From the moment I woke up on September 3, 2024, I was buzzing with excitement because I was finally going to see Bikini Kill live. I’d missed them when they’d come to Toronto a couple years ago on their reunion tour so when the opportunity presented itself to see them at History, I jumped at the chance. When it came time to head into the city, I felt like I was vibrating and couldn’t stop smiling.
Even before the doors opened, the feeling coming off of the people in line was electric and I saw multiple people playing “Mary Mack” as they waited for the doors to open. This was my first time going to a show at History and I was surprised by how open the venue was. There were plenty of places to stand on the floor and all of them had a great view of the stage. I found my place and waited for Montreal-based Retail Simps to kick off the show.
Retail Simps came out on stage to some cheers, picked up their instruments, and made sure that if you didn’t know who they were at the beginning, you sure as hell would by the end. They set the tone for their set with a high-energy blast of dissonantly melodic garage punk and did not let up once as they played tracks from their albums Reverberant Scratch: 9 Shots in tha Dark and Live On Cool Street. The band was the epitome of controlled chaos as they effortlessly switched between time signatures, built songs up until they exploded in gloriously noisy breakdowns, and changed up vocal delivery (as well as vocalists) with ease. It’s as if the band - made up of guitarist and vocalist Joe, bassist and vocalist Obediah, keyboardist and vocalist Thomas, drummer and vocalist Zak, and guitarist Chris for this show - are able to read each other’s minds.
They also looked like they were having an absolute blast throughout the set as Chris threw in some kicks and gravity-defying poses, Joe played his guitar with his can of Mill Street Organic, and Obediah held his bass up to the rafters to let it sing before they walked off stage. The crowd matched their energy and were singing and dancing along from start to finish. Before this show, I only knew a handful of songs, including “Weapons of the Mystic”, which they absolutely killed live. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into their albums and I’m excited to see what they do next.
After Retail Simps left the stage, the hum of the crowd got louder as people started moving to get choice spots on the floor for Bikini Kill. The band were met with cheers as Sara Landeau picked up her guitar, Tobi Vail sat down at her drum kit, Kathi Wilcox picked up her bass, and Kathleen Hanna took to the mic while doing warm-up stretches and beaming out into the audience. With a look from Kathleen to make sure everyone was ready to go, the band launched into “Statement of Vindication”. It was fast, it was loud, and it was fucking incredible. Then without missing or beat or pausing for breath, Kathleen said, “What do we say to haters? Thanks for the inspiration!” before the band started “DemiRep”. Kathleen owned the stage, walking around and dancing without missing a note.
After the song was finished, she talked about how excited they were to be in Toronto and shouted out G.B. Jones, - the extremely influential Canadian artist, musician (Fifth Column forever!), filmmaker, and zine publisher who also coined the term “homocore” (now known as “queercore”) - who was one of their main inspirations for the creation of their Bikini Kill zine. Then the band went into “This Is Not A Test”. I felt Tobi’s drumbeat throughout my entire body and I had to hold myself back from jumping up and down, instead vigorously keeping time with my foot as I danced instead. Kathleen’s vocal range was on full display as she leaned into her deep gutturals for “You’re fucked” and switched on a dime to a high, clear, resonate voice for “I’m not”, letting the final note of that song ring out before they went into “Don’t Need You” - a song that also showcased Kathleen’s amazing gutturals. I screamed along and unleashed so many pent-up emotions along with the rest of the crowd. “Feels Blind” was next and the crowd went wild. More and more people were adding their voices and the pit started to heat up. The slowed-down grunge-y ending reverberated through the room and I could feel every note of Kathi’s bass in my chest.
The band then switched instruments (except for Sara who kept on shredding the guitar) with Kathleen taking up the bass, Kathi getting behind the kit, and Tobi coming to the front to sing. Tobi mentioned G.B Jones’ zine Hide and talked about how much she wanted to be in a band of all girls to be a part of the comp tape that came with it. Then she introduced “I Hate Danger” by saying, “This is about growing up in the male-dominated hardcore punk scene in the 80s”. For the first time during the show (but certainly not the last) I started crying as I sang along. Tobi’s vocals were incredible and she was able to pack so much emotion into each word she sings. Then the band ripped into “In Accordance to Natural Law” which flew by in the blink of an eye and kicked ass.
The band switched back to their regular instruments and when Kathleen came back to the mic she said, “I don’t know if we introduced ourselves but we’re Bikini Kill and we want revolution girl-style now!” before the band tore into “Double Dare Ya”. The crowd’s energy became even more heightened as the moshing, jumping, and singing along kicked into high gear. Kathleen was dancing around the stage and continued to showcase her range going from powerful and clear to low and guttural to high and sing-songy. They went from there immediately into “Carnival” complete with the spoken intro that’s present on Revolution Girl Style Now. Kathleen twirled the full length of the stage at one point during the song and the crowd matched her jubilant energy. Then Kathleen talked about G.B Jones’ zine Double Bill and introduced “I Like Fucking” with “This is about not giving up on pleasure or humour even though the world can fuck you over really bad”. All of the lyrics to this song hit even harder in a live setting and screaming them out loud felt like an act of reclamation and reassertment of bodily autonomy. “Bloody Ice Cream” had the same effect on me and hearing the line “We are turning / Cursive letters into knives” live filled me with so much joy.
The band switched instruments again with Sara going to the drum kit, Kathi taking over on guitar, and Kathleen going back to bass as Tobi came back up to the mic. She called Retail Simps her “second favourite band in existence” before dedicating “Hamster Baby” to them. The song showcased the power and range of her voice and the crowd were dancing up a storm. From there the band went straight into “Tell Me So” and I screamed along with every word.
Kathleen came back to the mic, shouted out Tobi for making sure that everywhere they play is accessible for all ages, and talked about the need for all ages DIY spaces and basement shows. Even though this wasn’t a basement show, it definitely had the intimate feel of one. While she was talking someone from the audience yelled out, “Let’s go!” to which she responded with, “Oh, you want me to stop talking? Too bad” and continued making her point to many, many cheers.
The band played “New Radio” before Kathleen introduced “Resist Psychic Death” with “This is for my witches!” which was met by loud cheering from the crowd. As I screamed along with, “I will resist with every inch and every breath / I will resist this psychic death” I felt years of pent-up emotions and tension leave my body with every word. This is the most powerful moment of catharsis I have ever felt at a show and it was made even more powerful by everyone around me letting the song move them.
From there they played “Alien She” followed by “No Backrub” and both were amazing. Then Kathleen took a moment to thank the audience and said that this might be their last tour so they’re breaking out some different songs. “Tony Randall” came next and then Tobi came back to the mic. “For Only” was beautiful and moving. It made me tear up. Before the band launched into “Distinct Complicity” Tobi informed us that the band had been watching the crowd come in on cameras backstage like a TV show.
The band switched their instruments back for the last time and they went into the triple hitter of “Reject All American” into “Capri Pants” into “Jigsaw Youth”. The band’s energy was still incredibly high, as was the audience who were singing, dancing, and moshing like you wouldn’t believe. Kathleen mentioned this and shouted out the audience for “Carrying the whole fucking thing” and how much it meant to them that “after 30 years people still fucking show up”. The band then closed out the first part of their set with “Finale” which turned the energy level even more as the band danced and Kathleen twirled around the stage before everyone went into the wings.
Seconds after the band had left the stage chants of “Bikini Kill” filled the room as people geared up for the encore, the excitement reaching a fever pitch. The band came back out to an explosion of cheers. Kathleen took to the mic and talked about how people who yell racist or sexist or disgusting things to people on the street or in daily life are complete fuckfaces and it’s not anyone’s problem but their own. She went on to talk about the importance of responding to ridiculous shit with nonsense and said that “Suck My Left One” takes its name from something her sister came up with in response to being catcalled. Kathleen’s voice was pure triumphant fury for the duration of the song and she had the entire place screaming “suck my left one” at the top of our lungs. The band closed out the night with “Rebel Girl” and people went fucking wild. Everyone was singing along, the pit kicked up a notch, and it was a glorious way to end the night. Bikini Kill walked off stage to some of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard.
After the show ended, I felt like a sponge that had been completely wrung out. I felt like I’d let go of so much that had been pressing in on me for years. It was an indescribable feeling and to be able to experience that in a room filled with that much love and community-mindedness made it feel like a cause for celebration. I had high expectations going into the show and Bikini Kill blew all of them away. They were beyond amazing and the talent that each of them has is truly phenomenal. The energy of the band and the crowd only got stronger as the show went on and it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye. I still can’t believe it happened. This was also my first time seeing a show at History and shoutout to all of the venue staff who were extremely kind and helpful. The sound person was remarkable and I could make out every single word.
Few bands are as important to me as Bikini Kill and I am extremely grateful that I was able to see them live, especially if this is their last tour. Singing along with all of those songs was extremely meaningful and I’ll remember that night forever.