Pussy Riot Olympia
performing at Kitzel’s (September 14, 2012)
Last Friday, at Kitzel’s Crazy Delicious Delicatessen in
downtown Olympia, my colleague at Saint Martin’s University and deli co-owner
Irina Gendelman organized and hosted a mishmash of an evening celebrating the art
and activism of Pussy Riot. The women who formed the group in Russia, as many
have pointed out, found inspiration in the riot grrrl scene that has its roots
in Olympia. So what better place to hold an event to honor them than here?
Everyone who came had a blast. Irina has a knack for
cultivating a carnivalesque mood, and this time was no exception. The show
featured a number of activists and performers, including local songwriter Mary Water, Seattle theater group Pasajer@s, and Pussy Riot Olympia, the anonymous
collective that was formed earlier this year in solidarity with their Russian
counterpart. Tobi Vail, the former drummer for riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, was
also on hand to rouse the room with her punk spirit. And besides taking in the
performances, the crowd joined in for sing-alongs of Vladimir Vysotsky’s “Wolf
Hunt” (“Охота на волков”) and the Italian anti-fascist folk anthem “Bella Ciao.” No one’s political
conscience was left unfired!
