Overview:
LOUD WOMEN Fest makes its Colorado debut Nov. 7 at Boulder’s Fox Theatre with 10 punk, indie and alternative bands.
Ten bands from Colorado and beyond will take over Boulder’s Fox Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 7, for the first Colorado edition of LOUD WOMEN Fest.
The London-based feminist music organization has built an international network around amplifying women, transgender and nonbinary musicians across punk, indie and alternative music. Its Boulder festival brings that mission to Colorado with a lineup spanning Denver indie rock, Fort Collins punk, Colorado Springs hardcore and artists traveling from elsewhere in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
“This is our first ever Colorado Fest, and we couldn’t be more excited about the lineup we’ve put together with our brilliant local organisers Maxx and Joe,” LOUD WOMEN said in a Nov. 1 announcement.
The festival begins at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. The event is open to ages 16 and older.
Denver indie-rock veterans Dressy Bessy lead the Colorado contingent alongside Fort Collins feminist punk band Bitchflower, Denver duo Blankslate and Colorado Springs hardcore band GUNK! They will be joined by All Thicc, Seattle’s Fatal Femmes, Las Vegas sibling punk band The Dollheads, Joshua Tree-based Tarah Who?, Mexico’s Brokentear and London’s I, Doris.
The Colorado edition grew out of a connection between LOUD WOMEN and local organizer Maxx Goodman, whose band Diva Cup had previously been involved with the organization. Goodman, who has also worked as a booking intern at the Fox Theatre, helped bring the festival to Boulder.
LOUD WOMEN founder Cassie Fox launched the organization in London in 2015. What began as a grassroots live-music project has since expanded internationally through festivals, radio, compilations and other projects supporting women, trans and nonbinary artists. The organization is staging events across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia this year.
Boulder’s festival keeps things simple: one stage and all 10 bands. The format gives audiences a chance to hear artists they may not have encountered otherwise rather than bouncing between competing sets.
That discovery is central to Goodman’s hopes for the event.
“My overall hope for the festival is that people go home feeling like they saw some great bands, made some new friends, and maybe start a new band to contribute to the music scene somehow,” Goodman said.
The community-building aspect fits LOUD WOMEN’s broader mission. Rather than bringing the same touring lineup from city to city, the organization works with local organizers and bands to connect independent music scenes across regions and countries.
Tarah Who? will arrive in Boulder for its first performance in some time, while established Colorado acts will share the bill with emerging artists from around the region.
Goodman expects the result to be loud.
“Very, very high energy,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be a grand old time.”
LOUD WOMEN Fest Colorado takes place Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St. in Boulder. Doors open at 3 p.m., with music beginning at 4 p.m. The event is 16 and older.
