Rising from the ashes of the Riot Grrl movement, Le Tigre was a natural evolution, becoming a phenom of feminist and queer culture, simultaneously angry and inspired.

After disbanding legendary feminist punk band Bikini Kill, lead singer Kathleen Hanna focused on creating a separate identity beyond the baggage-laden, media-darling Riot Grrl culture. Initially intended as a “Ziggy Stardust”-style alter-ego project, Le Tigre became its own creature. Along with bandmates Johanna Fateman and JD Samson, Hanna shifted both musically and culturally by mixing stripped-down electronic beats with feminist and queer politics.

As a sneak preview at Frameline34, Le Tigre: On Tour profiles the band on its last tour in 2004, focusing on songs from the under-appreciated masterpiece This Island. Through energetic live performances interspersed with interviews — including Hanna’s oft-told story of her penning the title to a famous Nirvana song — this raw and captivating documentary shows how Le Tigre could transform even its catchiest club hits into bold political statements. The lasting impression is that of three friends, still excited about making music, and seemingly still surprised that people want to listen to it.

Above all, the film hilariously exhibits that being in Le Tigre was about having fun. As JD sings in “Viz,” an homage to female masculinity: “They call it way too rowdy, we call it finally free.”