Ken Tran and veteran poets raise funds at the Grammy Museum

Ken Tran and four fellow veteran spoken-word artists staged an Out of Camo album showcase at the GRAMMY Museum on Oct. 6, 2026, raising $10,000 for Veterans for Peace. The sold-out event used live performance and recorded protest footage to spotlight the emotional and social costs of returning to civilian life.

Why it matters: - The event turned veteran storytelling into direct fundraising for Veterans for Peace, a nonprofit focused on peace and justice. - The sold-out show gave military veterans a public platform to discuss combat trauma, re-entry, and healing in front of a mainstream arts audience. - The album and concert together raised more than $10,000 for Veterans for Peace.

What happened: - On Oct. 6, 2026, Air Force veteran, spoken-word artist and producer Ken Tran appeared at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles with four other veteran poets. - The performance centered on the Out of Camo album showcase and fundraising event. - Tran was joined by Mike Guinn, Erika Renee Land, AJ Houston and MAC Woods. - The audience was sold out. - Tran said the goal was to give veterans a platform to express experiences, emotions and stories that are rarely shared.

The details: - Each artist delivered narratives about post-combat life and the shift from military structure to civilian decision-making. - The performers drew on different backgrounds as African American and Asian American men and women. - The artists’ shared experiences with combat-related and post-service trauma resonated strongly with the crowd. - The event was produced by Samantha Dang and Final Bow Entertainment in collaboration with Tran. - The Out of Camo initiative reached No. 1 on iTunes and Apple Music. - The 13-track album includes live recorded footage from Washington, D.C., from an April 20 protest. - That protest drew 150 veterans and military family members to the city capitol to peacefully protest the U.S. war on Iran. - All proceeds from the album go to Veterans for Peace. - Veterans for Peace was founded in 1985 and includes veterans, peacetime veterans and non-veterans with chapters across the U.S. and internationally. - The group holds a permanent NGO seat at the United Nations and participates in global peace initiatives. - More information is available at the organization's website. - The Out of Camo project is available at the project site.

Between the lines: - The event blended art, activism and fundraising in a venue known for music history, which helped frame veterans’ experiences as cultural testimony rather than only political argument. - The strong audience reaction suggests spoken-word performance can translate complex veteran issues into a more immediate emotional experience. - The use of protest footage widened the project beyond a concert into a broader anti-war statement.

What's next: - The album remains available for streaming and continues to serve as the project’s main fundraising vehicle. - Veterans for Peace will keep using donations from Out of Camo to support its peace and justice work. - The project’s online presence and social channels are positioned to extend the audience beyond the museum event.

The bottom line: - Out of Camo used a high-profile stage to turn veteran testimony into both public awareness and financial support.