Finally, Mosswood Meltdown is taking its maiden voyage, shimmying your way July 2 and 3.
The Oakland-based music feat, formerly known as Burger Boogaloo, has been held up due to COVID-related obstacles for the past two years, but the promoters Total Trash Productions assure us that Mosswood Park will be overflowing with singular punk acts, wild rock and roll shenanigans, and the witty bon mots of host John Waters. (The event dropped the Boogaloo name and association with host Burger Records after the label’s founders and artists were accused of widespread sexual misconduct.)
Don’t fret, all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new festival dates, plus there are more on sale. And there’s some powerhouse tweaks to the lineup. Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth, and Bikini Kill, both key components in the riot grrrl and indie-rock movement, will headline, sending an unassailable memo to all: The fest is celebrating the power of women along with the power of power chords.
“Mosswood Meltdown is here and Oakland’s going to have to duct-tape us to our seats because we’re hot to trot, infected with attitude, nuts from social distancing, and ready to slam dance to the moon,” stated the always frank Waters in a press release.
Also on hand for the musical mayhem: The Dirtbombs, Bleached, Hunx, and His Punx, Shannon Shaw, The Linda Lindas, Pansy Division, Brontez Purnell, and one of our fave Bay Area DJs, Omar Perez of Popscene. (You can see a full lineup at the ticket link here.)
Here are three musical picks from Mosswood Meltdown artists we can’t wait to catch.
Kim Gordon
“Hungry Baby” from her 2021 solo album No Home Record, sees the legend Kim Gordon give the spotlight to her daughter Coco Gordon-Moore, who stars in the video.
Shannon Shaw
The Clams’ captivating frontwoman and solo artist in her right gives insights on what fantastic records and other pieces of physical media she digs on the Amoeba webisode “What’s In My Bag?”
The Dirtbombs
“Shari Vari” is from the fifth album Party Store by Detroit’s own Dirtbombs. It’s a record that features all rock and roll covers of classic Detroit techno tracks by godfathers of the genre like Juan Atkins and Derrick May. The retro-throwback music video from the ”80s conveys the fact; Black can be done a million ways.
