PERSISTICON
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT FOR PERSISTICON V: IN US WE TRUST ON OCTOBER 2nd!
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR UPCOMING ACTIONS AND SHOWS. IN THE MEANTIME, GET INVOLVED IN THE 2022 ELECTION. HERE ARE SOME WAYS:
For boots on the ground work, please click here. You'll find opportunities to knock on doors, make calls, or write postcards.
To contribute to key races integral to holding the House, please click here (supports 10 candidates in tough races, primarily women and POC) or here (key house races in New York).
To support key Senate races, please click here. Every dollar, every postcard, every door counts. Let’s save democracy!
Here’s a glimpse of a few of our past events. If you’re interested in joining our mailing list to be alerted to future events, join the mailing list here and we’ll keep you in the loop!
5x7” Vote postcard, artwork by Johanna Goodman. We still have limited quantities available, email if you’re interested!
Past Events
PERSISTICON V: IN US WE TRUST happened IRL (!) at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Sunday October 2, 2022. We raised money for EMILY’s List and New York Abortion Access Fund.
OUR DARLING Murray Hill hosted an all-star evening with comedians Judy Gold, Jay Jurden, Joanna Briley, REMY KASSIMIR, Allison Reese, Alison Leiby, DJ (and roller derby queen) Suzy Hotrod, with cameos by Hollie Harper And MORE…
Sponsors included: BUST MAGAZINE • DIANA KANE • GOLD: COMEDY FOR GIRLS • WIDE ANGLE PRODUCTIONS • SUE SCHAFFNER/GIRL RAY PHOTOGRAPHY • BETH HELLER PHOTOGRAPHY • OLIVIA COOKS FOR YOU • SALT STRAPS • ALICE CHENG • FLATBUSH GRANOLA • MARIA BEAULIEU JEWELRY • ZULIA & HUIPA • CLAY JEWELS BY JULES • URBAN TAILS TREATS • GONE TO THE DOGS • SASADI ODUNSI • GINA VOLPE • JULIE F. KAY
Bake Sale for NYAAF, with Donations from: Winner NYC • Betty Bakery • R&D Foods • Bien Cuit • Four and Twenty Blackbirds • Colson Patisserie • Little Pie Co • Sahadis • AlisongBakes
poster artwork by Johanna Goodman
We Threw STACEY ABRAMS a 47th Virtual Birthday Bash ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9TH, 2020. Persisticon and Yum's the Word and our guests threw a virtual evening of comedy, storytelling, ice cream(!) and fundraising, to celebrate Stacey and raise some dough. We put our efforts to getting Stacey, and us, and the U.S., a prezzie – turning the GA senate (and thereby the whole Senate) BLUE. And we got Stacey a nice safe Spa Day at the Atlanta Four Seasons, too.
Lord knows she deserves it.
We were joined by:
Aparna Nancherla (Comedy Central’s “Corporate”, Late Night with Stephen Colbert)
Shalewa Sharpe (2 Dope Queens, Comedy Central’s The New Negroes)
Jackie & Brian @astheicecreamchurns (Founders/former owners of Ample Hills Creamery) will debut their special Stacey Abrams ice cream flavor
Dame Wilburn (The Moth Mainstage Host, The Moth Radio Hour)
Surprise guests and more!
Hosted by Robin Gelfenbien (Yum's the Word Creator & Host, PBS)
Yum’s the Word is the criticallly-acclaimed NYC storytelling show that features stories with humor and heart and Robin Gelfenbien’s homemade ice cream cakes!
On Wednesday October 21st we hosted a virtual fundraising event with Judy Gold and Murray Hill. It was heavy on the FUN, and raised over $7000 for the Biden/Harris campaign.
JUDY GOLD – Judy has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. She has written and starred in two critically acclaimed, Off-Broadway hit shows: The Judy Show – My Life as a Sitcom (Outer Critics Circle Nomination), and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (GLAAD Media Award – Outstanding NY Theater, Drama Desk Nomination – Actor). Judy received rave reviews as Gremio in The Public Theater’s all female production of The Taming of The Shrew for Shakespeare in the Park. AND SO MUCH MORE.
MURRAY HILL — Legendary comedian and entertainer who has toured with Bridget Everett and Dita Von Teese and starred in his own shows at Joe’s Pub and Caroline’s and on MTV.
GOTV virtual event in partnership with TueNight.com
Gorgeous artwork provided by Johanna Goodman
Production by IRL Productions and Jackie Banda
On Tuesday October 6th we wrote thousands of postcards to voters while we streamed encouragement and laughs via the Crowdcast platform and our awesome guests: host MR. MURRAY HILL, OPHIRA EISENBERG, MARINA FRANKLIN, JO FIRESTONE, with tunes from DJ LAFRAE SCI.
All proceeds went to Fair Fight, working to ensure the ability for all to vote.
Host committee was off the hook:
Feed our Democracy • Girlie Girl Army • League of Badass Women • The Mash-Up Americans • McPherson Strategies • Resistance By Design • Suburban Women for Kamala Harris • Vote Like a Mother • Yum's The Word
DAMN GLOBAL PANDEMIC
COVID 19 Roared into our lives in the Spring of 2020, and we had to Cancel PERSISTICON V. We were so looking forward to it, I mean, look at that Lineup!! We hope to get the band back together sometime soon.
PERSISTICON V: IN US WE TRUST. Organized to benefit FAIR FIGHT, on the ground fighting voter suppression and disenfranchisement, and EMILY’s List: supporting, training, and recruiting pro-choice Democratic WOMEN candidates across the land
Fantastic poster art by Johanna Goodman, as alway. Copyright 2020.
Raising funds for She the People and Supermajority, Persisticon IV took place on November 3rd, 2019. As we head into the next Presidential election year, mobilizing voters is our top priority.
Hosted by MURRAY HILL, performers included: LEAH BONNEMA, KAREN CHEE, AMANDA DUARTE, JILL PANGALLO, ZIWE FUMUDOH, MARTI CUMMINGS, DINA HASHEM, DJ TARA
Sponsors included: DAME MAGAZINE • BUST MAGAZINE • GOOD JOB PHOTO • DIANA KANE • GOLD: COMEDY FOR GIRLS • D’MAI SPA • NORA KOGAN • UNICORN SNOT • JENNI WALKOWIAK PHOTOGRAPHY • ELLEN STAGG PHOTOGRAPHY • RUNNING MAN PRODUCTIONS • WIDE ANGLE PRODUCTIONS • BEND & BLOOM YOGA • OLIVIA COOKS FOR YOU • SALT STRAPS • ELLEN DUDLEY SET DESIGN
poster artwork by Johanna Goodman
Persisticon III: There Is No Planet B took place on Sunday May 5th, 2019. With EMILY’s List as the beneficiary, while also highlighting the issue of CLIMATE CHANGE. Lineup included CAROLYN CASTIGLIA • KERRY CODDETT • DAVID CROSS • MODEL MAJORITY • APARNA NANCHERLA • AMBER TAMBLYN • ELIZABETH YEAMPIERRE, with Emcee OPHIRA EISENBERG
Sponsors included: THE RIVETER • BRICK UNDERGROUND • SHOSHANA HECHT • ELENA SEIBERT PHOTOGRAPHY • MARC GOLDBERG PHOTOGRAPHY • DIANA KANE • GOLD: COMEDY FOR GIRLS • LINGUA FRANCA • MARA HOFFMAN • ROLLING PRESS • WIDE ANGLE PRODUCTIONS • BEND & BLOOM YOGA • OLIVIA COOKS FOR YOU • DREW WEIDMANN PHOTOGRAPHY • ALLISON STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
poster artwork by Johanna Goodman
Following PERSISTICON's blockbuster inaugural event in March, we brought you PERSISTICON II: The ROCKENING, on October 21st, 2018.
Line-up included JANEANE GAROFALO • MURRAY HILL • ABBI CRUTCHFIELD • EMILY’s List CEO EMILY CAIN • TIGER BAY & FANCY FEAST • THEO KOGAN • JO FIRESTONE • NEGIN FARSAD • KENDRA CUNNINGHAM • DJ TIKKA MASALA • ASHLEY NICOLE BLACK • TAMMY FAYE STARLIGHT • AND EVELYN MCDONNELL
We celebrated the publication of "Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyonce. Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl", edited by Evelyn McDonnell. Multiple contributors, and this gorgeously illustrated compendium of awesome women, were on hand, including Caryn Rose, Jana Martin, and Evelyn McDonnell.
Sponsors included: BUST • DIANA KANE • STOMPING GROUND PHOTO • WIDE ANGLE PRODUCTIONS • THE PARK SLOPE READER • THE COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE • GOLD: COMEDY FOR GIRLS • ROLLING PRESS • BKLYN CLAY • OLIVIA COOKS FOR YOU
poster artwork by Johanna Goodman
ON May 1st, 2018, Persisticon partnered with TueNight, a storytelling platform and live event series for women over 40, on an early, pre-screening of RBG, an intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Journalist Dahlia Lithwick, in conversation with Lynn Harris of GOLD, Comedy For Girls, introduced the screening. Proceeds from the event went to Project100.org, whose mission is to achieve 100 progressive women serving in Congress by 2020 — the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.The event sold out within 24 hours. So we got a bigger theater. That one sold out too. See photos from the event here.
AWARD WINNING poster artwork by Johanna Goodman
Persisticon was our first event. Held at Bell House in March of 2018 it brought together comedians, artists and speakers and a community committed to electing feminists for an evening that raised money for EMILY’s List. With a spectacular lineup (including Bridget Everett, Murray Hill, Aparna Nancherla, Michelle Buteau, Jon Glaser and more) and busy photo booth, brought to you by Stomping Ground Photo. We've posted photos on these two pages, from Stomping Ground and photographer at large, Marc Goldberg: photo album 1, photo album 2.
