Rent Strike’s frontman talks Stoopfest

John Warmb is looking forward to this weekend’s festival

THURSDAY, April 21 — Lansing punk-folk band Rent Strike is gearing up for Stoopfest, the city’s DIY music festival starting tomorrow.

Rent Strike’s frontman and principal songwriter, John Warmb, said the band has been “shaking off some rust” in preparation for the festival.  On Saturday (April 23), the group is performing at 3 p.m. at the Allen Neighborhood Center.

“We’re super excited to get in front of a crowd in Lansing again,” Warmb said. “It’s been a long time, and we love the community here.”

Festivalgoers can anticipate hearing tracks from the band’s November 2021 record, NOW, which has a sci-fi concept. The band will be playing older tracks as well.  

Aside from performing, many band members are helping run the festival. In previous years, Warmb served on the planning committee for the festival. This year, he’ll be acting as a stage manager at the Allen Street location. Guitarist Emma Grrrl, who’s also in She/Her/Hers, and drummer Nick LaForge are on the volunteer board of those who organize Stoopfest.

“We’ve all got some responsibilities that day, so it’s not a day of full revelry,” Warmb said. 

Although this year’s festival will look a bit different than before, with most venues allowing for outdoor performances, Warmb is looking forward to seeing how the Lansing music scene has changed since the pandemic. 

“I’m excited to see what people have been up to the past couple years,” he said. “And if we’re going to see a return to form in some cases, or a breaking of new ground in other cases. There’s a lot of possibility and opportunity.” 

He’s also looking forward to watching headlining acts Screaming Females and Sydney Gish perform, especially with warm spring weather expected this weekend. 

“I’m grateful for the work that goes into bringing some live music here and giving so many local artists the opportunity to get in front of some people and play for some friends,” Warmb said.