as they were just last week.
But much more important than the downfall of PWR BTTM is the impact of the past week on PWR BTTM’s audience and the potential cultural absence that is left behind. Will the indie scene see a similar, progressively charged band take a similar roll? Will another band rise from DIY culture by championing social justice?
However, what’s not dependent on the emergence of a new LGBTQ+ band is the love, acceptance, and pride that remains pervasive in the DIY and indie spheres. The immediacy of the band’s ostracism represents a refusal to ignore sexual abuse that has been overlooked in music for so long. If PWR BTTM falls into obscurity, their demise would reveal that their message, hypocritical and insincere it may be, is more compelling and powerful than any band can be.
