Cheap Perfume Takes Colorado Fem-Core on the Road

As anyone in Denver’s punk scene knows, a Cheap Perfume show is a sonic blast of guitar chords, big drums, quick and heavy bass, and scathingly sharp yet sardonically poetic messages of social justice and empowerment. It’s also a helluva lot of fun. That’s the appeal of a band that is, as it calls itself, “fun, foul-mouthed and unapologetic.”

Now fans outside of Colorado will get the chance to experience Cheap Perfume’s sound and attitude as the band embarks on its first-ever tour this month. The self-described "fem-core punk" group will join the Atlanta-based rockers of Sarah and the Safe Word (SASW) for a West Coast run starting on April 24 at the Nile Underground in Mesa, Arizona. Then Cheap Perfume will be back to its Denver stamping grounds on Sunday, May 5, for a victory lap at the hi-dive.

The news of a “first-ever tour” may come as a surprise to local music fans who know Cheap Perfume from shows up and down the Front Range, as well as festivals. Though the band has played regularly for years, “the farthest we’ve gone was Salt Lake City last year, for Mind the Gap Fest,” says guitarist/vocalist Jane No. The band has had many tour offers, but the members finally found a time that worked for everyone.

“We’ve been together since 2015,” No says, “and it’s weird, or I guess unusual, that we haven’t toured, but that’s mostly because we all have demanding day jobs.” Just because a band has a ton of streams on Spotify doesn’t mean that pays the bills. “Meanwhile,” No dryly observes, “the CEO is a billionaire.”

While the band has long discussed going on the road, this tour materialized after SASW's manager reached out, and “we didn’t have to plan the whole tour, and the stars aligned to enable us to tour,” No explains. There also may have been a connection through Geoff Brent, aka "Goffo,” Cheap Perfume’s bassist and co-songwriter. "It's possible," No says, "that their manager knows our bass player." Lead vocalist Stephanie Byrne agrees, laughing: “Goffo just knows everyone.”

The tour pairing seems like a perfect fit for Cheap Perfume, as SASW shows have been described as “very big and very raucous and as loud as they are theatrical.” And while that band’s songs are not overtly political or socially conscious like Cheap Perfume's, SASW is known for its support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other marginalized groups.
Taking the show on the road is an exciting challenge for a band so ingrained in its local scene. At a Cheap Perfume concert, the audience is intrinsically part of the experience; Byrne makes that non-negotiable when she storms into the crowd the moment the first chord is struck. A blurred line between band and audience is integral to punk, and local fans passionately engage. In fact, at a Cheap Perfume show, the entire audience cuts loose when Byrne screams, “Yes, it’s okay to punch Nazis!”

Maintaining that punk connection at larger venues, however, can be challenging, something that Cheap Perfume has faced playing such festivals as Mind the Gap and Punk in Drublic.

“Sometimes we have to change even the dynamics of the songs we’re doing,” Byrne says of the festival scene. “You know,” she adds with a laugh, “it’s really hard to dog-holler people from ten feet away.” At a venue like Fiddler’s Green, she says, “there’s no way I can get anywhere close to those people.” That said, playing Punk In Drublic with some legendary headliners “was a really great experience,” No acknowledges. “To have people calling out to us,” Byrne elaborated, was part of the adventure, and “it was cool how people still get that connection in their own way.”

That connection comes from the music bridging the gap. “It’s definitely a different energy exchange,” Byrne says of playing festivals and performing for new crowds on tour. Granted, in the era of streaming, Cheap Perfume will certainly find some West Coast fans familiar with them. “There’s definitely traction out there,” Byrne continues, noting the band’s streams in 158 countries. “But it’s exciting to bring our show to people who’ve never been able to see us before, and I’m ready to win people over.”

One notable venue where the band will be thrilled to win over the crowd is the legendary 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley. “That’s the date I’m most excited about,” No says, “because it’s just so iconic.” Gilman Street can be an intense place for bands because of high expectations for authenticity to the punk ethos, but East Bay fans won’t be disappointed by Cheap Perfume. “We’re not the most amazing musicians in the world,” No admits, “but punk is the perfect vehicle if you want to get a message out.” And the messages from a “riot grrrl band that is anti-capitalist, anti patriarchy and pro-fun” will undoubtedly resonate with the West Coast punk scene.
In taking its Colorado fem-core punk to the coast, Byrne says the group is “proud of the Colorado scene, and when we’re out on tour, I will be proud to represent.” Getting there will be part of the fun. Reminiscent of the seminal punk book from Henry Rollins, Cheap Perfume is ready to Get in the Van — literally. A recent picture on Insta touted the band’s new vehicle, which the members have deemed “Cheap Per-Vroom 2.0!” It’s the group’s second attempt at having a band van; the first was bought really cheap years ago, but broke down when Cheap Perfume loaned it to another band for a tour. “We hope 2.0 will get us where we need to go,” No says. “I wish we had better road stories; I’m sure we will after this tour.”

Fans will also be excited to hear that a new album is in the works, and Cheap Perfume may try out some of the new material on the tour; fresh audiences with no specific expectations can be a great place to do that. “We have two songs we might debut on the road,” No hints, “but we also feel like if you’re touring for the first time, you should probably play the all-timers and not new stuff.”

”I’d like to do it this year,” No adds of releasing the album, adding that it will be "developing an anti-capitalist theme.” That approach will complement the band’s anti-fascist, anti-misogyny, anti-patriarchy spirit. With a message that has been integral for the punk community since its beginning, Byrne explains the socio-economic focus: “People are going to continue to get poorer and poorer, and it’s important not to turn on each other, but the people in power. It is class warfare.”

And that's punk.

Cheap Perfume, 8 p.m. Sunday, May 5, hi-dive, 7 South Broadway. Tickets are $15-$18.