Continuing with the theme of justice, inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s “Jailbird,” the 2024 Granfalloon arts festival will end with a (head) bang – a concert of several different punk, feminist and innovative rock bands on Kirkwood Avenue’s main stage.
The Granfalloon Mainstage Concert is free to the public and features globally recognized bands Sleater-Kinney, The Linda Lindas and My Son the Hurricane. Pit tickets are available to purchase at $60 for adults or $45 for youth and students on the Buskirk-Chumley website. Premium Side Stage tickets include access to the side stage area, the Graduate Hotel rooftop, exclusive restrooms, a complimentary drink and an exclusive poster for $100. The concert begins at 5 p.m., June 8 outdoors at 200 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Sleater-Kinney
In 1994, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein founded the feminist indie rock band, “Sleater-Kinney,” at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Sleater-Kinney came from the name of a highway exit near where the group came to formation. Sleater-Kinney's music includes lyrics denouncing misogyny, especially in the male-dominated rock genre, and they are recognized as part of the “Riot grrrl” music genre, a subculture movement which combines feminism, punk music and politics. The group released seven LPs, which included some of their best performing songs, “Modern Girl” and “Dig Me Out,” before announcing in 2006 that they would be taking a leave of absence.
As the next nearly-10 years went by, Tucker would release solo albums “1,000 Years,” and “Kill My Blues.” Sleater-Kinney's longtime drummer Janet Weiss joined a different band, as did Brownstein – who also co-created the Emmy-nominated comedy show “Portlandia.” The Sleater-Kinney band members stayed friends over the hiatus and were ready to come back together for the release of “No Cities to Love” in 2015. Since then, Sleater-Kinney has released “Live in Paris” in 2017, “The Center Won’t Hold” in 2019, “Path of Wellness” in 2021, a cover album in 2022 and their 11th studio album in 2024, “Little Rope,” which was influenced by their experiences during the pandemic and the deaths of Brownstein’s mother and stepfather.
The Linda Lindas
Two sisters, their cousin and a close friend make up the part-Asian, part-Latine, Los Angeles-based teenage punk band The Linda Lindas: Mila, Eloise, Lucia and Bela. The four first began playing together in January 2018 as part of a cover band. In 2020, The Linda Lindas’ first original song was included in the “The Claudia Kishi Club” documentary. The group was also featured in the Netflix original film, “Moxie,” and booked a deal with Epitaph Records after a video of The Linda Lindas performing their original song, “Racist, Sexist Boy” in the Los Angeles Public Library went viral. The Linda Lindas is a part of a new wave of “Riot grrrl” music.
The group released their album, “Growing Up,” in 2022 and their newest single, “Found a Job,” in May 2024. The Linda Lindas is on tour, sharing the stage with Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Rolling Stones, among other widely recognized rock groups.
My Son the Hurricane
My Son the Hurricane, a Niagara, Ontario-based multi-horn, multi-drummer, multi-singer brass funk ensemble, blends the sounds from funk, rock, jazz, ska and hip-hop music. Their loud, high-energy music and stage performances were once described by American Blues Scene reporter Micheal Lepek as “an assault on the senses that leaves you satisfied yet craving for more.”
The band includes vocalist Sylvie Kindree, drummer and band leader Danno O’Shea, bassist Fraser Gauther, percussionist Cooper Hannahson, trombonists Alyssa Shanghavi, Justin Williams and Craig Darling, Ashlee Standish on keys, trumpetists Andrew Knox, Lisa Gudgeon and Raphaël Désilets, saxophonists Victoria Cox and Liam Bird and guitarist Chris Sipos.
My Son the Hurricane has toured globally, playing at music festivals and sharing the stage with renowned bands including the Foo Fighters. The band’s most recent single, “Mississippi ‘88,” was released in March 2021.
