Orlando’s DIY scene has always understood the value of showing up.

When the need arises, people give what they have, even when what they have isn’t much.

Orlando has also become a gathering place for a new generation of political organizers and national figures. The city that sent Maxwell Frost to Congress is one where music, art and culture often share the same room with politics.

On Wednesday night, that room is Will’s Pub, where musicians and comedians from across Orlando’s independent arts community are coming together for a concert and comedy fundraiser supporting Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon.

For organizer Larry Fulford, a longtime fixture in Orlando’s independent comedy scene, the idea started with something familiar to working artists: wanting to support something you believe in without necessarily having much money to throw behind it.

“Well, I’ve been both, so I know firsthand that, generally, musicians and comedians don’t have a ton of money to donate to causes that mean a lot to them, and that can be frustrating,” Fulford told Pulp City. “But what they do have is heart, and they’re usually happy to donate their time and talents to get the word out about something.”

“When they join forces, they can typically raise more money than any of them could donate on their own.”

Benefits aren’t exactly foreign territory in Orlando’s independent scene. Neither is making something happen without much money.

Fulford sees a similar spirit in Nixon’s campaign, particularly its decision not to accept corporate PAC money.

“That speaks to the DIY mentality a lot of us in music/comedy/the arts in general kind of have, and the almost punk ethic of building something out of nothing,” Fulford said. “With all that in mind, trying to put together a community event fueled by independent artists just made sense.”

Fulford’s own involvement in organizing has increasingly moved beyond comedy. Earlier this year, he helped organize the “Anything but ICE Job Fair,” a protest outside Orlando’s ICE field office built around an unusual premise: helping ICE employees find other jobs.

And for Wednesday’s fundraiser, Fulford again turned to the community he knows.

Why Will’s

For nearly three decades, Will’s Pub and owner Will Walker have been fixtures in Orlando’s independent music community, providing a stage for local artists and touring acts that don’t necessarily arrive with a massive audience behind them.

For Fulford, that history made the choice of venue an obvious one.

“For a lot of touring acts trying to break in Orlando, if no one else would give them a chance, Will would,” Fulford said. “If he likes what you’re doing and sees that you’re trying, he’ll support the underdog. If you’ll fight for you, he’ll fight for you.”

Walker has his own reason for opening the room to the fundraiser.

“Her platform lines up with my political beliefs,” Walker told Pulp City. “Also more women of color should be in positions of power. She has a perspective that in my opinion is under represented. There’s enough people that look like me fucking up everything already.”

Fulford’s original idea was music, envisioning four different genres on the bill to reflect what he described as the country’s “melting pot.” But the event came together quickly, and several musicians he approached were unavailable.

So the comedian called some comedians.

The final lineup pairs Curtains, M.A.C.E. and David Zim with comedians Aimee LeCours & Friends, Simon Nash and Lee Cohen. Fulford will host, and Raise Our Voices will provide voter registration and education.

Fulford said the response from artists was overwhelmingly positive, including from those who couldn’t make the date. Tickets start at $15, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Nixon’s campaign.