Riot-Grrl Legend Bonfire Madigan Shive Featured at Boston's Break the Chains Queer Dance Party

Boston's beloved LGBTQ dance party and cabaret returns to Make Shift Boston on Saturday, July 8 featuring visionary riot-grrrl cellist Bonfire Madigan Shive.

Shive is known as a legend in the riot-grrrl movement, for her musical contributions to the iconic queer film "But I'm A Cheerleader," her albums on Kill Rock Stars and K Records, and as a frequent collaborator with Sleater-Kinney, Elliot Smith, and Kimya Dawson. The event will feature local support from Anjimile, Myriam Ortiz, and The Best Ever.

Break the Chains is a semi-monthly all ages, all-gender queer party with unapologetically radical politics. Each show is headlined by nationally touring queer and transgender performers, with a heavy focus on elevating the voices of queer people of color. The party is hosted by Boston's hometown genderqueer hero Evan Greer, who tours frequently sharing stages with well-known artists like Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Talib Kweli, Priests, Pete Seeger, Mirah, Immortal Technique, Hari Kondabolu, Chumbawamba, Ted Leo, Anti-Flag, and Billy Bragg.

"Especially as we come out of Pride season, our queer community needs a place where we can resist assimilation and corporate exploitation of our collective experiences," said Greer, "Break the Chains is a place where we come to recharge, to dance, but also to connect so that we can build the networks of solidarity that we need to defend our queer and trans community from systemic oppression."

Break the Chains started in September of 2014 at a co-op house in Jamaica Plain. Since then it has grown into one of Boston's most talked about LGBTQ events. Evan Greer, a longtime Boston activist and touring musician, wanted to create a dance party that brings together people of all genders and from various different backgrounds around a common drumbeat of social justice and good live music.

The party has been featured by WBUR, in the Boston Globe, Dig Boston, Rainbow Times, and Improper Bostonian, on WERS, and has been headlined by some of the hottest queer acts in the country including Downtown Boys, The Shondes, Defiance, Ohio, Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde, and bell's roar.

Bonfire Madigan Shive is a visionary cellist, vocalist, composer, performing artist, and internationally touring musician who has collaborated with music legends Jolie Holland, Acadamy Award nominee Elliot Smith, Joan Jeanrenaud from Kronos Quartet, and David Coulter of The Pogues. When she's not packing feminist punk clubs and art galleries with her cult fanbase, Madigan composes and performs original scores for major theater productions, most recently with Carey Perloff (Artistic Director, American Conservatory Theater), and has shared stages with legends like Kimya Dawson, Neko Case, Cat Power, Gossip, Fugazi, Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse.

Fusing art and activism, Madigan is a founding collective member of The Icarus Project, a grassroots support and media network led by people living with experiences commonly labeled "mental illness." The LA Weekly writes of Shive, "Check in with her. She'll leave you spellbound."

Break the Chains all-gender dance party
Featuring BONFIRE MADIGAN SHIVE
Plus: Anjimile, Myriam Ortiz, The Best Ever
Saturday, July 8
6-10 p.m. at Make Shift Boston
549 Columbus Ave, South End
Wheelchair accessible. All ages.
$10-20 sliding scale suggested donation at the door.

For information or to RSVP, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/459365894433633/
Contact: [email protected] for more info