• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Oct 01, 2024 By Matthew Berlyant Photography by Matthew Berlyant Web Exclusive

This writer waited 32 years for this experience and not only did not disappoint, but it actually exceeded my already high expectations. Despite being a big fan since I first heard Bikini Kill in 1992, I had never seen them live, not in the ‘90s and not since they reunited in 2018, playing sporadic reunion shows, including shows here in New York at the Kings Theater, Terminal 5, and Brooklyn Steel in recent years.

Now including guitarist Sara Landeau in the place of original guitarist Billy Karren (who didn’t want to tour), the other original members (vocalist Kathleen Hanna, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail) are back once again and in fine form, obviously inspired by the much larger and more appreciative crowds they draw now as Bikini Kill have rightfully been not only claimed by a new generation of feminist punks and fans as a formative, important influence in pushing the conversation forward, but even more to the point, as a great band with fantastic songs, proving one can peacefully coexist with the other. Activists AND musicians!

Opening with the double shot of “Double Dare Ya” and “Carnival” (both from their absolute classic self-titled debut 12” EP), they proceeded to play a career-spanning twenty-five songs set that featured numerous instrument switching (allowing Vail to front the band on occasion), between song commentary by Hanna that proved inspirational, intelligent and rousing, never shying away from current topics in the news and resulting in loud cheers by the enraptured audience, who were also singing along loudly to much of the material.

Her commentary showed that not only has she aged much better than many of her contemporaries in terms of staying culturally relevant and relating to younger fans, but that Bikini Kill’s music has proven timeless. Partly, this is unfortunate since many of the problems raised by songs like “Reject All American,” “Resist Psychic Death,” and “Sugar” have only gotten worse since the band initially broke up in 1997, but it’s also because of the sheer power of their music as well.

After finishing with the rousing “Jigsaw Youth” (like “Resist Psychic Death,” originally on their incredible 1993 split LP with their English compatriots Huggy Bear), there was only one song left for them to close with when they came back out for the encore and that was, of course, the inimitable “Rebel Girl,” their most well-known and perhaps their signature song as well.