Words and Photos by Jackie Grimson
A few weeks ago, Mannequin Pussy played the first of two sold out headline shows at Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club.
Deux Visages, a female-fronted band from Miami, opened the show. Their indie rock songs with shoegaze-y influences were a great warmup for the headliner’s harder sound.
Despite being on tour for over a year and promoting their latest album, I’ve Got Heaven, Mannequin Pussy certainly hasn’t run out of steam just yet. The band began their set with “Sometimes” and had the crowd dancing and jumping so hard that the floorboards were shaking. Fans of the band’s recent album were in for a treat, considering that they played almost the entirety of I Got Heaven. At the end of the show, their bassist, Bear, took center stage to sing “Pigs is Pigs,” a song about police violence.
Mannequin Pussy certainly has not been a band to shy away from being political, especially when headlining a venue that sits just miles away from the White House. Lead singer Missy recently released a letter about how labels didn’t want to work with the band because they were outspoken about their beliefs, to which she responded “If the artist stands for nothing, they have the potential to stand for anything and everything.” On two separate occasions, Missy spoke in length about the rise of conservative values, the sexualization of women, and the crisis in Gaza.
The combination of the band’s exhilarating songs and Missy’s sermons to the crowd made the performance akin to a religious experience. While this was not the first time I’ve seen Mannequin Pussy, this set exceeded my expectations. In a climate that seems to punish those who speak up, it served as a reminder that all art is political.
There are only a few stops left on Mannequin Pussy’s I Got Heaven tour, so make sure you catch them in a city near you. You won’t regret it!
Loudspeaker Collective 