King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard took to the stage in drag for their third show at the Caverns Ampitheater in Grundy County, Tennessee this past weekend (June 3).
The band’s performance, as noted by SPIN, came mere hours after a recent Tennessee state law banning public drag performances was officially deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge. It was also reportedly “Pride Night” at the venue, as part of ongoing Pride Month celebrations around the world throughout June.
“This ain’t no protest, baby,” guitarist Joey Walker said to the audience. “This is a celebration!” Vocalist/harmonica player Ambrose Kenny-Smith, meanwhile, joked that the set would be “the first and last time you’ll ever see [him] on stage in shorts”.
The band also premiered a new song, entitled ‘Witchcraft’, during the performance – which can be viewed below:
King Gizzard are the latest in a line of notable artists to either play their set in drag or otherwise speak out in protest of the state’s law since it came into effect while performing in Tennessee. Yo La Tengo did the former in Nashville, while high-profile acts such as Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams and Lizzo have opted for the latter.
Lizzo, during her Knoxville performance in late April, went one step further by bringing drag queens on-stage to perform with her. “What people are doing in Tennessee is giving hope,” the singer said during the show. “Thank you so much for standing up for your rights, protecting each other and holding the people accountable who should be protecting us.”
King Gizzard are currently on a North American residency tour, where they are playing multiple shows in a city rather than going from place to place every night. Their 24th album, ‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation’, will be released later this month on June 16.