by Jake McKenzie
photo by Joe Leonard
Against Me!’s iconic 2002 debut, Reinventing Axl Rose, was an instant punk classic. It was just so good, so raw, and so punk that some fans accused the band of selling out when they signed with legendary punk label Fat Wreck Chords the following year. Little did the naysayers know, Against Me!’s meteoric rise to power was only just beginning…and “selling out” remained the furthest thing from their agenda. When singer Laura Jane Grace came out as trans in 2012, she became a seminal figure in the trans rights movement overnight. But as Laura insists, she’s not a spokesperson — just a rocker, which is evident when you hear a lifetime of pent-up rage spill out across the band’s 2014 release, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. On Sunday, Against Me! is set to play both albums in their entirety. And maybe if we’re lucky and Laura is feeling particularly brave, she’ll encore with her new single “I Hate Chicago.”
