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Alice Bag in Seattle. (All Cat Rose photos) |
By Andy
We need Alice Bag. And she needs us to help fight the fuckers.
On the evening of July 17 at the Black Lodge in Seattle, Bag and her exemplary band not only cranked out a raucous set of punk tunes, but delivered crucial messages to the crowd that hung onto her every word.
This is what we took away from the roaring and uplifting sold-out gig: It's about being who you are and standing up for yourself; being tough and also being kind; living each day to the fullest and making an impact in this often screwed-up world; striving to make things better; coming away from each day with a personal or group victory; don't let people roll over you -- do the rolling if necessary. Fight, fight, fight!
Bag is the ultimate frontwoman... she makes the gig inclusive, locking eyes with everyone in the crowd, smiling and sharing the microphone for sing-alongs.
She also attacks the issues of racism, violence, homophobia, victimization and oppression head on with swinging hair, riveting vocals and an intense stare.
Bag has been doing this since 1977 and knows how to reach the crowd with maximum ferocity on songs like "Gate Crasher," "Sender is Blocked," "No Means No" and more, including classic Bags songs like "We Will Bury You," "Survive" and "Babylonian Gorgon."
In an interview for this blog in 2020, Bag shared this vital message, "Don't feel like you have to live up to anybody's expectations but your own. I really feel like it's more important that you say what you have to say than that you master an instrument and follow a certain technique or try and be like somebody else. It's really about the message, it's really about finding your own original voice."
Seattle's Someone's Daughter unleashed a solid punk set and were the perfect pairing with Bag and her band on this memorable night.
Here are some photos by Cat Rose, who is always stoked to witness Alice perform and capture her strength and intensity. Cat regularly refers to Alice as the original riot grrrl.
ALICE BAG BAND
