Cactus Club hosted a second Benefit for Palestine show on Thursday evening, partnering with local activist group Milwaukee 4 Palestine and raising money for Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)’s Gaza Emergency Fund. Destros, *Aya, Ellie Jackson and Browns Crew all performed for the benefit, which packed with folks showing solidarity for Palestine and collected over $2200 for MECA.

Destros consists of vocalist Sarah Kennedy, guitarist Rob Pauley, bassist Amir Barnhill and drummer Rocky Corona. Their style could be described as anarcho-goth, incorporating elements of punk and death rock. Destros’ name is a G.I. Joe reference, meaning “dexterity” in Portuguese.

The band formed earlier this year from Pauley and Corona jamming. “We’ve been playing together since before COVID,” Corona explains.

“Robbie asked me if I wanted to do vocals like half a year ago,” Kennedy adds. “He had a bunch of songs already so I just wrote to those, and it was actually really easy the way we’d practice, and in a minute we’d have a song. We all work really intuitively together.”

“Back around July, Sarah asked me if I wanted to play some gothic punk shit and that’s right up my alley, so I was like fuck yeah,” Barnhill shares.

Destros’ first show was at Underscore in October for Gnat Bowden’s art exhibition. Their second show took place a couple weeks later at X-Ray Arcade. They are getting ready to record while also playing more shows, including ones outside Milwaukee.

In terms of her lyrics, Kennedy describes them, “I listen to them play and I’ll hear words, then I’ll write them down and try to make them make sense (laughs). It comes from the point of being anti-racist and anti-colonization.”

Destros play Sabbatic for the Winter Solstice show on December 22nd then play Stand Up / Fight Back fundraiser for MKE Trans Health at Promises on March 15th.