Los Angeles’ third annual GIRLSCHOOL Festival, a benefit for the Los Angeles Girls Rock Camp that celebrates “women-identified-fronted bands and women artists,” has seen some surprises this weekend, including appearances from Karen O and Best Coast. Last night, lucky audiences were treated to another guest appearance when Fiona Apple joined Garbage’s Shirley Manson onstage for a cover of late singer Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me”. Manson and Apple were joined by the Girl School Choir, which is comprised of several other of the festival’s performers.
Serving as an exclamation point to the performance was Apple’s homemade “KNEEL PORTNOW” shirt, a reference to Recording Academy president Neil Portnow and the call from female record executives for him to step down from his position amidst sexist comments he made regarding female representation at the Grammy Awards. Manson, too, has been a vocal presence in our culture’s move towards female empowerment, having recently told off Morrissey for his comments defending alleged abusers Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
Watch their performance below.