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A lot of dinosaur punk bands roam the earth these days. Nostalgia-driven festivals are stocked with groups who haven’t written a new song in 30 years (or more), many without crucial original members. Inevitably, these fests take place as a dozen newer bands are playing smaller shows around the same town — bands that represent the actual evolution of punk, artists better able to speak to the current moment.
Nowhere is this contrast more visible than with the second annual Doll Fest, scheduled for March 27 through 29 in Oakland and Albany, and the now-cancelled Punk in the Park, a traveling punk roadshow originally set to take place in Vallejo in May. Punk in the Park was filled with zombie bands — some of which were once explicitly political — and it fell apart when it came out that one of the organizers, Cameron Collins, had donated to Trump. Artists understandably dropped out over the last couple months; to the embarrassment of the San Francisco punk scene, the Jello Biafra-less Dead Kennedys were the last band standing when the fest finally got cancelled. (Judging by his statement to LA Taco, Biafra was also embarrassed. By the way, get well soon, Jello!)
Whether aged participants in (predominately white male) subcultures turn right-wing or just reveal themselves later in life is an article for another day. What’s more important: There is still an actual punk scene creating music, and it has never been more diverse or interesting. Enter Doll Fest, a celebration of “femme-fronted” bands organized under the mission statement of “battling for true equality” by bringing together “like-minded folx… through empowerment, resilience, and nurturing of communities.” This second iteration of the annual festival is a benefit for the Transgender Law Center.
Katie Cash will play the opening party March 27 at the Ivy Room with her supergroup Skip the Needle, whose anthem “Battle Cry (Ay Ay Ay)” may get stuck in your head for a week. “As a queer butch woman and as a woman in a band that identifies as ‘Black Dyke Rock,’ it’s so important to be lifted up within punk spaces and supported by such a diverse group of people,” says Cash. “I think Doll Fest introduces voices that need to be heard.”
Minneapolis three-piece punk band Vial headline Saturday and SoCal-based Bad Cop Bad Cop finish the fest on Sunday; both days’ shows take place at Oakstop. Stacey Dee, BCBC’s vocalist and guitarist, says the band is looking forward to Doll Fest because, “as women, we never get to headline the festivals we play.”
“We are oftentimes the token female band on the bill that makes promoters look and feel like they are being inclusive,” says Dee, noting that she grew up in the Bay and has always appreciated its legacy of femme-fronted bands. “So this feels extra super good to be valued for our life’s work.”
Left: Skip the Needle plays Doll Fest 2025 at Kilowatt. (Photo by Johnny Greenwood) Right: Maria Chaos, Doll Fest’s organizer. (Courtesy of Maria Chaos)
A whopping 21 more bands will play over the weekend. Not all bands are classic punk, to be sure. When choosing the lineup, organizer Maria Chaos says she asks, “Does this band align with our values? Are they people who are not only going to speak up, are they also there to fight [for justice]?”
As for the fest’s target audience, Chaos emphasizes that it is for anyone and everyone who wants to be there, and especially for folks who don’t feel they necessarily fit in at other music festivals. “That's who [Doll Fest] was made for.”
Should you need proof that old-school punks can still be relevant and awesome, Frightwig — a veteran San Francisco feminist punk band who have performed over four decades and who still write new songs — played last year’s Doll Fest at Kilowatt in San Francisco, a benefit for Lyon Martin Community Health Services. Though they are not playing the second edition, singer Deanna Mitchell gives her old-school punk stamp of approval to this lineup. “It’s so heartening,” she says. “I absolutely love seeing all of these young ones, POC, trans, LGBTQ [bands]. It gives me hope for the future.”
As for the future of Doll Fest, expansion is almost certainly on the horizon. The first Doll Fest Mexico City happened in early March, and Chaos hints that more is to come.
For now, the organizer and the artists are focused on the upcoming festival right where it all started. Asked why folks should come see Bad Cop Bad Cop, Dee sums up the event’s spirit: “Because we fucking RIP!” she says. “We are fun and funny and we fight for humanity and equality and for positivity and mental health. We care a lot about what’s going on with people and in the world. I think we inspire folks to take action in their own lives.”
Oh, and none of the organizers are Trump donors. What more could you ask for from a punk festival?
Doll Fest 2 has a 21+ opening night party March 27 with Skip the Needle headlining at the Ivy Room (860 San Pablo Ave., Albany). Day One and Day Two (March 28 and 29) are all-ages at Oakstop California Ballroom (1736 Franklin St., Oakland). Tickets ($38 and up) at DollFest.net.
Gordon Edgar is a full-time cheesemonger, co-operator, and writer. He used to review zines for punk zine MaximumRnR and has written a couple of books on cheese. His Patreon is at that little link to the right.
