To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album, the folk punk group Violent Femmes invited the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to be their “back-up band” in this electrifying concert which mixes classical and rock.
Violent Femme’s 40th Anniversary with the Milwaukee Symphony airs Friday, December 13 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Violent Femmes formed in 1981 playing on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their first album, “Violent Femmes,” amplified teenage angst and alienation with such songs as “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up,” and “Gone Daddy Gone,” written by lead vocalist and guitarist Gordon Gano before he’d even gotten his driver’s license. Today, that debut release stands as a pillar of an American underground movement, and this concert pays homage to the band’s lasting influence.
Photo: Gordon Gano/Credit: Janelle Rominski/Milwaukee PBS