Two girlie gay acts take stage this weekend.
Saturday will see post-punk riot grrl electronica Le Tigre, led by former Bikini Kill frontwoman Kathleen Hanna. The new face of coolness is also the new face of liberation and fluidity, both musically and gender-ly. Most recent release This Island chronicles New York City is a way that it both grounded and surreal. Hannas childlike voice on remake of the Pointer Sisters Im So Excited is an eerie romp into pop musics past. The dancey jangle of the 80s are also echoed on the keyboard-laden After Dark while On the Verge and Seconds remind more of Hannas 90s rock and riot roots. Still others give us the sound of the playful cheese of a gay nightclub in Nanny Nanny Boo Boo. But the message and the politics are certainly not lost, as evidenced by the anti-war New Kicks and the queer powered Viz. But the city is wrapped up in blips and beeps and lyrical reality on the title track The Island. Le Tigres latest release provides a nice sampling of time, place and genre that is refreshing. This Island may not have the energy and intensity of their first release (because although gender-bender JD Samson is not only hot, but a skilled musician, the loss of Playskool filmmaker Sadie Bening was quite a blow) but it is certainly an improvement on the largely boring beats of sophomore outing Feminist Sweepstakes. The play with naughty pretty boy Beck at the Memorial Coliseum.
Sunday sees folky favorites Indigo Girls at the Oregon Zoo. How wholesome sounding isnt it? Well, the girls of blue have their own form of rock edge and hard-hitting messagesits just acoustic. Amy Ray, lately, has been spreading her wings to rock out with the likes of the scruffy Butchies and you gotta love that smoky voice belting in chorus with these crazy punkers Lucy Stoners dont need boners I havent heard the Indigo Girls newest album but Closer to Fine is sure to be at the fingertips of every lesbian guitarist around a campfire forever more. Im also guessing that special guest Girlyman is a big ol queerbie too.
