It’s always a pleasure when Kathleen Hanna plays in Chicago, but it’s even better when she comes through twice, especially with a group that hasn’t toured in 18 years! Yes, it finally happened. After almost twenty years, Le Tigre is finally touring again. On July 15th, the group brought their dancing energy and political fury to a sold-out Salt Shed, Chicago’s newest live music venue that has been blessing the city with shows to remember. Hanna and co. have earned their spot amongst these shows, from its visually stimulating presentation to the gleeful aura of its stage presence.
Thanks to Le Tigre, feminism and queer representation were in full effect at The Salt Shed that night.
Rock duo Man on Man started the night just right. The duo, consisting of Faith No More member Roddy Bottum and Joey Holman, his boyfriend, played unapologetically queer music, setting the proper tone for the night: queer celebration. Starting off their set with a kiss, the duo played music that painted beautiful queer scenes of romance, with sounds of garage rock and electronic bliss. Only a band as unapologetic as Man on Man could open for the spectacle of the rest of the night!
Age is a concept that Le Tigre refuses to accept. Their 18-year absence from the music scene is practically unnoticeable. Although a lot of their music is produced through synthesizers and machines, Johanna Fateman’s lively guitar playing and Kathleen Hanna’s still bombastic vocals sounded as amazing as they did on their 1999 debut album. The crowd showed out for JD Sampson, the joyful keyboardist who essentially commanded the show from her fingertips and screams. Behind the band was a massive LED screen, projecting zine-like animations and other scenes, along with every single lyric to their songs. There was no excuse to stay silent during the show.
Obviously, the show would be extremely political. The bold and truthful lyrics combined with Kathleen Hanna’s various calls to action were enough to rile up the crowd.
At one point, Hanna talked about how strange it was that there wasn’t enough music about women sharing their experiences with negative things in their life like sexual abuse. Behind the fun and wild nature of their music is a powerful message about feminism, and no moment better exemplified this than their performance of “F.Y.R.” The entire venue was called to action, chanting the lyrics, “Feminists, we’re calling you! Please report to the front desk!”
Playing 18 songs that night, they gave everyone a chance to shine. One of the show’s highlights was JD performing “Viz,” a powerful lesbian-pride anthem. Songs like “The The Empty,” “Hot Topic,” and “My My Metrocard” hyped the audience up. The band also knows how to have fun with their music. After a musical interlude halfway through the show, the band came out after a wardrobe change. Johanna Fateman led the group in a performance of “Yr Critique,” accompanied by the most simple-yet-mesmerizing choreography by the band. It’s the little things that they do on stage that show how much care they put into their show.
After all, it has been 18 years since Le Tigre has been around so they gave Chicago a night to remember.
The band has a hard time staying in one genre. Simply calling them an electronic rock or dance-punk group is incredibly unfair to the art that they have created. Their live performance and stage production perfectly captured their aesthetic and their impact on the music world. Above all, they are feminists calling people to action. Their music hits hard with such dancing energy, and it all came to an explosive conclusion when they closed the night with their biggest hit “Deceptacon.” The world is lucky they’re back. For however long they stay, they are sure to make a lasting impact on the fans who attend the rest of the shows on this monumental tour.
All photos by Oscar De Leon.
