Yo La Tengo play Nashville show in drag to protest Tennessee bill

nme.com:

Yo La Tengo performed their Nashville show in drag on Monday night (March 13), in what appeared to be a protest of the state’s restrictive new drag law.Earlier this month, Tennessee became the first US state to sign a law banning “adult cabaret” on public property or anywhere it could be seen by children, including “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers”.The statute – which means a ban on drag performances in public spaces, set to take effect on April 1 – and similar laws, are reportedly being pushed in other Republic-run states.yo la tengo protesting anti-drag laws tonight in tennessee, courtesy @JohnQBoxler.

pic.twitter.com/kB6IvqUeZX— jesse jarnow (parody, i think?) (@bourgwick) March 14, 2023Ira and James playing in drag yesterday in Tennessee, in response to the anti-drag bill that passed just some weeks ago.Yo La Tengo for president, someone said at Yellowjackets, and I agree.[Photo by Chris Conrad, via FB] pic.twitter.com/Za6LTr2Jie— Ethel Baraona Pohl (@ethel_baraona) March 14, 2023For the second half of Yo La Tengo’s set at The Basement East, band members Ira Kaplan and James McNew returned dressed in drag before performing ‘This Stupid World’, according to The Tennessean.Kaplan wore makeup along with a red dress and black wig, while McNew donned a shawl and sun hat.The band made no direct mention of the new law, but said in a statement (via Pitchfork): “What we did last night couldn’t have been clearer, and requires no further comment.”The band’s performance comes after The B-52s made a social media statement denouncing bills against drag artists and trans people in the US, the latter referring to separate legislation passed to.