We were there for the first Bikini Kill reunion shows in 2019. They were a profound and moving experience. We didn’t know what COVID was yet, which upended this tour and, well, still upends everything. I’m grateful that they managed to find a way to get back on the road. Everything feels really hard and continues to feel hard, and this band has always been the thing that gives me the strength to persevere and find reasons to be hopeful in the face of hopelessness.
Black Belt Eagle Scout was originally supposed to open, but a medical emergency upended those plans. (I adore this band, and KP is an amazing human, and if you have any money to spare, please help her with medical expenses.) With a few weeks’ notice, they scrambled to find someone to fill in the void, and we ended up with… FRIGHTWIG!!! A band whose influence and legacy helped inspire and shape bands like L7, The Melvins, Nirvana, and… BIKINI KILL.
Opening with bassist Deanna Mitchell showing off her impressive vocal chops with an unexpected a capella rendition of Tanya Tucket’s “Delta Dawn” while guitarist Mia d’Bruzzi had to do some emergency repairs to her guitar rig, Frightwig took us on a journey in a short 30 minutes that took us through a wildly eclectic assortment of politically charged, feminist rock songs. They were a hardcore band, a new wave band, and they played metal and psych. I guess after 42 years of experience, you can pretty much do whatever you put your mind to.
What can be said that hasn’t been said about Bikini Kill at this point? Kathleen Hanna has long held a reputation for being one of rock’s most formidable front people, and this show was definitely no exception. Her voice remains one of the most unique and potent voices in rock. She performs with every single nerve ending- and by that, I mean from her ears to her toes, she’s moving to the music as she sings. Hanna is basically performing every Olympic sport every night. She’s also a potent speaker- funny and heartfelt, and it’s impossible not to feel motivated to activate hearing her talk. She opened the show by talking about how local artist/living legend The “Real” Janelle Blarg helped push Bikini Kill to bring their message out to the people; she discussed the importance of protest and activation, and she managed to make a terrible human that threw a cup onstage feel three inches tall (as well as talking her own emotions about the incident with the audience and the importance about not letting those folks have the power to ruin your night). She gave 110% of herself, and the audience managed to give 110% back.
I want to talk about Tobi Vail, however. Holy shit, Tobi Vail. She spent about 3/4 of the show behind the drums, but whenever she stepped out behind the kit and grabbed the mic to talk and sing, my heart was aflutter. Her voice is just as dynamic as Hanna’s, but where Hanna is giving theater, Vail is giving earnestness. When she spoke, it was directly from the heart. She teared up when talking about the passing of Frightwig drummer Cecilia Khun and when she gave her own heart-to-heart about activism. Her performances of “For Only” and “Distinct Complicity” (already two of my favorite songs in this catalog) practically made me sob if I wasn’t busy dancing.
Of course, Kathi Wilcox was there, being the powerhouse instrumentalist she has always been, jumping between drums, bass, and guitar, going wherever she’s needed. Sara Landeau, who previously played in the more theatrical, almost glam-inspired The Julie Ruin with Wilcox and Hanna, has done an amazing job bringing her own touch to Billy Karren’s original guitar parts. At this point, nobody would believe that she hasn’t been part of the band since 1990. (Also, I’m really considering taking her online guitar class)
Hanna has said that she’s “unsure” of the future of Bikini Kill after the current run of shows. This band is magic, and it’s crazy that we all got a second chance at seeing them anyway, so you really should find your way to one of the last remaining shows. Your soul needs it.
