BACC Fundraiser with Jamal Gray & The Avant Vanguard / Freedome / Mia & The Argonauts

The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) has been fighting since 2016 to protect the graves of African-Americans buried at the Moses Cemetery along River Road, just over the DC border, taking the case all the way to the Maryland Supreme Court to stop developers from desecrating these graves. This benefit concert raises money for the non-profit BACC and honors the ancestors whose resting place has been disturbed and whose history has been erased. Three musical acts perform on June 3rd to support the cause, offering an evening of music, resistance, and community.

When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM.

Showtimes: Doors open at 6:30 PM; performances take place throughout the evening. (No individual set times are listed.)

Tickets: $10 for students; sliding scale $20–$40 for everyone else. VIP tickets are $50 and include an opening reception with wine, lite fare, and reserved parking. All proceeds go directly to support BACC.

Lineup: Jamal Gray & The Avant Vanguard explores sonic cultural memory through experimental minimal jazz, electronics, and sound collage, featuring members of the Nag Champa Art Ensemble and extended family tree. Freedome is a writer, artist, educator, and vocalist known as "the Jingle Queen," with over two decades of performance alongside Ralph MacDonald, Joe Cocker, Whitney Houston, and Yoko Ono; she currently performs with In Process, the a cappella women's singing act that is the sister group of Bernice Johnson Reagon's Sweet Honey in the Rock. Mia & The Argonauts is a jangly rock group led by singer-songwriter Mia Chu, backed by a group of teachers from Jackson-Reed High School: James Kelly on guitar, Marc Minsker on bass, and Tom Murphy on drums.

Run time: The event is scheduled for three hours total, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM.

Ages: Not specified; likely all ages unless otherwise noted.

Venue: Rhizome DC, located in Washington, D.C.

Note: This is a fundraiser for the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, a non-profit organization working to preserve an African-American burial site. VIP ticket holders enjoy an early reception and reserved parking. All ticket proceeds benefit BACC. Tagged as 2026, music, and community.