By Emmitt Brazille
On a rainy Sunday evening, the local community, Haskell students, and talented individuals came together for the Femme Fest. Many groups came to perform and help host the event in Tommaney Library, including Gamma Delta Pi, Lawrence All Ages Noise Destination, and The Emily Taylor Center of Gender Equity. There were also musical performances by Liz McKenzie, 2w33dy, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Marx Cassidy, and Oeskese. The event was a beautiful expression of individuality, equality, and love for each other, no matter their preference, pronouns, or beliefs. Speaking with some bands, many came from near and far for this event.
Liz McKenzie, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, performed first. McKenzie began with singing and shared they first began singing because of the ceremonies they had attended since they are Diné. In these ceremonies, participants will chant and sing for hours all night into the morning and meditate on things happening to them and what they need. They wanted to bring a sense of healing and prayer to people in a heartfelt way.
Speaking with Kenya Balquier, vocalist/guitarist for 2w33dy with drummer Brad Hienam and bassist Kennedy Spencer, Balquier shared that they learned to play guitar during quarantine and were always Folk music fans. Balquier shared that Joni Mitchell was a big part of her loving folk music and helped inspire her to make music. She was a performer in different bands and genres, was at home on stage, and loves connecting with the audience through their music during performances.
The night’s final act was Black Belt Eagle Scout; the band consists of vocalist and lead guitarist Katherine Paul (KP), Guitarist Claire Puckett, and drummer Camas Logue. The band is an Indie rock group with roots in the Pacific Northwest; they came to perform, finish their tour, played many of their hit songs, and wanted to come and show support for the Indigenous queer community. Speaking with Katherine Paul, they shared that the music they make was heavily influenced by the rich rock history of the Pacific Northwest with a very large music history from the Northwest.
Tommaney Library looks forward to potential events that may be held, like Femme Fest, sometime this year. For information about the artists, their social media, and where to find their music:
2w33dy:
Spotify- 2w33dy
Black belt Eagle Scout:
Instagram- Black Belt Eagle scout
Black Belt Eagle Scout can be found on Apple Music and Spotify
