Babes in Toyland are back! Once dubbed “foxcore” by Thurston Moore — a label the Babes did not appreciate, the Minneapolis-based, babydoll dress-wearing, punk power trio that ground guts onstage in the nineties have reunited their Fontenella-era lineup for a show, presumably to kick off a bitchin’ tour, in L.A. at the Roxy on February 12th.
The 18 years since Kat Bjelland, Maureen Herman and Lori Barbero last stepped on stage together cannot be described as silent. Babes in Toyland influenced legions of musicians to rage and riot, including Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill.
In a press release, singer and guitarist Kat Bjelland explained the catalyst for the reunion: “It was brought to my attention that not only do we have a lot of diehard fans from back in the day, but also a whole new generation of kids–my son Henry included– that were eager to see us live. I felt some kind of obligation for them to see us, too. But mainly, I just missed my girls and the feeling that comes from playing with them–visceral live therapy.”
Adds bassist Herman, “The first time we played together again we weren’t sure what it would be like. After knocking the hell out of “He’s My Thing” on the first try, we knew this was going to be fun — and it was going to rock like a motherfucker.”
Tickets for the reunion show are available here. Meanwhile, dive back into the weird world of the Babes and grunge rock at the end of the 20th century (oh, what a time): pink plastic barrettes, mosh pits and ripped fishnets. Let’s go! We can only hope the L7 and Hole reunions aren’t far behind.
Images and video via Michael Lavine and Babes in Toyland
