Xicana punk legend, Alice Bag comes to the Bay Area, July 8-9

On the same weekend of Phono Del Sol and the same weekend that Mitski, Japanese Breakfast and Jay Som will be in the Bay, there will be another amazing thing that you can maybe go to: Alice Bag will be in town too. If your eyes have been opening up to the scene, if you have been making more friends, and letting people compliment your sweater, then you may have noticed that this does happen. Sometimes there are so many different great musicians in town that you literally are in pain because you have to decide who to miss. Well, you can do what I am doing. I am going to see Alice Bag 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on Friday the 8th, going to Phono Del Sol all day July 9th, and then that same night I’m going be crying some Tears Of Color while Mitski sings at Bottom of the Hill. You can also do whatever you wanna do, I’m not the boss of you, just be happy, ya know.

But as a Xicanx seeing Alice Bag, who was the powerful woman serving up face in the late ’70s LA Punk band the Bags, has kept her punk Xicana roots shining strong as she became a teacher and well renowned activist, and later author. There’s always been Xicanx punks, even before Alice Bag was known, but because she is so much easier to find, she has become the face that has made so many people like me feel less estranged. She has helped Xicanx punks all over the world feel welcomed just by existing in public. Well, she’s back, releasing a new album via Don Giovanni Records and performing in Oakland and San Francisco.

Her new stuff is just as powerful and keeps true to what she’s always represented: a feminist badass Xicana punk who lives her life with no hesitation of saying what she needs to say.