Still a riot: Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and her journey to reunion and back on the road

May 3—Kathleen Hanna is most herself when she's on stage.

It's a good thing that the musician has returned to the stage with her band Bikini Kill.

"I've been so busy getting ready for tour," she says. "When something is happening I try to be there for it. We've been through this isolation.I want to get back on stage and meet that person again who loves being there."

Hanna is one member of the iconic feminist punk rock band Bikini Kill. The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement in the early 1990s.

By 1997, with two albums, the band decided to part ways. It's been in the last three years that the members — Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail and Erica Dawn Lyle — have gotten back together to perform. Dawn Lytle is the band's current guitarist starting in 2019.

Bikini Kill will perform a sold-out show at Sunshine Theater on Wednesday, May 4.

"I never thought Bikini Kill would get back together," Hanna says. "When we left each other, I was a ball of rage and tears — which I still am. I have a lot of different art mediums. I'm in my early 50s now getting back on stage. It blows my mind."

The impetus behind a Bikini Kill reunion was due to the band, The Raincoats.

Writer Jenn Pelly had written a book about the British punk band and Wilcox and Vail were lined up to perform the book release party. Hanna was asked to join them. The rest is history.

"I'm glad I took the call," she says. "Me and Kathi went and it was just our shared history outweighed any drama. I'm really blown away by the chemistry that was there again. I didn't want us getting back together to feel forced. I didn't want it to feel like a nostalgic party."

Growing up, Hanna says music was always at the forefront.

She and the band always wanted to make difference, but didn't think about what came next.

"I don't really think that much about the future honestly," Hanna says. "I knew I would be an artist. I thought I would be a painter. I wanted to be like Grandma Moses. I didn't think that far ahead."

One thing that remained clear for Bikini Kill is they wanted to send a message.

Hanna says many of the songs they recorded nearly 30 years ago are still relevant today.

"It's sad that some of the songs are still talking about issues today," she says. "I was trying to remember how we did a song live. I watched a video on YouTube and Tobi is talking about the right to reproductive health. Women's right to abortion is still under fire. In some cases, we're in an even worse position with it. It's a reminder that history isn't linear. We have a lot more work to do."

Hanna says with the anti-trans and anti-gay bills making the rounds, she tries to keep her rage at bay.

"I want to get on stage to share my rage in a joyful way," she says. "Hopefully that will resonate with people who are feeling anger."

As Hanna gets ready to head back out on tour, the excitement is still there.

"We've done the rehearsals for the songs," she says. "I'm working on building the stamina to do this nightly. All plans go out the window when I'm in it. That's the best part of what we do."

BIKINI KILL

WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4

WHERE: Sunshine Theater, 120 Central Ave. SW

HOW MUCH: Sold out; information at ampconcerts.org