Herstory:
Since forming in San Francisco in 1982, feminist punk pioneers FRIGHTWIG have been wielding joy and smashing the patriarchy. With life-changing live shows that spread revelry and revolution, Frightwig became a formative influence on the Riot Grrrl movement and paved the way for the likes of Hole, L7, and Lunachicks, among others.
The band’s cult-favorite albums Cat Farm Faboo (Subterranean Records 1984) and Faster, Frightwig, Kill! Kill! (Caroline Records 1986), plus the EPs Phone Sexy (Boner Records 1988) captured the hearts of fellow freaks and outcasts. Songs like “My Crotch Does Not Say Go,” “A Man’s Gotta Do What a Man’s Gotta Do,” and “Crazy World” upended the masculine hardcore scene by infusing it with the vicious wit of women on a tear. Tours with Flipper, Butthole Surfers, and Redd Kross saw Frightwig screaming and shredding their way through glass ceilings and unapologetically leaving behind a pile of shards. More than just a punk rock coven, Frightwig is a vehicle for art as activism and has certainly contributed to the American counterculture rooted in their hometown.
In 2024 Frightwig has enjoyed sharing the stage with Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, The Avengers, Sergeant Splendor, and Bikini Kill, among others, on bills that have been wild celebrations of creative freedom and joie de vivre. They recently supported Bikini Kill at a sold-out show at the Warfield in San Francisco and headlined the main stage at the historic Haight-Ashbury Street Fair.
Origin story:
In 1982 co-founders Deanna Mitchell (bass, vocals) and Mia d’Bruzzi (guitar, vocals) discovered a soul sister in Cecilia Kuhn (drums, vocals). The trio obliterated the stages at The Farm, Mabuhay Gardens, and the Fillmore with a level of intensity that flabbergasted audiences, critics, and fellow artists. National and international tours followed. Children were born and raised. Lives were lived.
After Kuhn transcended this world in 2017, her bandmates made the decision to honor their sister’s wishes that Frightwig forge ahead. Mitchell, d’Bruzzi, Feldman, and Rebecca Sevrin returned with We Need to Talk… in 2023, a collection of 11 songs (four of which were previously released) recorded with Kuhn on drums, vocals, and accordion. We Need to Talk… was cited by KQED in their list of Best Bay Area Music 2023, and Grammy.com lists Frightwig as one of the 10 Bay Area Punk Bands to Know (1/17/2024).
Line-ups:
Over the years, the lineup featured different casts of characters — including the legendary Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart, Snakefinger, Frank Black, Pere Ubu, PJ Harvey, Knife & Fork) who was an active member from 2012 through 2023 and who played on and produced the 2023 LP release “…We Need to Talk”. Frightwig has enjoyed playing with Paula Frazier (Tarnation), Rachel Thoele (Mudwimin, Flipper), Susan Miller (The Tanks, Wild Women of Borneo), drummer Lynn Perko (The Dicks, Sister Double Happiness, Imperial Teen) drummer Robert Castaneda, drummer Anne Harney (RIP), drummer Tana (RIP). Veteran Frightwig guitarist Rebecca Sevrin continues to perform with Frightwig on special occasions. Frightwig welcomed powerhouse drummer Tina Fagnani (Apside) onto the throne in 2019, and have been tearing it up with the new line-up ever since.
