
As of right now, it looks like the only Florida date on Chastity Belt’s itinerary is happening on May 25 at Crowbar in Ybor City.
The Seattle quartet’s appearance comes as a part of Love Your Rebellion’s BabeFest, which is moving the party from St. Petersburg to Tampa in 2019.
"As always happens, when booking shows it comes down to what location has the best venue for the show's needs. We needed a large venue capacity to bring in a national act from our market, and Crowbar fit that description best right now,” Angela Page, founder of the nonprofit Love Your Rebellion (LYR), told CL.
BabeFest — an arts and activism festival — was born in Fort Myers, but it moved to St. Petersburg’s Fubar in 2017.
Last year, the party was held a few blocks away at The Bends. Moving the party to Ybor City made sense for 2019 since the booking of Chastity Belt — an indie-pop band that can be provocative, goofy and extremely loving all in the same breath — marks the first time BabeFest has been able to secure a national headliner.
“St. Pete is undergoing some changes, and it wasn't possible for us to find what we needed there at this time,” Page, 34, said. “But that doesn't mean we won't be returning there in the future if we find it's right for the event."
In 2018, the band — made up of Julia Shapiro, Gretchen Grimm, Lydia Lund and Annie Truscott—cut a U.S. tour short, citing “health concerns” and a need for self-care, so the band’s return is a welcome sight.
Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, February 22 at 10 a.m. EST and will cost $18-$20. Support on the bill includes St. Petersburg rock outfit Broom Closet, which makes a rare appearance for the occasion, plus Page’s own band, The Young Dead.
Love Your Rebellion’s BabeFest. Sat. May 25, 6 p.m. $18-$20. Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City. loveyourrebellion.org.
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This article appears in Feb 14-21, 2019.
