Bartees Strange, Speedy Ortiz to Play Festival

Bartees Strange, Speedy Ortiz, L’Rain, and others will play the inaugural Liberation Weekend festival, which takes place in Washington D.C. at Black Cat and DC9 on the weekend of May 30.

The two-day festival is organized by D.C. rockers Ekko Astral (who are also slated to play the fest) and the grassroots collective Gender Liberation Movement, and is part of WorldPride 2025. Day One features Minneapolis musician Zora, the Ophelias, Combat, Perennial, Pinkshift, Um, Jennifer?, and others — including a “secret guest” billed for the first evening. Bartees Strange, Speedy Ortiz, L’Rain, Ted Leo, and others will perform on Day Two, for a Red Hot Org/TRAИƧA showcase.

“The reason we’re putting this event on is simple: Artists of all genders and genres should stand in vocal support of the trans community,” said Ekko Astral’s Jael Holzman, a trans woman who left her job as a reporter in Congress last year after fearing her workplace was no longer safe, in a statement. (Holzman has written for Rolling Stone).

She continued: “If you stand for freedom of expression, you support trans rights. If you believe in loving your neighbor, you support trans rights. Music is humanity’s most universal language — and we need our best artists to come together in support of our community now before it’s too late.” 

Proceeds from the fest will go to the Gender Liberation Movement to help fund future protests, rallies, and demonstrations. Tickets are on sale now.

“I’ve been an out trans woman touring for over a decade, and this is the most precarious it’s ever felt to be making art in America in that time,” Speedy Ortiz’s Audrey Zee Whitesides said. “It’s always been a struggle against reactionaries and often against our own industry, but now we’ve reached a point when we can’t be left alone in that struggle anymore. Increased trans visibility has been beautiful, but events like Liberation Weekend are a chance for allies to do more than just see us — it’s time to stand together, make a lot of noise together, and raise some money for organizations putting in the real work.”

Added Red Hot Org’s Dust Reid: “Showing up to celebrate queer culture in moments of widespread grief is exactly what Red Hot has been doing since 1990. These TRAИƧA contributors remind us who we are and that art is where the truth of life remains, no matter what. It’s urgent to protect that.”