Lori Anne Barbero (born November 27, 1961) is an American musician and singer who rose to notoriety as the drummer of the
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
-based
punk rock band
Babes in Toyland, which she joined in 1987. After the dissolution of Babes in Toyland in 2001, Barbero subsequently played drums for the bands Eggtwist and Koalas. In 2015, she reunited with Babes in Toyland, performing on an international tour with the band.
Early life
Barbero was born in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
on November 27, 1961.
She is of
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
n descent. At the age of fourteen, her father moved the family to
Pearl River, New York, where she attended high school, graduating in 1978.
During her teenage years, Barbero often ventured into
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to attend concerts, specifically at
CBGB
CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kr ...
,
[ which exposed her to a wide array of bands: "From where my house was—we lived on a hill—I could see New York. So I went into the city a lot, and I saw a lot of music," Barbero recalled. "I liked music that was probably not as acceptable to a lot of ears as it was to mine. In high school, I loved ]David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and I loved Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. I remember going to the city and seeing a lot of punk stuff, ike
Ike or IKE may refer to:
People
* Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname
* Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname
...
the Tubes and Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''.
Called the "punk poet ...
, and the New York Dolls. I was pretty lucky because it was just part of my life."[
After high school, Barbero moved to Key West, Florida before returning to Minneapolis, where she attended the ]University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
before dropping out and working as a waitress.
Career
Barbero had never played a musical instrument prior to joining Babes in Toyland,[ but had always wanted to learn to play drums. Upon meeting ]Kat Bjelland
Katherine Lynne Bjelland (born December 9, 1963) is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. ...
at a barbecue in the mid-1980s, Bjelland asked her to start a band with her.[Gaar, Gillian G]
"She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll"
''Seal Press''. 2002.
After the dissolution of Babes in Toyland in the early 2000s, Barbero worked as a music manager
A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day ...
, and for a time was Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...
's assistant during the recording of '' America's Sweetheart'' (2004), beginning in 2002. She was subsequently employed by the South by Southwest Music Festival
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, T ...
in Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
as an assistant production manager for a total of seven years, beginning in the late 2000s. She was also part owner of the now defunct Minneapolis label Spanish Fly Records, whose roster included Smut, Dumpster Juice, Milk, REO Speedealer, Sleep Capsule, and Likehell.
Lori contributed to a zine called After Grrrl (Small Stories From Big Lives) in 2015. The zine included stories from many influential female artists, icons, and taste makers including Allison Wolfe, Camille Rose Garcia, Tara McPherson
Tara McPherson (born April 7, 1976, in San Francisco, California) is an American artist based in New York. McPherson creates paintings, murals, poster art, and designer toys, within the New Contemporary Art movement.
Biography
Tara McPherson s ...
, Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born 27 October 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, model, and fashion designer. The daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, she appeared on the reality show '' The Osbournes'' (2002–2005) w ...
, Bonnie Burton
Bonnie Burton (born July 12, 1972) is a San Francisco-based author, journalist, comedian, actress, and show host. She is best known for arts & crafts books like ''The Star Wars Craft Book,'' and appearances on web series including ''Geek DIY'' on ...
, Remy Holwick, Jessicka
Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and retired musician. Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the alternative rock band Jack Off Jill, and later for the noise-po ...
, Janine Jarman
Janine Jarman (born April 17, 1981) is an American hairstylist, salon owner, and American television personality. Her participation as a contestant on the television show '' Shear Genius'' led her to style several famous clients including Fergie ...
as well as many others.[LUSTIG. HANNA]
Grrrl, You Need A Copy Of Jack Off Jill's New Fan Zine
Bust (magazine)
''Bust'' is a women's lifestyle magazine that is published four times a year. The magazine is published by Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel. ''Bust'' covers music, news, crafts, art, sex, and fashion from an independent ("indie"), third wave fem ...
Personal life
As of 2014, Barbero divided her time between Minneapolis and Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
.
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
My Space: Koalas
Sound Unseen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbero, Lori
1961 births
Living people
Musicians from Minneapolis
American musicians of Filipino descent
American people of Scandinavian descent
American rock drummers
American women drummers
University of Minnesota alumni
20th-century American drummers
20th-century American women musicians
21st-century American women