On July 27, glowing LED strips lit the descent into Madame Lou's as punk rockers, drag queens, and a steady crowd revived "Our Fest," a music festival not seen in five years.
The brainchild of Erin Doyle, the first rendition of Our Fest took place in April 2019 as "a celebration of Grrrls, Queers, POC in the Seattle punk music scene." This year's festival maintained and sharpened this focus, aiming to highlight artists and bring people of the same communities together again. Though it was a more humble revival of the 2019 debut, which spanned two days and two stages in Black Lodge and the now-closed Victory Lounge, a similarly sized crowd remained steady throughout the evening.
As the lead singer and an electric guitarist of the "power pop punk" band Three Fingers, Doyle said she's been able to organize both editions of Our Fest through connections she's made in the scene.
Doyle, who is also a pediatric critical-care transfer-center nurse, chose to postpone the latest Our Fest in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but says she "persistently planned" its return each year since, determined to fill a gap she's observed in Seattle's music festival scene for Queer punk artists.
"There are a lot of local festivals, and they're awesome, but I feel like our scene has amazing diversity, and at the time [in 2019] I wasn't seeing that super reflected," Doyle said.
According to Doyle, the Seattle punk scene is "finally on its way back to life" since the onset of the pandemic. "This year is the first year that I've seen everyone really back in action again," she said.
Wide range of styles
Donning a pleather trash-bag minidress and matching purse, Doyle spoke with SGN while setting up the Three Fingers merch table and coordinating with sound and lights.
"As a Queer person and a performer myself, I have been lucky to book my friends' bands and bands that I love for Our Fest," she said.
This year's band lineup consisted of Prismia, Pyramid Scream, Torch, Miss Prince, and Doyle's own Three Fingers, plus a drag showcase hosted by Jane Don't and featuring Rowan Ruthless, Diamond Lil, Issa Man, Jizzuhbell, and Mimi Gina.
Pyramid Scream, a self-described "surf Gay/yuckpop" trio, launched the night with sometimes-screaming, sometimes-soothing lyrics covering topics from high school angst and Bisexual love to "crapitalism" and climate disaster.
Throughout the lineup, a similarly winding thread of punk and Queer expression connected a wide range of musical styles and artistry, and the ready audience stirred at every chance for a mosh or headbang.
Community spirit also proved strong among bands, for example when Prismia's guest guitarist, Dylan Walsh, broke a string, and Pyramid Scream produced a loaner guitar without hesitation.
Drag in the mix
While the 2019 rendition of Our Fest saw a lineup of over 15 musical performances, its 2024 return added drag to the bill. According to host Jane Don't, who served as a band manager in the scene "in a previous life," Our Fest's invitation was warmly welcomed.
"A lot of the time in punk spaces, it is still dominated by cis white men," she said. "So anything that you can do to sort of decentralize that is absolutely needed. Any chance to bring drag into a nontraditional space, I'm here for it."
Jane Don't also shared a sentiment reminiscent of '80s punk RuPaul. "Drag is inherently punk," she said, referring to historic solidarity between the two communities and their shared love of music and DIY art.
Doyle expressed her gratitude for everyone involved, including Big Mario's, which donated pizza for all of the performers and staff involved, on-site tattoo and tooth gem vendors Knife Knight and Brows by Sage, respectively, and Liquid Death, whose canned water helped "murder thirst" for attendees all night long alongside Madame Lou's bar staff.
Looking ahead, Doyle said she hopes to establish Our Fest as an annual event and continue to bring out a diverse lineup representative of the Queer and punk community in and around Seattle.
Catch Doyle's next event, the Three Fingers "Jam Packed" record release show, with LipStitch and Jaguar Paw, on Sept. 20 at the Kraken Bar & Lounge, and stay tuned for news from Our Fest on Instagram at @ourfestseattle
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