Bite Me Bambi and Eat This
Tahlena Chikamiof Bite Me Bambi - Photo ©JohnGreenwood
Bite Me Bambi
will be returning to the Bay Area as one of the headliners for the inaugural Doll Fest March 1st & 2nd at The Cornerstone in Berkeley.
For those who haven’t had the chance to catch this high-energy SoCal ska band, this is the perfect opportunity—not only to see them live but to take in an incredible lineup that includes Dog Party, Ansible, Elephant Walk, The Iron Roses, and many more. At the same time, you'll be supporting a festival that’s more than worth celebrating. Doll Fest is a brand-new event dedicated to femme and queer artists, devised, organized, and powered by an all-femme DIY volunteer staff. The festival is the brainchild of CEO and founder Maria Chaos.
Sparka of Bite Me Bambi - Photo ©JohnGreenwood
BMB will also be showcasing their new album, Eat This, set for release on February 14th, 2025. After a few listens, I can confirm that all the boundless spirit and energy of their live performances seamlessly transfer to Eat This. With each listen, my favorite song changes—"Too Many People," "Girls Like You," "Do the Damned," "Bad Boyfriend," "Like That," "Want You Bad"—the quality of these tracks makes it impossible to choose just one. There isn’t a weak moment on this album. Every song bursts with BMB’s signature mix of sass, charm, and polish, capturing the fun and energy of their live shows in full force.
Tahlena Chikami of Bite Me Bambi - All photos ©JohnGreenwood
I was lucky enough to catch up with BMB’s singer, Tahlena Chikami, to get her thoughts as Doll Fest approaches recently for a little view of her thoughts heading towards Doll Fest.
John: What was the motivation behind BMB deciding to support Doll Fest?
Tahlena: Doll Fest is a really cool concept for me. Showcasing femme and queer musicians—I am always down for that. Also, Maria Chaos, who is the organizer, is one of the nicest people I know. So, it's a joy to work with her, which made it a one-two punch.
John: The inspiration for Doll Fest is about the empowerment of women and queer artists. How would you see yourself within this movement?
Tahlena: I always say, "You can't be what you don't see." When I was growing up, there were female musicians, but they were fewer and far between. Most of the ska bands of my generation right now are female-fronted or have female musicians, which I think is very cool! I think the only way to continue having amazing female musicians coming through this world is by showing other young girls that you can do it. There is a place here for you. I hope to show that you can live authentically and be yourself doing what you love. And I try to be an example of that so that other young girls can see me and think, "Hey, I can pick up a guitar, or sing, or write a song." You know?
John: On the brink of the BMB new album release Eat This and the ever-increasing buzz and interest about the band, how are the pressures and demands of the industry, i.e. your loss of anonymity, feeling?
Tahlena: I feel like I am very lucky to be just a girl in a ska band, and it's not that crazy. But I think I have had to set up some boundaries around social media. Getting sucked into too much of that world can be unhealthy mentally. So, I have been taking a step back to ground myself. The internet can be a wonderful place, but it can also be a very mean and lonely place. So, I try to keep my feet on the ground and not lose myself to other people's expectations or what they want or perceive me to be. I think as I get older, it's important to keep some things just for me. With social media, sometimes it's easy to give too much of yourself away. But recently, I have sort of figured out that there are a few things I need to keep just for me—just to stay healthy. There are a lot of photoshopped images of me online, and I don't begrudge the photographers or graphic artists that do that sort of thing. I would be going, "Look at these great fake abs they've given me!" (she chuckles). But I started thinking that I don't want other people feeling bad about themselves after seeing a version of me that is not real. And I certainly don't want people seeing fake versions of me and thinking that is how they need to look or be. For example, I have never wanted plastic surgery in my life. Then I was watching an episode of The Kardashians and was thinking, "What if I got a boob job?" Wait! "What am I doing?" (laughs) You have to keep that part of your brain in check.
John: Being headliners on the second day of Doll Fest, which happens to be a Sunday, will you be playing "Strippers on a Sunday" as part of the set?
Tahlena: Oh, always! I believe when we got the offer from DF, it was written into the email: "You must play 'Strippers.'" There's a good, fun energy about singing that song live, especially when it is actually a Sunday.
Tahlena Chikami of Bite Me Bambi - Photo ©JohnGreenwood
John: As a keen studier of such trivia, why, what, how, or who decided the name Bite Me Bambi?
Tahlena: It comes from the Josie & The Pussycats movie from the early 2000s. It was the movie that made me want to be a musician. One of the characters says, "Oh, bite me, Bambi."
Tahlena Chikamiof Bite Me Bambi - All photos ©JohnGreenwood
John: Where would you hope BMB to be in 5 years' time?
Tahlena: I would like to keep in this collaborative way we are working and making records. I would like to keep touring like we do right now. I think as we get older, it gets a little harder. People kind of want to do different things and start families, etc. We have always been a family-first band. I would love to keep that energy going. So, as my bandmates' kids get older, maybe they can come with us on the European tour? We do fewer days, and it's more like a fun family vacation. I wouldn't be mad about that. I think it's about us managing our burnout and making sure we are all feeling heard and having a good time. Sure, it would be great to play bigger shows and with bigger bands and bigger whatever... But I think to set our goals to be attainable, I would like us to still be friends and enjoying what we do.
John: What other bands are you excited to see at DF?
Tahlena: Our friends Stop The Presses are playing two bands before us on the Sunday on the ska section of the show. So, I am excited to see them both personally and to see them play. It's going to be a great time! It will be fun!
Doll Fest is an all-ages, two-day festival. Click the flyer for the full lineup and snag your 1- or 2-day tickets while they’re still available!
To get Bite Me Bambi’s new album Eat This, head to their website or find it on your favorite streaming or social media platform.
bitemebambi.com
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