Le Tigre & cumgirl8 Captivate Montreal With Feminist Punk Power

 

cumgirl8 by Malaika Astorga

The collective Also Cool teenage dream was fulfilled last week at Le Tigre and cumgirl8's show at Olympia in Montreal. We've been longtime fans of Kathleen Hanna's projects and couldn't wait to see cumgirl8 live after including them in a recent Playlist Refresh.

The line to get into the show represented every aspect of Montreal's feminist punk community, ranging from cool-looking parents and their children wearing Bikini Kill shirts to excited 19-year-olds sporting local bands' merch. Across the board, everyone shared a collective glow, looking forward finally to seeing the legendary trio onstage.

The merch was also in line with the feminist spirit of the show. A printed sign reminded attendees that "the best way to support your favourite artist is to buy merch at their show - get off the Internet." We at Also Cool agree - the best way to support artists is to show up for your local scene IRL and support your friends' creative projects. 

For those new to the world of cumgirl8, the NYC-based group met in a sex chat 8000 years ago in another metaverse. Made up of Lida Fox (bass), Veronika Vilim (guitar), Chase Lombardo (drums), and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar), the band started as an art collective in 2019. As reflected in their name, cumgirl8's work pushes against the status quo by satirizing themes in popular culture surrounding femme objectification, social media sensationalism, and capitalism. 

Onstage, cumgirl8 embodied the coolest punk girl energy, with all the members decked out in incredible outfits featuring mesh, corsets, glitter and ripped tights. Chase (the drummer) also seemed to play the entire set in heels, which is incredibly admirable. Their sound was hot and heavy, exuding it-girl confidence. 

Le Tigre was up next with incredible visuals and included lyrics for all their songs at the top of the screen, a sweet touch that made the show-going experience more accessible for everyone. They opened with "The the Empty" and followed with tracks spanning their entire discography. 

Their performance also highlighted intersectional feminist discourse, sharing the backstories of many tracks and starting meaningful conversations around topics like reproductive rights, trans politics, PTSD recovery, and more. The show concluded with playful choreography that ramped up into "Deceptacon," which was received by a joyful and cheering crowd. 

Keep an eye out for cumgirl8's upcoming EP phantasea pharm, which is set to be released on August 18th via 4AD. 

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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Yves Tumor Embodies Rock and Roll Energy at Club Soda

 

I knew that the Yves Tumor show at Club Soda would be a good one based on the conversations I heard while standing in line waiting to get in.

People were overjoyed to be running into each other for the first time in three years, and everyone was dressed in a way that made me feel like I was in the right place. Most notably, two friends were showing each other their bags of crystals, excitedly explaining each one in relation to the other person's astrological sign.

Yves Tumor by Jordan Hemingway

The show was one of Yves’ 47 international tour dates for 2022, and certainly did not disappoint. From the lighting to the generous amount of smoke from the fog machine and even the immaculate styling, Yves Tumor and his band embodied a classic rock and roll energy. There was crowd surfing, fans trying to rip the bass away from the band, and lyrics being screamed back for nearly every song.

You can catch Yves Tumor on tour by checking out tickets here and watch the 90s MTV-inspired promotional video below. Special thanks to Carter from Biz 3 for the press pass.

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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