Alice Bag, Black Cat
Tip Top Tavern 601 North St., Madison, Wisconsin 53704
Greg Velasquez
Alice Bag
A truly legendary musician, writer and activist, Alice Bag helped usher in the first wave of the Los Angeles punk movement in the 1970s with her groundbreaking band The Bags and appeared alongside essential groups like Black Flag, the Germs, X and Circle Jerks in Penelope Spheeris' punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization. Bag’s prolific creativity has continued with bands like Castration Squad, Cholita and Las Tres.
Her newest solo album, Blueprint, released in 2018 on Don Giovanni records, is upbeat, unapologetic and peppered with Bag’s sage wisdom. The album shines with collaborations from fellow feminist punks including Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes plus Chilean musician/poet Francisca Valenzuela and Martin Sorrondeguy of Limp Wrist.
Her national tour includes a last-minute stop in Madison for a free show at the Tip Top Tavern with local punks Black Cat, performing for the occasion as Gatos Negros.
press release: Alice Bag debuts the “Turn It Up!” video featuring LA's Pony Sweat crew alongside an in-depth feature with Alternative Press. “Turn It Up!” is the latest single off her second full-length solo album, Blueprint, out now on Don Giovanni Records.
"Turn it Up" by Alice Bag
The title "Blueprint" is a nod to the process of construction -- of a home, a life, the world -- and the problems that pop up mid-build. The songs often find their inspiration in real-life moments that caused Bag to take stock and assess her own blueprint-- to take a stand or fix a problem: personal, political, or both. “We're all constantly building structures of many different kinds,” explains Bag. “So, it's up to to us keep things on track and moving in the direction we want to see them go. Otherwise, we end up with an idiot in charge." Revered for her searing lyrics and fiery performance, Alice Bag will make appearances at Amoeba Music, The Echo, Museum of Latin American Art, Ladyfest and more - full tour dates here.
About Alice Bag:
Alice Bag was lead singer and co-founder of The Bags, one of the first wave punk bands to form in the mid-1970's in Los Angeles, CA. She was featured in the seminal documentary on punk rock, The Decline of Western Civilization and went on to perform in other groundbreaking bands, including Castration Squad, Cholita, and Las Tres. She has published two books, including the critically acclaimed memoir Violence Girl, which is now required reading in gender and musicology courses throughout the country + the self-published Pipe Bomb For the Soul, based on her experiences in post-revolutionary Nicaragua. Her influence on popular music is highlighted in the Smithsonian exhibit, American Sabor.