Photos by Marcos Manrique Words by Zach Bilson

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by supporting reproductive rights? Panache Booking’s annual Village of Love benefit featured an all-star lineup of LA artists like Ty Segall, Best Coast, Nick Waterhouse, Mikal Cronin, and Shannon Lay, with all proceeds going towards Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles. Over on the East Coast, a similar benefit was held.

A total of thirteen acts graced the Teragram’s stage, most taking on stripped-down covers ranging from the classic – like Mikal Cronin’s harmonica-led “Heart of Gold” – to the topical, as Lambchop’s William Tyler picked through a gorgeous, Fahey-esque “Go Your Own Way.” (He introduced it as “the greatest failed love song of all time.”) The Valentine’s riffs stayed somewhat prickly throughout the night – psych-folkie Drugdealer insisted “we could only get this set together today because we’re three single guys,” while King Tuff laid down an acoustic-guitar-and-french-horn tune dedicated to “loving someone no matter how ugly they are.” Julianna Barwick, one of the few artists to keep her banter to a minimum, let her original music speak for itself – her blissful “Nebula” sucked the chatter out of the room, creating an ethereal and emphatic atmosphere that cast a soothing spell over the crowd.

Outside of the ticket sales, audience members could donate through raffle tickets, with prizes including VIP Coachella tickets, a Fender Telecaster, and a night at the Ace Hotel. In one of the stranger delights of the evening, anti-comedy stalwart Neil Hamburger helped to draw the raffle numbers, berating absent audience members for not claiming their Town Pizza gift cards. (“You like spaghetti? It’s like condensed spaghetti! Buy more!”) The winners ended up circling back from the smoking patio to claim their prizes in the lobby, mixing in with exuberant kids chatting to Planned Parenthood volunteers and garage rock stars alike. As it turns out, Hallmark holidays are a lot more enjoyable when you use the occasion to lend a helping hand.