This past Friday PhilaMOCA — The Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (it’s located in an old showroom for tombstones) — hosted a dual event, which was part documentary video, part rock show, but all around awesome and informative.

To kick off the night, there was a screening of the documentary “Whistlin’ Dixie” by visiting director Meredith Heil. The film explores a revelation that Heil had about the existence of LGBTQ bands and artists in America’s Deep South. The idea that such queer-friendly music and DIY venues could emerge from a stereotypically conservative, “red-state” region of the country intrigued Heil, so she set off on a road trip to discover more.

Utilizing interviews, images from her scenic road trip and clips of the bands’ performances, Heil pieces together a solid picture of the unlikely, but thriving, musical subculture from Kentucky to Georgia and the Carolinas. The music in the documentary ranges from punk rock to hip-hop, but no matter what genre or location, it provides safe spots for the queer community and an attitude shift for places that many LGBTQ musicians would forego for the likes of a big city.

Afterward, the MOCA flexed its own DIY muscles when five groups from both coasts laid down some jams for the rest of the evening. ZOO, a duo from San Francisco, kicked off the show with some experimental sounds and more instrument changes than you could whistle Dixie at. They were followed by Field Mouse’s melodic grooves and an emotional solo set (mixed with some witty banter) by Field Mouse’s bassist Allison Weiss. Toward the end of the night, Brooklyn-based drum and guitar duo Hilly Eye took to the stage with its noisy rock beats, followed by the Philly band Trophy Wife, whose short playing time was masked only by the flurry of drum hits and screaming vocals.

Overall, MOCA put on a great night of queer-friendly, energetic rock that definitely did Heil’s documentary plenty of justice. “Whistlin’ Dixie” itself shed light on a contemporary music scene both unlikely, yet thriving, with life. To find a night of LGBTQ music blasting from a venue in Philly may seem more reasonable at first glance than, say, rural Kentucky, but Heil makes short work of that assumption.

PhilaMOCA is located at 531 N. 12th St., just north of Spring Garden; 267-519-9651.