'I went to yr concert ...'

Le Tigre, Panty Raid, Erase Errata in Chicago

By Alexis Owens
Published: August 27th, 2002 | 7:19pm

CHICAGO (Metro/August 19, 2002) — New York’s feminist post-punk trio Le Tigre is agit-pop at its finest, a band with a socio-political message that's not force-fed to their audience. Frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, formerly the intimidating force behind Bikini Kill, continues to parlay smart lyrics like a quick punch-in-the-gut that delivers a feminist message to fans of all ages, sexes, and sexual orientations.

With JD Samson and Johanna Fateman and two critically acclaimed albums (the self-titled debut and their latest, Feminist Sweepstakes) strapped to her boots, Hanna has found her electronic-dance-pop niche and fully evolved from her riot grrrl status of the early '90s.

The true opening act that defined the dance floor for the evening was Erase Errata (who also supports for part of Sonic Youth’s current U.S. tour). The cacophony of sounds pulled along by a strong bass line was a perfect complement to the haunting vocals. These girls were beautifully chaotic and produced gritty music that moves.

Next up was the gender-blending Panty Raid. Picture scrawny gay men, baring midriffs and ass cheeks that creeped out of the tiny underpants they were sporting. Licking each other and dancing like monkeys to old-school dance music (ghetto-blaster style) in between songs, a crew of '60s-inspired American Bandstand dancers crowded the stage with their buffoonery and, unknowingly, discredited any punk stylings the band had going for them. Let’s just say subtlety is not the look Panty Raid was going for, but as much as people smiled at their antics, 25 minutes onstage wasn’t a minute too long.

Then Le Tigre took the stage by storm, dressed in white threads, like fresh tampons rocking out about women’s lib. The band opened with "Let’s Run" and a large screen showing women’s ice skating bloopers. It was perfectly appropriate and a witty contrast to the grrrl-power shout-out "Hot Topic," (dedicated to none other than a feminist writer) which inspired wild applause as images of Yoko Ono and Billie Jean King flashed across the big-screen backdrop.

Fateman and Hanna evoked more audience involvement by asking if anyone knew Final Cut Pro really well. All they had to say was "I need a bouncing ball" and we knew that was our cue to test our pipes against oppression and belt the lyrics of "F.Y.R." It really was liberating.

Le Tigre is unrivaled and unapologetic in their ability to balance eccentric lyrical mockeries like "Cassavetes" and "Much Finer" to songs weighty with resolute sentiment such as "On Guard," which was dedicated to the Brooklyn Women’s Self-Defense League and utilized footage of said women fighting to protect themselves, as background.

The trio continued to romp through a variety of selections from both albums, with fan favorites ranging from the break-up song "Shred A" (It’s all so precious you just throw it away…/ You, yr not good enough for me to even despise/ You wasted my time…) and "The The Empty" (I went to yr concert and I didn’t feel anything…/oh, baby, why don’t you talk to me…/ Answer me), to fun pop gems like the booming, Blitzkrieg Bop-paced "Deceptacon" (I take you home now watch me get you hot/ Yr just a parrot when your screamin' and you shout/ More crackers please more crackers please…).

The multimedia and amusing dance elements (i.e. running man) are what the trio has become famous for, making Le Tigre's shows playful and political. Along the way, Hanna has proven that she’s more than just the riot grrrl next door, that she also knows how to toss pop culture, feminism, and dance beats into a blender, creating perfectly raucous, relevant jams.

Mixing feminist ideals and punk ethos with quirky electronic samples, and armed with nothing more than a drum machine, a guitar (that was passed and shared from member to member from song to song) and a megaphone, the ladies of Le Tigre gave their audiences a rare show that entertained, informed, and left the crowd panting for more. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the crowd was a healthy mix of sexes and sexual orientations. Hanna, like some sort of cute, yet dangerous Japanese anime character appealed to all and provided the final tease by hinting at new material and all new dance moves for the next time they’re in town. We’ll be there with bells on.