Join us for the kick off of the LAist + KCET ARTBOUND Screening Series: Chinatown Punk Wars, with a free screening, conversation, and live performance by the Linda Lindas at Grand Performances.
Hosted in partnership with LAist & KCET, the inaugural event will start with the premiere screening of the new documentary Chinatown Punk Wars, which digs into how two Chinatown restaurants became the implausible heart of LA’s burgeoning punk scene in the 1970s. Following the screening, Antonia Cereijido (she/her), host of the Imperfect Paradise podcast from LAist Studios, will lead a discussion with all-girl, LA-based punk band The Linda Lindas and musician/author/punk rock trailblazer Alice Bag (she/her) and Jessica Schwartz (she/her), associate professor, music industry; musicology at the The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The event will conclude with a special live performance by The Linda Lindas.
About the Linda Lindas
Half Asian and half Latinx. Two sisters, a cousin, and their close friend. The Linda Lindas channel the spirit of original punk, power pop, and new wave through today's ears, eyes, and minds. Mila (11), Eloise (13), Lucia (14), and Bela (17) first played together as part of Kristin Kontrol’s pickup cover band comprised of inexperienced kids for Girlschool LA in January 2018, where they were joined by Bobb and Bethany from Best Coast and Karen O. That summer, Bela asked Lucia, Eloise, and Mila to back her up on a few songs at a Hi-Hat gig, and the group was born.
They weren't called The Linda Lindas until they started playing Save Music in Chinatown benefit matinees in the fall, where they’ve shared the stage with punk lifers and legends including The Dils, Alley Cats, The Last, The Gears, and Phranc. They’ve also played with Alice Bag, joined Best Coast and Money Mark at a DIY political fund raiser, opened a sold-out record release show for Bleached, and were hand-picked by Riot Grrrl legends Bikini Kill to open up for them at one of their reunion shows at the Hollywood Palladium. They rounded out 2019 with performances at the Viva! Pomona Festival and the Dia De Los Muertos Festival at Self-Help Graphics LA, and played a show for locals at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts shortly before the pandemic shut down live music.
In 2020, The Linda Lindas’ first original song was heard in the The Claudia Kishi Club documentary, they wrote a song and made a video with punk rock friends and legends to get out the vote in the presidential election, and they self-released the eponymous debut EP, which features songs penned and sung by each member of the band. In 2021, they reached a wider audience by appearing in a key scene of the Amy Poehler film, Moxie, before performing their now-legendary set for the Los Angeles Public Library that included “Racist, Sexist Boy.” Unexpectedly and organically, the clip went viral, expediting their deal with Epitaph Records.
ABOUT THE FILM “Chinatown Punk Wars”
Premieres Wed. Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. on KCET / Fri. Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
In the late 1970s, two Chinese restaurants became the unlikely epicenter of L.A.’s burgeoning punk scene. The emerging music form featured fast-paced songs and hard-edged melodies with anti-establishment messaging. As told through interviews with John Doe (X), Alice Bag (The Bags), Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag), and Martin Wong (Save Music in Chinatown) featuring music from current performers such as The Linda Lindas and more.
ABOUT PBS SOCAL and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO SmartCast TV. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.
