Fun Fun Fun Fest Femmes

M.I.A. at ACL Fest 2007 (by John Anderson)

Plenty to get excited about Fun Fun Fun Fest this weekend. Heavyweights including Descendents, Snoop Dogg, Cut Copy, and Jurassic 5 top my list, but as always, I’m scouting the other “F” word at FFF – females. Amongst the crush of very loud men (I’m looking at you, Slayer), a cache of women stand out.

Big Freedia
Fri., Blue stage, 6:20pm

He? She? Freedia doesn’t care. The artist and star of FUSE’s Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce moves between the pronouns with ease. One thing’s sure, the Big Easy artist remains the AmbASSador of Bounce, spreading the word way before Miley Cyrus defiled foam fingers.

Bleached
Sat., Orange stage, 1:40pm

Where Kathleen Hanna (see below) has largely dropped some of the riot grrl aesthetic, L.A. twosome Bleached picked up the gauntlet and poured some pop sugar on top. Sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin blast a last gasp of summer sun on Auditorium Shores without the cutesy Beach Coast cliches.

Dessa
Sun., Blue stage, 2:15pm

As the Doomtree collective’s only female member, Dessa carries the torch for understated femininity. Switching between a purring alto and rapped lyrics tight as a snare drum – most recently on new disc Parts of Speech – the Minneapolis MC can take on Bruce Springsteen covers just as easily as spitting rhymes.

M.I.A.
Sat., Orange stage, 8:30pm

Anyone who can steal the spotlight from the Material Girl will surely be a great live show. Sri Lankan rapper Maya Arulpragasam, under the sobriquet M.I.A., rides in on her fourth album, Matangi, which came out Tuesday. You think Nicki Minaj had “Super Bass”? Get ready for an unrelenting throttle.

Sarah Silverman
Sun., Yellow stage, 5:25pm

Female comics represent at FFF this year, but I’d be remiss to leave Sarah Silverman off of a line-up of worthy women. The comedienne has made a name for herself with no-holds-barred crassness that keeps her in the boy’s club and far above it.

The Julie Ruin
Sun., Orange stage, 3:30pm

Kathleen Hanna became a feminist icon while leading punk outfit Bikini Kill and kitschy poppers Le Tigre. The Julie Ruin reunites Hanna and BK bandmate Kathi Wilcox, and while they’re still railing against the patriarchy, it’s done a lot less in-your-face and way more danceable.