Apes of the State

Apes of the State play the McMenamins Mission Theater on Tuesday, December 8. They're an independent folk punk band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and this is their only act on the bill.

They've been around since 2015, when the project started as a post-rehab bedroom folk punk thing from singer-songwriter April Hartman. She says she picked up a guitar to write about sex instead of drugs. From there it grew into a full band that blends classic folk punk, emo, pop punk, folk, and bluegrass, fronted by righteous, anger-fueled vocals and clever lyrical wordplay. They describe themselves as the only folk punk band not ashamed of being a folk punk band, and they've stayed fiercely independent with a DIY ethos, aiming to show that success is possible outside the traditional music industry framework.

This tour is a double milestone. They're celebrating ten years of This City Isn't Big Enough and the release of their newest album, Nothing Makes Sense Anymore. Between the two, you'll get a look at where they started and where they are now. The Mission Theater itself has a history of its own, having been a locus of great spiritual zeal since the 1890s.

Doors open at 7 PM and the show starts at 8 PM. The venue is at 1624 NW Glisan St in Portland.