South Carolina's abortion restrictions provide the backdrop for Bands Not Bans, a grassroots concert series raising money for reproductive health care access. The group’s next show is at The Senate on November 8, 2026, with local musicians and advocacy messaging.
The Senate describes itself as a 1,200-capacity concert and event center in Columbia's downtown Vista district, one block from the South Carolina State House, according to The Senate. Organizers call it Columbia's largest club venue. The lineup includes DJ Maya Wang, Kat Hammond performing with Charlie Boy, and Paisley Marie fronting Sweetheart City, which will also perform a Chappell Roan cover set.
State Rep. Heather Bauer is scheduled to speak at the event. Bauer, who the Post and Courier reports campaigned hard against state lawmakers restricting abortion access, won her southeastern Columbia House seat by beating Republican Kirkman Finlay 51 percent to 49 percent.
How a Social Work Student Started the Series
T Adams, Bands Not Bans' head coordinator, started the series in response to South Carolina's abortion laws and as an expression of their social-work values, according to Free Times. Adams has an undergraduate degree in social work, is pursuing a master's in the field at the University of South Carolina and has volunteered to shadow workers at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Columbia.
The first Bands Not Bans fundraiser took place at New Brookland Tavern in Five Points in January 2025, with Eighth House, Som'bout and Sunhouse. A June 2025 showcase at Art Bar featured Bones Hamilton & the Union, Hillmouse, and Paisley Marie with Sweetheart City; a later show was held at All Good Books in Five Points. Free Times reported that Adams saw the first event's turnout as encouragement to continue the series.
Free Times reported that proceeds from the shows have gone to Planned Parenthood and the Palmetto State Abortion Fund. Adams has described the events as a way to share information about getting involved and to encourage men to educate and advocate among their friends. Adams has also said music can help draw people into that conversation.
Organizers Bring in Local Political and Advocacy Ties
The effort also has local political and advocacy connections, according to Free Times. Richland County Council member Allison Terracio, who represents District 5, is the group's legislative liaison; Carey Shofner, board president of the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, is listed as a community and advocacy partner. State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is also connected to the effort.
Some performers learned about the series through other musicians. Kat Hammond told Free Times she heard about it after friends played the 2025 Art Bar event and wanted to support women's reproductive rights. Maya Wang, who moved to Columbia from New York, attended the 2022 Bans Off Our Bodies rally at the State House, held after a leaked draft opinion indicated the U.S. Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Court later overturned Roe in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Wang has said women should be able to choose what is best for their bodies.
The Legislative Backdrop in Columbia
South Carolina law prohibits nearly all abortions after detection of fetal cardiac activity, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for life-threatening pregnancies, rape or incest, according to Free Times. Two bills would impose further restrictions. Senate Bill 1095 would make performing an abortion or providing abortion-inducing drugs a felony unless the pregnant person's life is in danger. The South Carolina Legislature bill text bars performing or inducing an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, subject to exceptions elsewhere in the bill. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee recommended the bill with amendments on April 21, 2026; it has since remained on the Senate calendar.
House Bill 4760, a similar measure, would criminalize distributing, providing, delivering or possessing abortion-inducing drugs without a prescription. The bill text posted by the South Carolina Legislature defines an “abortion-inducing drug” broadly as a drug, chemical or other substance used with the intent to cause an abortion, and names RU-486, the Mifeprex regimen, misoprostol and methotrexate as examples.
What the available data show
The Palmetto State Abortion Fund says it provides abortion seekers with logistical, financial and educational support and resources in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. The fund’s website does not quantify demand or establish how proceeds from this Bands Not Bans show will be used. The South Carolina Department of Public Health’s 2024 abortion report lists 873 abortions at Planned Parenthood -- Columbia. The count does not show how clinic availability or patient travel changed since 2022, and does not itself measure unmet need or access barriers.
With the November 8 show at The Senate, Bands Not Bans is bringing its fundraising concerts to the venue where the event will take place. The event combines live music with advocacy messaging as South Carolina lawmakers consider additional abortion restrictions.
