THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The 25th annual Lollapalooza may have been a celebration of corporate rock 'n' roll on a gargantuan level, but the third annual Fed Up Fest ( which took place July 29-31 ) was all about creating and sustaining community, friendship and personal well-being. Oddly enough, where Lolapalooza presents rock and popular music as sheer entertainment, Fed Up Fest has remained as an event that embraces the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the alienated. Where rock 'n' roll at its beginnings was about rebellion and acceptance, if feels ironic that its spirit would be taken up by queer punk rockers not as entertainment and an avenue of empowerment but as a rallying point.

This year's event had a change of location, moving to the cozy Auxiliary Arts Center, 3012 W. Belmont Ave., and the cavernous Black Couch Studio, 4200 W. Diversey Pkwy., but the focus remained the same. As a festival focused on homocore, or queer punk rock, for the uninitiated, this festival has managed to be eclectic as well as informative and welcoming. Trans rights, racism, femmephobia, misogyny, fatphobia, ableism, white privilege and cultural appropriation are all subjects that are addressed in a clear way with an overriding emphasis on acceptance. In other words, this is a space where everyone is welcome and embraced—no questions asked.

One facet that I have always found amusing is that Fed Up Fest and the larger Riot Fest—two festivals given over to punk and heavy metal—have managed to be the most friendly and comfortable such events that I've ever attended, and this year was no exception.

But enough about the cultural factors or politics, Fed Up Fest offered two days of flaming queer rock 'n' roll. ( I was unable to attend the third and final day. ) Mermaid N.V. offered a set of woman-on-woman self-love that embraced the female body as a work of art. WEB was far darker, presenting a personal set depicting ongoing trauma and healing which was challenging but ultimately rewarding. England's Jesus and his Judgmental Father ripped through a set of pop punk that was altogether furious and entertaining, but the kicker was South Philly native Moor Mother Goddess. Melding beats, chants, rap, noise rock, metal and hardcore, her set was alternately hypnotic, cryptic and bluntly topical. Hearing her take on the current state of affairs with racism and police brutality from a queer perspective had a bracing impact on the crowd and it felt like the whole room had been doused in ice water.

The second night had its share of surprises as well. Minnesota band Naïve Sense brought psychotic rage to the space and ignited the slam dancing while Kyle of San Francisco's SISSYFIT brought the queer humor with tales of strange sex and odd white-collar jobs.

The high point was certainly ONO and part of the fun of its set was to check out the reaction in the room. Lead vocalist Travis greeted the packed crowd with, "I bring you greetings from ... the morgue" before launching into a set packed with cultural references and disturbing imagery. That he performed with tongue firmly in cheek clearly flipped out the uninitiated, who didn't expect to hear punk bromides from a 68-year-old queer Black man in a silk wedding dress. ONO may have delivered a sobering punch line to all the young punks in the room who had never seen them by proving that the germ of queer punk rage—and every other flavor of rage, for that matter—is hardly new but centuries-old.

With afternoon segments given over to workshops including approaches to the mental-health system and trans issues ( "Changing Identity Documents," which was led by Tanvi Sheth of The Transformative Justice Law Project ), Fed Up Fest has continued to evolve as a queer cornucopia of creativity and well being and stands has something that is essential for the LGBTQ community. As in past years, the proceeds from the festival were donated to a non-profit organization which serves the LGBTQ community. This years recipient was The Transformative Justice Law Project, which works to empower queer and trans communities in navigating the legal system.