If you’ve ever heard of the New Orleans subgenre of hip hop called Bounce, it is because Big Freedia made it so.
And the Louisiana artist is bringing her “sissy bounce” to Honolulu next month for the first time ever to perform at Hallowbaloo.
But why would we try and talk about how much fun a Freedia (pronounced FREE-duh) performance is when we could let the hilarious discomfort of the New York Times illustrate Freedia’s amazingness for us:
The crowd — just about evenly divided between men and women — instantly segregated itself: the men were propelled as if by a centrifuge toward the room’s perimeters, and the dance floor, a platform raised just a step off the ground, was taken over entirely by women surrounding Freedia. The women did not dance with, or for, one another — they danced for Freedia, and they did so in the most sexualized way imaginable, usually with their backs to her, bent over sharply at the waist, and bouncing their hips up and down as fast as humanly possible, if not slightly faster. Others assumed more of a push-up position, with their hands on the floor, in a signature dance whose name is sometimes helpfully shortened to “p-popping.”
We think this is what they’re talking about:
Hallowbaloo’s lineup also includes Quadraphonix, featuring Iyeoka, David Lindley, Kalalea Lights, Yoza, Maryanne Ito and the Astatine Collective, Reggie Padilla and the Stella Bean Brass Band, Doolin Rakes, DJ Mr. Nick, Erin Smith, Stef Muzic, Cherry Blossom Cabaret, supercw, Hawaii Pole Dancers, Anton Glamb, Activ8 Electro Jazz, The Aphrodisiacs, The Infamous Bourbon Boys, Lola Love, Gamelan Parisuda, Krewe of Da Kine, and others that have yet to be announced.
“Hallowbaloo is one of the most anticipated creative showcases of the year featuring a diverse array of musicians and a crowd of 15,000 Halloween fanatics adorned in original costumes that for many are just as entertaining as the music,” Festival Director Mark Tarone said in a statement.
Hallowbaloo is great for Chinatown businesses as it’s usually their richest time of the year, it’s great for people who like funky parties, and it’s great for people who like to go to live shows and don’t get to see obscure, yet influential acts come through Hawaii. Basically, Hallowbaloo is Hawaii’s best fest.
And Big Freedia makes it even better.
Here’s where you can get your tickets.