In just one week, the Bay Area will be hosting the inaugural Doll Fest. The two day festival will take place at the Cornerstone in Berkeley, CA and is “a celebration of the feminine energy, friendship, and community gathering together in support of one another.”
The lineup is a jaw dropping list of rad bands all with a femme energy to them along with multi-genre artists. Doll Fest will feature artists such as The Iron Roses, The Darts, Tsunami Bomb, Dog Party, Tess & The Details and many more on March 1st and 2nd along with a pre-show party on February 28th.
We wanted to get in on the action, so we’ve asked the amazing bands a handful of questions about the festival including who they’re stoked to be playing with and what they think a festival of this caliber means to our scene.
We chatted with Tahlena from Southern California’s Bite Me Bambi. She discusses who she’s excited to share a stage with and how festivals like Doll Fest can help women, femmes, queers, and others get involved in a scene that needs their representation. Check out our interview below and grab your tickets to Doll Fest now via their website here!
Interview
Tell us a little about yourself and why you’re excited to play Doll Fest.
My name is Tahlena Chikami, and I am the lead singer of Anaheim, CA’s, Bite Me Bambi. I am incredibly excited to play Doll Fest. I think making a space for queer and femme artists to be showcased is super cool.
Which bands or artists are you most stoked to see or play alongside?
I’m very excited about the ska section and to share the stage with bands we’ve come up in the scene with: Stop The Presses and Half Past Two.
How has the Oakland music scene or Bay Area culture influenced your sound or creative process?
Although we are not from the Bay Area, the notorious Bay Area band, Dance Hall Crashers has had a huge influence on Bite Me Bambi. From their song writing style to their stage presence, DHC had a huge impact on all of us when we were younger. Without DHC, there is no BMB.
How do you see events like Doll Fest contributing to greater representation and empowerment of women in the music industry?
I always say that you can’t be what you can’t see. Events like Doll Fest allow for more visibility for young people who may feel like they can’t or don’t know how to get involved in a scene. I think that’s incredibly important.
What unique challenges have you faced as female musician, and how have you overcome them?
I feel like I am often underestimated. By sound people, venue staff, etc. I’m also often mistaken for being the merch person. Now, there is nothing wrong with being a merch person. It’s an incredibly important and tough job, but I believe there is a stigma that if you see a female standing around a music venue, she MUST be the merch person. I don’t mind being underestimated. In fact, I thrive in those situations. I love proving people wrong.
What message do you hope to convey to your audience through your performance at Doll Fest?
I hope to convey that it doesn’t matter who you are, you matter, and your point of view is important.
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