Live Pick: Stop Karen, Rebel Rebel, + Local Drag Performances

City Weekly Feb. 2020

Sunday 2/2 Stop Karen, Rebel Rebel, Fists in the Wind In the words of Stop Karen, "Stop Karen is Zooey Deschanel's chubby redneck cousin six beers into a house party." Not any sort of typical folk/indie/punk quartet, their fast-paced and uplifting sound is mixed with realistically and relatably angst-ridden lyrics that make the perfect recipe for adult lullabies—the kind we all secretly wish would be sung to us at night. On Feb. 2, Stop Karen releases the album It's Probably Fine after evolving from a much different sound apparent on their first releases, 2017's Neither Here Nor There and Bad Southerner / Coke and Cola, each collections of tinny little bedroom songs reliant on a lot of ukulele. Their new album likely follows in the vein of their 2019 single "My Stupid Mouth," where drums are ultra-present and the still-DIY delivery is all-around punchier. Live, frontwoman Katie McEntire makes the audience swoon while the rest of the band—drummer Kat Kellermeyer, bassist Brennan Waters and guitarist and fellow vocalist Molly Porter—push the energy that so desperately wants to explode. Support for this album release is found in fellow locals of the garage-leaning set, including the hustling and bustling Rebel Rebel, who specialize in no-nonsense indie rock that moves between tender melody and plain-faced angst. Fellow locals Fists in the Wind plays alongside local drag performances. (Kenzie Waldon) Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $5, 21+, theurbanloungeslc.com