Le Tigre, Tribe 8 & Circuit Side

On Sunday the 15th, punk / indie show promoter Eddie Numbskull brought the rock to Santa Cruz. It was the kind of rock that brought a smile to the face of all and made an entire theater feel equal, welcome, and maybe a little bit tingly. It was the kind of rock that can de-gender the restrooms and close down the urinals for an evening. It was the kind of rock that only Le Tigre could dish out.
As I entered The Rio — a Santa Cruz landmark which previously served as a movie house — I grew a bit skeptical of the rockability of the show that was to soon knock me to the floor, stomp on my forehead, throw me against the wall and have me pleading for more. I walked in to find the first band, Circuit Side, already in their set. Smoke machines relieved themselves on stage and the girl-band (setting a theme for the night) serenaded the audience with slow, heavy, metal in a sort of cock(less) rock style. The vocals were sparse, but the rock was definitely turned way up on their tiny pink amplifier.
This was followed by a somewhat overly-lengthy performance by Tribe 8, a lesbian / transsexual punk rock group, that just plainly doesn’t give a fuck. The music was mediocre and the vocals at times were unbearably annoying, but such a strong stage presence makes up for something. In the end, Tribe 8 was a pleasant addition to the line-up, and I would not have traded anything to miss four chicks covering Black Flag’s “Rise Above” while two shirtless men made out and took turns performing felatio on the topless singer’s realistic strap-on.
And then came Le Tigre and 45 minutes of pure bliss. Those unfamiliar with Le Tigre’s sound should really acquaint themselves. They mix punk rock guitar and vocals with samples and synthetic drum tracks, all the while carrying an empowering feminist and overall pro-equality message, all lead by Bikini Kill veteran Kathleen Hanna. They opened with a brilliant cover of “I’m So Excited” and sustained that exact sentiment for themselves and their fans. The moderately sized theater turned out to be the perfect size for Le Tigre’s mix of large venue stage shenanigans and small venue connections with the crowd. Between synchronized dance moves and passing the same guitar from one identically dressed member to the next (three members in all), their set list was an even mix from their self-titled record and the follow-up Feminist Sweepstakes, and each song was accompanied by a corresponding video montage projected behind the band in perfect time with the music.
Though the audience was largely female, being a straight male at such a show was not at all threatening, despite the meat-head stereotypes. It was a time for all to rock in total equality where absolutely nobody cared what sex, gender or preference you were exhibiting. If only the rest of the world could be like a Le Tigre concert, we might all rock a little harder.

– Michael Atkinson
– Photo by Alyssa Starkey

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