Frontwoman Fest returns for a third year this Saturday, April 1, hosted once again by the Burlington. Organizer and cofounder Elaine Davis, who performs as Spaces of Disappearance, says the festival’s work raising up women and femme-identifying artists isn’t done, and it’s hard to argue with that. So many sectors of the music business remain inhospitable to women (or nearly devoid of them) that such work will likely have to continue for the foreseeable future.
In general, women and femme musicians don’t get booked in the same numbers as their male peers, and the problem is especially bad at big festivals. This reality motivates FWF’s organizers, Davis says. “I feel like there’s still a lot that needs to be done in terms of leveling the playing field as far as representation of artists,” she says. “It’s not something specific to Chicago. It’s nationwide. It’s global.” That said, the acts at Frontwoman Fest also include plenty of men—it’s “open and welcome to everybody,” says Davis, “but it does put an emphasis on the female and femme musicians.”
Their responses (edited for clarity) appear below.
FWF provides a platform and entire day for women to come together, celebrate one another’s art and music, and change the male-dominated music scene. Although it occurs only once a year, I believe it fosters more community awareness for women and music. More shows in Chicago need to be like this.
Ashley Holman of So Pretty
Golden Moses by Pixel Grip
