I ventured out of the ole dungeon on a Tuesday night to go witness one of the best femme-forward punk lineups Beat Kitchen has seen. Starting out the night was Chicago’s very own Carnivore Mommy. Making waves in the local scene can be difficult for many, but this band came on stage and was a shock of electricity right out of the gate. An angel of the DIY community gains their wings every time a new femme scream vocalist comes a long and oh, baby — did they deliver. Carnivore Mommy’s vocalist had heads snapping with a sexually charged and artistic performance. My personal favorite of the night was “Wub.” Not only was the music incredible, but the crowd interaction and general energy of the room was immaculate.
I’d also like to mention that with the current political climate and Chicago being a hub for diversity and free speech, I think it’s more important now than ever for DIY bands to use their ability to congregate with the punk community to share information for people to go out and exercise their right to fight for civil liberties. Carnivore Mommy uses their power and free will to address current issues at hand, and they remind us that PUNK IS POLITICAL.
Bad Waitress carried us on into the night with the start of some Canadian punk flare for the evening. I’d describe their set as fun and melodic, showcasing multi-faceted queercore musicians that had me on my knees from start to finish. I absolutely loved this band’s stage presence – and bonus points because they joined us in the crowd for some moshing – I think there absolutely needs to be more non-binary/girl pits this summer. The waitress may be bad, but these guys served us so so good.
Finally, Canadian headliners of the night NOBRO finished us off, and it was the performance that all of us were counting on and dreaming of. Following the large accomplishment of their Juno Award win, NOBRO stopped at Beat Kitchen on their “Go for Broke Tour” with a new lineup of members. I got a chance to hang out with the band for an exclusive interview which is to be released on The Concert Chronicles ezine on June 25, so stay tuned.
NOBRO released a record called Set Your Pussy Free in 2023, and I think it’s some of their best work on their discography. Featuring fun poppy girl punk, “Set Your Pussy Free” is more than just a song title or an album name – its a lifestyle, and its exactly how NOBRO is living with pursuing their dreams of touring the states. Chicago, now more than ever, has just a high craving for queer and female-led punk groups in the community, and we welcome NOBRO to the Midwest with open arms.
The performance itself had the entire venue packed front to back and was such a respectful crowd – I was happy to be apart of something that was just a gathering of positivity and people enjoying each other’s company. Catch additional dates of this tour as they finish out their U.S. leg on the East Coast. Find all the dates HERE.
Leave a Reply