Showcasing some of the most notorious and emerging women in music, art, and film, the Decibelle Festival (formerly Estrojam) returns to Chicago from September 23-27. Performances include electro-clash all-stars Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Brilliant Pebbles, Plushgun and The Lady Tigra.
The festival will also host the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed documentary The Gits about the early ’90s Seattle band. Featuring interviews with Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna, the film has been making an impact at film festivals across the country.
Decibelle’s mission is to promote equal representation of women working in the music, art, and film industries as well as encourage self-expression and creativity. Along with live music performances, the festival will host art exhibits, book readings (including an appearance by activist writer Michelle Tea), and workshops on topics ranging from electronic music production to car maintenance.
The two screenings of The Gits are among the most anticipated events of the festival. The documentary recounts the band’s slow rise to fame and how the tragic, untimely death of lead singer Mia Zapata rallied the Seattle underground music scene. Six years of in-depth research, extensive interviews and collecting rare performance footage has contributed to the film’s success. Both director Kerri O’Kane and producer Jessica Bender will attend Saturday’s showing at the Green Lantern Theatre.
The festivities kicked off Tuesday night at The Funky Buddha with a dance party featuring Plushgun, DJ Reganomix and Kid Color. For a complete schedule of events and locations, visit: www.decibelle.org
Miss Kittin and The Hacker– “Flesh and Bones”
The Lady Tigra– “Bass on the Bottom”