THEcRoWDATLADYFESTMIDWESTcHIcAGo,SCoNGRESSTHEATREINAUGUST200I CONTENTS

45 A BRIEF HISTORY AND FUTURE OF '" LADYFEST EAST (2001) "' 46

LADYFEST (2001) "' 47 ESSAY 48-53 LADYFEST MIDWEST (2001) PHOTO "' MIDWEST CHICAGO: FEATURED MUSICIANS AT LADYFEST RAINBOW SUGAR ... 54 ... 54 LORAXX... 55

PUERTO MUERTO ... 55 ELLEN ROSNER ... 56

44 erhaps a few Midwest Chicago was the mama that we might words -- an e-mail of 2001,s not otherwise have Ladyfests, featuring the __ opportunity to try and message, even about 100 music I think acts that drew that the attitude is all it takes to some 4,000 and belief per_ people. meates the inspire an entire With festivals. lt,s catch_ a few exceptions, the ing. festival. 's Allison And it's time. I know I,m sick majority of Ladyfest organizers __ Wolfe sent an of corporatized festivals e_mail to a group in every location __ and of women don,t have events marketed that said, "Let,s have a professional to my demo_ experience in orga_ graphic, festival of ladies ... a Ladyfest.,, and that I actually can,t nizing major events. lnstead, ihe The rest is herstory. even really afford. Look at the focus of Ladyfest is "We started on teamwork growth of the Ladyfest based and the D.l.y. learning anti_ on an experi_ globilization/capitalism idea thatAllison Wolfe and ence. move_ had," said ment ... puting on a Ladyfest falls , Although the five Ladyfests one of the organizers to into the type of direct of the Oly date have been action Ladyfest, successful and encouraged by that which took place in the raised thousands movement. summer of dollars for It's creating your own of 2000 in Olympia, chadty, there are media.,, " definite chal_ AMY SCHROEDER lenges in. the organizational "ln late 199g, the Experience process. Music project LADYFESTS 2OO2 interviewed a "One of bunch the challenges was of us for a riot grrl retro_ getting people spective. part to stay involved LADYFEST of that included a through the ARTZONA (not yet roundtable tough times,,, said confirmed) discussion with Molly Ladyfest East Neuman, organizer Erin Tentative date: , Siodmak. "Money not yet available Allison also was a e-mail: [email protected] Wolfe, Erin Smith, Corin huge issue." Tucker, and myself. lt was mod_ Through it all, a core group of LADYFESTATLANTA erated by Candace pederson, women stuck formerly together for Tentative date: not yet of . During Ladyfest East, available that roundtable which drew at something hap_ least 600 peope. pened LADYFEST By recounting the history "l got BAYAREA chills a few times,,, Tentative of what we had done, we all date: not yet available Siodmak said. "The feeling of seemed to realize that e-mail: guitargrl@earthlink. net something community was incredible. needed to be happening alont Ladyfest renewed my those lines faith that LADYFEST FRANCE today. For me, there is hope for Ladyfest a strong and Tentative date: not yet came out ofthe spark of supportive communi{ available that realization.,' of women -- and not only women The but all LADYFEST LANSING, Olympia Ladyfest was a independent artists and :1Tess, drawing approximatety activists." 2,000 people Tentative date: April -- mainly women __ White 2002 from . Ladyfest Otympia e-mail: around the world to experi_ inspired four more fests in 2001, ladyfest_lansing ence a week of music, activism @yahoo. com this year's fests have inspired and D.l.y" workshops, spoken even more Ladyfests tor 2002. At word, and visual art. LADYFEST , print time, eight are Attendees slated to take ENGLAND in other cities were place next year. so Tentative date: inspired by the punk_fueled Teresa summe r 2002 Carmody, one of the e-mail: fest that they decided to organize Olympia ladyfesfl ondon@hot_ Ladyfest organizers, mail.com their own for the following year. said she Four wasn't surprised that Ladyfests took place in groups of women in other cities LADYFEST 2001 first in Bloomington, organized PHILLY lndiana; to host their own Tentative date; then Glasgow, Scofland; Ladyfests. summe r 2002 Chicago; and New york e-mail: City. "Though i OiOn't Each realize there amyh irsheybar@yahoo. of the four Ladyfests would be so com developed many and in such their own flavors. places as Lansing, Glasgow's Michigan,,, LADYFEST D.C, emphasized an inti_ she said. "part of our original Tentative mate atmosphere with about date: August 2002 200 goal was to provide opportunities e-ma il : ladyfestdc20 attendees, while Ladyfest for 02@hot_ ourselves to learn something mail.com

4.5 THE TROUBLE DOLLS AT LADYFEST EAST IN

LADYFEST EAST 2OO7,IN NEW YORK CITY BY KAT LONG

SEPTEMBER 6-9, 2OO1 righteous rock falling somewhere doing everything from mastering NEW YORK CITY in between. Spoken word junkies our benefit CD to handing out had slammin'Spit East, divine fliers at schools." Members of the y now, the recipe for Penny Arcade, and mildly porno- Trouble Dolls, One and Twenty, Ladyfest is familiar: throw graphic Gynomite to choose from. and other local bands pitched in about 60 bands, 30 films, That was the beauty of Ladyfest between tours and gigs. and workshops on everything East - a wide variety of styles in The only problem: you could from self-defense to drums music and messages, outfits and only be in one place at a time. lf together--and stand back. orientations. you caught the theremin-flavored Ladyfest East might have been lo- The performances were held in of Crowns on 45, you fi compared to its sisters in legendary -- read: tiny, sweaty, missed the set by Doria Roberts; Olympia or Chicago, but the mis- and grimy -- downtown venues. if you bought a ticket for the sion was the same: tear shit up, Need to find a show? Just follow screening of "Live Nude Girls," grrl style. the groups of tattooed grrls with you had to skip the workshop on Like its name, Ladyfest East the free issues of Bust magazine instruction. Those of us with featured (mostly) East Coast sticking out of their patch-covered day jobs had to bail on the work- bands. The headliners ranged in army bags. shops, but the late-night entertain- style from the bike-positive metal "lt was the best of times, it was ment more than made up for that. of the Haggard to the girly candy- the worst of times," is how one As previous Ladyfesters know, punk of the Hissyfits, with the organizer of the grass-roots effort sisters have to do it for them- pussy power of Bitch and Animal, put it. "We had about 10 ambi- selves. The feminine fury has tribal child Ari Up, and BETTY's tious ladies at any given time been unleashed! LADYFEST SCOTLAND BYAMY BELL

AUGUST 12-14,2001 Kat for services to grrlkind. Red Hot Secret opened the second night, their bel- fter the fantastic accomplishment of ligerent thrash-punk setting the venue alight. Ladyfest Olympia, 2001 saw the baton Electrelane enchanted despite being lyric-less, breaking passed across the Atlantic. Ladyfest their lengthy debut "Rock lt to the Moon" into bite-size, Scotland in wet, windy Glasgow was the Farfisa-fueled chunks to help it go down. And the short product of a year's hard work from 17 but sweet Bangs' set went down a storm; encores were volunteers who managed to organize workshops,,grt only after half the audience appeared as backing exhibitions, bands, and performance poetry into 72 dancers and Sarah Utter blasted out some Black hours. Sabbath. Participants came from Europe and the United To say there was a party atmosphere on the final States, eager to join night would be an understate- forces at this proudly ment; even without Beth Ditto feminist event. The per- of the Gossip stripping in the formers and attendees name of fat-positivism, their created a warm, entirely storming Deep South punk- inclusive atmosphere, blues alone would have getting even the most ensured a rapturous recep- reserved to talk about tion. And Bratmobile were the first time they got absolutely adored, throwing in their periods. sharp new(ish) songs like As for bands, "Gimme Brains" with a frantic terrorists Bis and ex- "Panik," and keeping all the Babe ln Toyland Kat ladies, women, and girls Bjelland's Katastrophy delighted. Wife trod the floorboards It goes without saying on the opening night. Bis Ladyfest Scotland was a played a strong, tight resounding success for co- set, including catchy ordinators and attendees crowd screamalongs alike - now could someone "Starbright Boy" and be so kind as to organize "Kandy Pop." Ladyfest Barbados for next Katastrophy Wife yeal please? were the big draw, peo- ple flocking to venerate

HEATHER HELLSKISS AT LADYFEST SCOTLAND PORTRAITS FROM LADYFEST MIDWEST CHICAGO BY NICOLE RADJA

-/ THE NEED STORY BY MARISA KULA. PHOTO BY ELEANA WHITESELL

T h" Need has been called many things in its five- I year existence -- including a "satanic Disney car- toon" and, courtesy of the unflappable Rolling Sfone, RAINBOW SUGAR "militant lesbian" -- but never, ever dull. The Olympia- based threesome reside in a Sfar Wars via eueer STORY BY LAUREL ROHDE. PHOTO BY NICOLE RADJA Nation parallel universe where artists do things like write rock operas with (see The Transfused), hen I introduced myself over the phone to Cindy where genre-bending is the only way of life (see any and Wonderful, the charismatic lead rapper of the all music by the Need), and where Ladyfest is like a Denver-based group Rainbow Sugal she replied in a Vulcan mind meld (see Ladyfest 2000 and Ladyfest confused, groggy voice: "l thought you were my mom Midwest Chicago). calling to tell me we're dropping bombs." Nope. The Need was always drummer-keyboardist-vocalist Unfortunately, I had cruelly woken her from a deep Rachel Carns (formerly of Kicking Giant) and guitarist- sleep induced by a long road trip, so we connected noise Radio Sloan (also of The President's Daughters), later via e-mail and Wonderful dropped her own bomb: until last June the stork shot bassist Dvin down their Rainbow Sugar - composed of Wonderful, the recent- chimney. ly added guitarist Toshimi lchiki, bassistAmy Fantastic, "We found Dvin in the woods, frozen in ice .".," Rachel and drummer Germaine Bacca -- just broke up. clarifies. Rainbow Sugar has unleashed their bold fusion of "...and by our devilish flame did we thaw her. She is rap and pounding rock upon audiences since 1998. a Leo," adds Radio. Armed with an infinite arsenal of stage antics such as "Like us ...," Rachel chimes in. elaborate costume changes, nudity, mid-set wrestling, "... the Third Element," Radio finishes. projections, and even pillow fights, the band kept fans What? Exactly. The bizarre love triangle's first show, happily never knowing what to expect. What influenced at Ladyfest Midwest Chicago, was an orgiastic, out-of- the group? Wonderful (a.k.a. Sugar Loaf) wrote, "We this-world demonstration of the power of three. embody the spirit of FUN, anything fun is our influ- "[At the time ofl Ladyfest 2000 in Olympia, I was living down the hall from an art gallery. I'd be stumbling to the Veterans of Ladyfest 2000 in Olympia, Rainbow bathroom in the morning to brush my teeth and open the Sugar said they had a good time playing an afternoon door to find 30 Ladyfesters waiting for their workshop to show in Chicago at their last Ladyfest together. "Maybe start," remembers Rachel. a reunion will happen one day, but we are kind of inter- "The streets were crawling with girls. There was this ested in different things right now," said Loaf. sense that something big was happening, something So what is at the end of this Rainbow? Fantastic and without precedent," she continues. Bacca have a warehouse in Denver where they do By contrast, Rachel says, "Ladyfest Midwest was so shows, lchiki is in school, and Wonderful, who is get- spread out. fltl didn't quite catch that one-big-punk-ass- ting into video, is preparing to tour as a solo artist in the slumber-party feeling that Ladyfest 2000 did - it was a near future. Ease your Rainbow Sugar cravings (ouch, much bigger event. I think the organizers did a great job." second bad pun) by getting hold of their 7-inch, soon to Dvin agrees: "My first show with the Need couldn't be released from Wonderful's own Wonderground have been more supportive and exciting." Records (Wonderground.htmlplanet.com). You can And things can only get better, weirder, or -- as also find Wonderful tour dates and her mp3 on the web Rachel cryptically says about the band's new album, site. due out in June 2002 on Records - "head- ing in the direction of MORE." 54 LORAXX STORY BY DEENA DASEIN

adyfest was as much about the making his official spirit of D.l.Y. as it was about femi- debut with the nism. My nominee for the band best band. "We were evincing the ideals of both, as well as all really happy the one that played my favorite fest set, with the set," is Chicago-based noise rockers, Loraxx. Strungys reflect- The power trio's vortex, Arista ed some weeks Strungys, embodies the iconic mascots later. "lt was a ili of the festival - the Powerpuff Girls. great crowd and S Strungys is a veritable Buttercup with the organizers were some of the best intense experience made more so by her guitar and voice as weapons of people we have ever worked with." the band's precision. The title of choice. Blossom-like, she writes the Former bassist Santosh lsaac Loraxx's sophomore release, the aptly songs and leads Loraxx with well- cheered on the group from the audi- named YELLVILLE, says it all. planned and tightly rendered passion- ence. "There is no bad blood between And what is she screaming about? ate precision. Her Bubbles-persona any of us," Strungys said. "No drama, Well, that's somewhat of a mystery. "A shows up in her charming off-stage no gossip. This was a really easy tran- Iot of people ask me for them," she manner and keen aesthetic sensibility. sition for us." responded when I asked for her lyrics. An accomplished and versatile axe- It is Strungys's vocals that drop jaws. "lt's a 'thing' I have -- no problems wielder, Strungys was a devotee of dis- No one would call her mighty screams committing them to tape and no prob- tortion and a doyen of dynamics. On singing unless that word has evolved in lems performing them live, but god for- drums, Elliott Talarico was a relentless the same sense as the term "lady." Her bid I put them on paper for people to propulsive. Jeff Lauras, on bass, was voice is pure exuberant power, an read."

PUERTO MUERTO STORY BY BECKY VLAMIS. PHOTO BY HOLLY WYANT f! uerto Muerto's Your Btoated Both marital and musical unit, the tronic element. However, the requisite I Corpse Has Washed Ashore!, a Chicago-by-way-of-St. Louis duo theme element remains - this time it's 19-song epic about swashbuckling and requires little external influence. Both "don't mess with disjointed and insane harlotry is niche indie at its best. With a share vocal responsibilities, and both girls," says Meyer. The album, laced Spanish-folk-guitar-meets-German- play a slew of instruments including with bizarre topics like molestation and cabaret sound, the husband and wife guitar, banjo and drums. The band's infanticide, provides a suitable platform duo have enough quasi-historical refer- latest prgect, Elena, has yet to be for her vocal meanderings. ences to make arcana-craving hipsters released. Elena is an aural leap from Meyer assumes the identity of Elena, a beam. But pretensions aside, they real- the Poguesese-esque belligerence of little girl "no better than a poodle," accord- ly are really into pirates. So much so, Corpse, more oompah, less spaghetti ing to the Welsh schoolmaster whose the band name comes from a bar resid- western, with a rather surprising elec- diatribe chastising sexuality sets the ing in the mind of Tim stage for the album. On Elena, Kelley, half of Puerto her voice ranges from ghoulish Muerto, whose patrons are to smoky to strong, but Meyer pirates in search of cheap never does the bubble-gummy beer and a good jukebox. indie-rock thing. It is precisely this sort of "l guess I never under- melodrama that allows stood why some women Puerto Muerto's Christa chose to use that sort of ultra- Meyer to flex her vocal vulnerable voice in their muscle. Meyer's voice can music," she muses. "l don't pack a punch as easily as it think singing 'Jean Lafitte,' a can provide the sonic mas- pirate song about pillaging sage of a chanteuse's and the like, in a whispery croon. Hussy or heroine, voice would make much she becomes the charac- sense, although it might be ters in the songs she sings. interesting."

J ELLEN ROSNER she tries to accom- plish through her STORY BY CHARLOTTE ROBINSON music building PHOTO BY NICOLE RADJA -- community. She stresses that what ! llen Rosner has such a charming, matters to her most L down-to-earth stage presence that is "the doing of the it's hard not to like her. that music by myself she's got a fabulous voice, which has and with others, the prompted two of my friends, on sepa- connection made rate occasions, to proclaim, "Wow, musically with the does she have pipes!" musicians, with the The native Chicagoan possesses typ- audience, with ical Midwestern earnestness without the whatever force it is big-city pretension, as exemplified in her that gives me this onstage banter. She jokingly introduces tainly deserves credit for their thing in the first place." her band, which features Tom Ladyfest Midwest Chicago perfor- This wlnter marks the release of Valenzano (guitar), Tony Stompanato mance at Schuba's. Playing on a bill Rosner's second album, Count to (bass), and Chuck Harling (drums), with, topped by youthful Canadian sisters Three, the follow-up to '1 999's Perfect "We, collectively, are Ellen Rosner." Tegan and Sara, the seasoned Malcontent. With typical honesty, the

Jokes aside, Rosner realizes the Rosner and compbny faced a younger musician admits, "[W]hile of course I important role her talented collaborators audience than usual, but bowled them would want to be on Letterman, my play in creating her soulful folk sound over nonetheless. The set was a par- focus needs to stay on the doing, and (which garners frequent comparisons to ticular triumph for Rosner since she being the best I can be at what I do for

Joan Armatrading), and even asked me was a member of Ladyfest's organiz- myself -- not on whatever destination I after we spoke about this article, "Did I ing committee. may want to get to." To keep up with give credit to my band enough?" Rosner views her role in the grass- Rosner's "doings," check out her Web The "collective Ellen Rosner" cer- roots festival as an extension of what site, www.ellenrosner.com.

"ELLEN ROSNER COMES ON LIKE A WAR ... STARTLING VOICE, PUNCHY BAND, STRONG DIRECTION.' -- VERN HESTER, WINDY CITY TIMES

TVAII,ABI,EWINTER 2OOI FROM NO GENRE RECORDS: Ellen Rosner's new CD, Count To Three

AVAIITABLE NOIII: Ellen Rosner's critically acclaimed debut CD, The Perfect Malcontent

visit Ellen's website at www.ellenrosner.com CDs also for sale at www.cdbaby.com No Genre Records, 1248 N. Noble, Chicago, lL 60622 [email protected] 77 3-252-891 4

56