Words and All Photos: Scott Lukes
After several delays due to Covid-19 show cancellations, Bikini Kill ended their North American Reunion Tour in Knoxville Tennessee on 04/23/2023 at “The Mill & Mine”. As fans lined the street waiting for the doors to open to their final concert, everyone could tell this was going to be a night to remember.
Opening the show was Snooper a Nashville-based alt-indie punk band with a jazzy high energy punk rock style that is unique and original. High energy is quintessential to their stage performance with a non-stop flow of sharp vocals, precise guitar riffs, and an overabundance of movement by all members throughout their set. This band got the crowded house fully charged up and ready to party.
It was great to see all the fans of the “Riot Grrrl” movement come together as well as the community organizations present to support the feminist, transgender, and LGBTQ issues that daunt society.
Bikini Kill hit the stage in high gear from their opening song to the final encore coupled with brief speak-outs between tunes that exclaimed the difficulties they faced in those early years as well as the problems that are still present and persist for so many people, this truly was an excellent show in every regard.
The band played 25 songs in their 90-minute set that ended with one of Bikini Kill’s most famous and movement-starting songs “Rebel Girl”. Bikini Kill is the band that made “Girl Power” synonymous across the world. They brought radical feminist punk rock out into the open for all to see and in doing so the “Riot Grrrl” genre was born, which lead to the creation of so many other bands of this style.
Bikini Kill and Snooper thoroughly captivated and thrilled all who attended this killer night of meaningful music. It was great being able to digitally capture moments from their show and experience their legendary sound. In the 1990’s I wasn’t into punk music anymore like I had once been in the late 70’s seeing bands like the Ramones, New York Dolls, The Clash, and Sex Pistols, so I missed out on Bikini Kill and all the great stuff they did for music and social awareness. Still, I can see all the contributions they brought to this genre scene and it was an honor to be there.
Bikini Kill 2023 North American Reunion Tour band members Kathleen Hanna, Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Sara Landeau. For more information on Bikini Kill go to https://bikinikill.com/
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