For much of its history, alternative music has been a fairly masculine world. Through the course of their development, such disparate genres as indie rock, hardcore punk and hip-hop have focused almost exclusively on both male artists and fans. In such male-dominated realms, female voices tend to be drowned out by a whole lot of machismo and mansplaining. Not surprisingly, many young women have little interest in participating in cultures that have so little room for their input.
It’s this disconnect between gender representation and musical production that Girls Rock Milwaukee wishes to address. Over the past two summers, the group, founded by Honeypie and Comet Café owner Valerie Lucks and local musician Ashley Smith (currently fronting the excellent Milwaukee band Whips), has organized a summer program/musical boot camp for girls between the ages of 8 and 16. Perhaps most importantly, each camp session has made a point to introduce the campers to a variety of local female-fronted bands and women musicians. “If they can do it,” Girls Rock Milwaukee asks, “why can’t you?”
The efforts of Lucks and Smith have inspired others to support this important cause. On Saturday, Jan. 10, all-ages venue the Borg Ward (823 W. National Ave.) will host a benefit concert for Girls Rock Milwaukee. Organized by Tyler Mantz, the show will feature more than a dozen performers from across the Midwest. Based upon his own experiences in the world of punk, Mantz understands that “there are archetypes of masculinity and misogyny deeply rooted in the way that bands are formed, the way they perform and the subject matter of the music.” As a result of this, Mantz continues, “women are often marginalized as musicians, their abilities judged solely based on their gender, and they are restricted to the types of music and instruments many people would expect them to play.” For Mantz, Girls Rock Milwaukee is so important because it fights such damaging stereotypes.
And those playing the Jan. 10 show highlight just how little such stereotypes are grounded in truth. From the hardcore punk sounds of Failed Mutation (who will be saying farewell to current vocalist Katherine Schumacher after their set) to the singer-songwriter offerings of Katie Lafond, Mantz and associates have assembled a lineup that showcases the diverse efforts of female musicians in Milwaukee. Two acts to pay particularly close attention to are ethereal pop connoisseurs Lost Spirit and The Olives, whose off-kilter rock ’n’ roll is reminiscent of such trailblazing acts as Slant 6.
“By empowering girls and giving them collective confidence to write and play music together,” Mantz concludes, Girls Rock Milwaukee helps set the stage for even more female-fronted bands to come together in the city. “They encourage young women to defy the standards set by the music industry and inspire creativity beyond what many girls are told is their place in the world of music.” This dynamic may mean that such concerts do more than provide much-needed funding for valuable organizations like Girls Rock Milwaukee; they also give female performers the spaces needed to develop as artists. Such a development wouldn’t only benefit the young women who plan to attend Girls Rock 2015—it would also be great news for the music scenes of Milwaukee.
The Borg Ward’s Girls Rock Milwaukee fundraiser begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. For the most up-to-date lineup information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
