MUSIC REVIEW
Le Tigre shows off political stripes
By Sarah Tomlinson, Globe Correspondent, 11/21/2003
Kathleen Hanna is still at it. The singer/songwriter, who incited young women to claim rock 'n' roll for themselves in the early '90s as cofounder of the punk band Bikini Kill and a leader of the Riot Grrrl movement, is still taking her message to the clubs. Hanna now fronts the New York City-based trio Le Tigre, which mixes left-wing politics and playful artiness over an indie dance beat. She showed she's still got plenty to say during her band's one-hour set at the Roxy on Wednesday night.
The band's current tour is part of a larger alternative-rock campaign, "Bands Against Bush," and the musicians kept the politics in the forefront even as they got the crowd dancing, stressing the importance of voting and their excitement about the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's ruling that same-sex couples can marry.
Opening the night with a free-wheeling take on the Pointer Sisters' hit "I'm So Excited," Hanna looked bright-eyed as she drew her vocals out to a rising shout, and bandmates JD Samson and Johanna Fateman sang backup and did a campy synchronized dance. Although the band members wore dresses in matching fabric and traded lead vocals and instruments, Hanna wore a sexier take on the uniform and was clearly the night's focus.
Vibrant video montages were an important component of the show. "Mediocrity Rules" was launched with a screen that read "Behind the hysteria of male expertise," as Fateman delivered '60s girl-group vocals over Hanna's sawing guitar. Layered over low-fi beats and playfully saccharine new-wave keyboards, the '60s garage-rock guitar produced a unique sound when paired with shouted and rapped vocals. The band has not released an album in two years, so the night's two new songs were welcome.
Fateman sang on "This Island" as Hanna offered sultry backing vocals, and Samson introduced "Viz" as a number about butch lesbian visibility.
When the band closed with favorites from its 1999 self-titled debut, the songs clearly had plenty of mileage left in them. Hanna's vocals climbed over a simple beat and the insistently repeated chorus on "Hot Topic," and the group's dance hit "Deceptacon" radiated infectious charm.
The night started slowly with Yuka Honda, who mixed strutting beats and jazzy melodies while manipulating video montages, but distracted with frequent mistakes during the songs she sang.
DJ Rekha created a vibrant swirl of Hindi vocals and bright beats but never inflamed the dance floor.
(Le Tigre; At the Roxy; Wednesday night)
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