The feminist punk band Bikini Kill has reunited to play three shows this year. According to Stereogum the lineup for these shows will "feature the trio of Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail, and Kathi Wilcox, along with Erica Dawn Lyle on guitar." Although their original lineup included Billy Karren, a.k.a Billy Boredom, on the guitar. They'll be playing one show a month from April to June this year. As explained by Stereogum these shows will be the first they are playing since splitting up in 1997, that is other than playing one song at a book release party in 2018. While this is the case for the band as a whole it does not mean that each musician has not spent their time working on their own side projects. This includes Le Tigre, the Julie Ruin, and girlSperm which you can find more about by clicking here, here, and here respectively.
If you are new to Bikini Kill here is a short introduction. They were at the forefront of the feminist punk movement, striving to make the music scene a safe, equal place for women. The band came together when Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail created a zine that they named Bikini Kill. It was here that they wrote their manifesto, explaining how their mission was to "make it easier for girls to see/hear each other's work," while not having to "assimilate to someone else's [boy] standards of what is or isn't." Bikini Kill "believed that if all girls started bands the world would change. They actively encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance." As a part of the Riot Grrrl movement, they used their music to make a difference while we are still doing today.
For those who agree with their core beliefs and want to rock out to their politically charged punk music their tour dates are bellow and you can click here for tickets.
04/25 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
05/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
06/01 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
