Secondhand Setlists

Wednesday marked Bikini Kill’s third show of four at the Hollywood Palladium. Three shows in, their momentum remained unfazed.

Rather than start the night with a bombastic entrance of song, the band introduced themselves to the audience. I found this endearing to the band, who clearly understood their presence meant something to the rapturous fans who came to see them after a 22-year hiatus.

“So exciting, should I do some stretching?” asked lead singer Kathleen Hanna. Throughout the night, Hanna and fellow bandmate Tobi Vail would deliver equally warm and funny moments in their set. Extra brownie points went to Vail for never letting the crowd forget it was International Workers’ Day.

As far as sets go, Bikini Kill charged the crowd with a visceral energy that you only see at punk shows. People threw off their clothes and moshed against total strangers, all while you heard cries of “I forgot about this song!” When someone lost their phone, a “riot grrl, Hello Kitty phone” as described by Hanna, the band actually managed to get it back to them. I doubt anyone who’s ever lost a phone at a show can say the same.

With a 20+ song setlist, Bikini Kill traipsed through a solid portion of their catalog. Throughout their performance, they often played musical chairs with instruments, Hanna taking over guitar, Vail taking her place at the mic, and bassist Kathi Wilcox seating herself at the drums. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an act do this, at least not so consistently.

Everything from “Alien She” to “Outta Me” to “Suck My Left One” sounded as fantastic and rebellious as ever, perhaps even more so in today’s current climate. Hanna herself remarked on the joys of being back in Bikini Kill, reminiscing on a time where she almost auditioned for the Misfits.

“I get to sing them [my songs] not in my shower,” she said, and we all felt equally as grateful as her for that.

My main criticism actually applied to the crowd, at least the people who weren’t thrashing. Last week, I wrote in-depth about the merits of standing still at a live concert, but last night was not the show for that. While I didn’t expect everyone to join the mosh pit near the front, it surprised me how few people stood still, arms crossed, not even nodding their heads.

Comrades, you are at a Bikini Kill show that people would kill to witness, and you can’t even tap your foot? If you felt offended or annoyed that people pushed past you to go mosh for “Rebel Girl”, you might want to rethink if live music is for you.