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. Continue reading “Show Review: Bikini Kill with Frightwig at The Warfield, 8/19/24”
Tag: Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill Tour Starts Next Month!
Kathleen Hanna is so busy these days that it’s hard to keep track of which project is doing what and when. Last year was a Le Tigre-heavy year, and so far, Hanna has been focusing on her excellent book, Rebel Girl. But Bikini Kill *just* made their network TV debut (after 34 years!) on The Late Show Wait Stephen Colbert, and they are crossing North America starting in LA at The Wiltern on August 15th-16th, coming to The Warfield (a venue that figures prominently in the aforementioned book) August 18th-19th, and wrapping up Baltimore on September 12th. And, as she hinted at her City Arts & Lectures appearance back in May, there are no future Bikini Kill plans currently, so it would be wise to hit up one of these.
Full Tour Dates Below: Continue reading “Bikini Kill Tour Starts Next Month!”
In Defense Of: One Last Postponement
I know, I know, I know… We are all so very sick of COVID lockdowns and masking and social distancing and everything. And with recent news from the CDC saying that vaccinated folks drop the masks and live life like it’s normal should mean that we should stop seeing new postponements, right? Yet, just today, the Hella Mega Tour featuring Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and The Interruptors just got pushed out a few more months, starting July 24th, 2021 in Dallas. This, along with recent news of Bikini Kill, Motley Crue, (which, if you don’t immediately scream to yourself “I’m gonna win that Motley Crue mirror if it fucking kills me” when you see those two band names together, then what are you even doing reading this blog?) and Rage Against The Machine pushing their late Summer / early Fall 2021 shows even further down the line, it’s gotta be a little frustrating, right? Continue reading “In Defense Of: One Last Postponement”
Burger Boogaloo Has Moved To July 2021
“Like a punk rock Leap Year, BB2021 will be back next July to slam your ass and tickle your musical pleasure!” – John Waters
God. COVID-19 is the worst, and has managed to bring out the worst of humanity, at least in the US and much of Europe. Sadly, because we are in capable of comprehending how helping others avoid getting sick will, in turn, help prevent us from getting sick, everything is being pushed til 2021.
There are a lot of bad people out there, but the organizers of Burger Boogaloo are not those people. Remember when we all gushed over how amazing the Burger Boogaloo 2020 line up was? Well, they worked hard and managed to get nearly every single one of those bands on board for Burger Boogaloo 2021, coming to you July 10th & 11th! That means we get the triumphant Bay Area returns of Bikini Kill, Circle Jerks, and Carbonas. We also get to see California punk legend Alice Bag as well as Bay Area legends Flipper, The Rubinoos, and Pansy Division. We also have Bleached and Shannon Shaw, both of which have released career best records in recent years. Rounding out the line up are The Fevers, Hammered Satin, Midnite Snaxxx, and Younger Lovers. Well, until they release more bands that will inevitably knock your socks off.
So, you know you are going to go. Why don’t you buy your tickets now so you can finally get excited about something? I know damn well I could use a little joy in this world.
Burger Boogaloo 2020’s Lineup IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not a lot of people know this, but one of Oakland’s best kept secrets is this little rock festival in Mosswood Park called Burger Boogaloo. And this year’s line up is seriously the most impressive line up they’ve assembled yet! We have Bikini Kill playing their first Bay Area show in 25 years! We were their in April for one of their first shows back, and it was pure sonic catharsis. Also returning to the bay for the first time in over a decade is LA Hardcore legends Circle Jerks. (No word if they will be bringing Debbie Gibson along with them, but we certainly hope so!) And, if you thought those two things were impressive, they are also bringing to the United States for the first time ever, legendary French rock band Plastic Bertrand. And, yes, that does mean I will finally get to live my dream of getting thrown around in a pit to this song.
Filling out the initial line up announcement is LA punk vet Alice Bag, SF punk vets Flipper, Queercore groundbreakers Pansy Division, one of the greatest modern Power Pop bands, Bleached, who literally wrote the only song to ever make me cry, Panty Raid, Fevers, Twompsax, Younger Lovers, Midnite Snaxx, Carbonas and even more bands will be announced very soon. Oh yeah, and John Waters will be there to MC the party!
The event is in Mosswood Park in Oakland, CA, just a few blocks from Macarthur Bart. The event is happening July 11th-12th, and tickets are available NOW! Just remember, prices will go up, so buy them ASAP.
Show Review: Bikini Kill, The Linda Lindas at The Hollywood Palladium, 4/26/19
When I was 16, I was heavily invested in the world of punk rock. But it was the commercial version of it that was found on the local alternative radio station Live 105, 120 Minutes on MTV, and PBS documentaries of a bygone era.
Then I got a job at a telemarketing company, and a coworker began introducing me to the lovely world of riot grrrl. I was given tapes of music by Team Dresch, Sleater-Kinney, and Bikini Kill. The pure ferocity of it all spoke to me. It opened so many sonic doors for me, and helped me realize that I preferred listening to female voices—and found that women writers were easier for me to relate to than men.
Continue reading “Show Review: Bikini Kill, The Linda Lindas at The Hollywood Palladium, 4/26/19”
Spinning Platters Interview: Director Sini Anderson of “The Punk Singer”
The Punk Singer is a documentary about the life of Kathleen Hanna, the feminist icon best known for being the frontperson for two of the most innovative bands of the last twenty years: Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Spinning Platters had the honor of getting to sit down and talk with the director of this film, Sini Anderson. The film covers nearly all of Hanna’s life, and is a fantastic document. The movie opens Friday, December 6th at The Roxie in SF!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Director Sini Anderson of “The Punk Singer””
Show Review: The Julie Ruin with La Sera at Slim’s, 9/18/13
The last time Kathleen Hanna performed music in San Francisco was over 8 years ago, opening for Beck at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. It was the first time I had gotten a chance to see her, after being consistently sold out of gigs for most of my life. Their 45 minute set was excellent, but I kept wanting more. I wanted a crowd that cared. Alas, I had to wait nearly a decade to see the woman that coined the phrases “Riot Grrl,” “Girl Power,” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” play a full set of music. Sure, I really wanted a Bikini Kill reunion, but getting her to dig up her old Julie Ruin moniker with fellow Bikini Killer Kathi Wilcox on board was a suitable replacement.
Continue reading “Show Review: The Julie Ruin with La Sera at Slim’s, 9/18/13”