Against Me! Singer Tom Gabel Makes Live Debut as Laura Jane Grace
It came as a surprise earlier this month when Against Me! rocker Tom Gabel revealed that she had been dealing with transgender dysphoria over the years, and that she had decided to start living life as a woman.
After making the announcement, the singer made her concert debut on Friday night as her new persona, Laura Jane Grace. Rolling Stone reports that Against Me! took the stage at San Diego’s Humphreys Concerts by the Bay and played a 40-minute set, with Grace leading the way.
“I was worried that people expected me to come out looking like Little Bo Peep or something,” said the vocalist after the show. As for her appearance, Grace turned up in a loose-fitting tank top with tight black jeans and black eye shadow. The set included six new tracks, including one that hit pretty close to home called ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues.’ The song will supposedly be the title track for a new album the band is working on.
Grace is reportedly two weeks into hormone replacement therapy, a process that redistributes some of the body mass, and the singer says her stamina held up just fine despite early reservations about how it would affect the performance.
For fans, the transition seemed to take place in stride. Jimmy Gomez told the magazine website, “She did it for herself, not for anybody else. This is about her. She’s doing something she really loves now and she’s really happy — that’s really awesome.” Another fan, Maddie Leyland, added, “I really support her in being able to come out to everyone. I’m excited to see what happens to the band, too, what they all do with it.”