In
between sets, partygoers chatted with tablers at a feminist bazaar of
sorts, which featured such entities as Sadie Magazine, Tom Tom (a
magazine about female drummers!) and For the Birds, which was selling
zines and compilation albums.
Karen Soskin, whose
presence helped break up the sausage fest of Todd P Goes to Austin,
spun records and passed out flyers for her new girls-only booking
organization Strength in Numbers. “I wanted to create a space
for women in touring,” she explained, “to help bands with female
members get shows in Brooklyn. It’s definitely gotten more hostile to
bands with women in them...there can only be so many Jay Reatards, so many Blank Dogs. People react very strongly when you openly declare yourself a feminist group,” she sighed.
Just then, Julian Bennett-Holmes of Fiasco showed
up to take in the TAP set. How did he feel about Brooklyn’s level of
girl-friendliness? “I’m friendly to girls,” he replied, but then got
serious, adding, “maybe it’s not. Maybe that’s why Marnie Stern doesn’t play any shows.
“I’m jealous of my little sister,” he added. “She went to the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, and Kathleen Hanna spoke!” Maybe we’re making progress after all.
