SuperKnova, a genre-bending pop musician who got her start in Chicago’s indie music scene, is returning to the city this week for her first performance here since moving to New York City in 2021.
SuperKnova’s concert happens 8:30 p.m. June 21 at Schubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., and features an all-queer lineup of openers, including Bev Rage & the Drinks and Pictoria Vark. Advance tickets cost $15 and are available here.
SuperKnova, who grew up in West Dundee and moved to Chicago for college, came up in the city’s independent music scene while working in medical research as a day job. She was a prominent voice from within Lurie Children’s Hospital speaking out against its treatment of children who are born intersex—or having sex traits that don’t fit binary ideas of male and female.
SuperKnova told Windy City Times her upcoming show will be like a homecoming.
“The Chicago indie music scene is my home and my family,” SuperKnova said. “You can’t find a music scene like this anywhere else in a major city, so I can’t wait to be back.”
SuperKnova debuted in 2018 with Splendor Dysphoria, a 6-track EP full of eclectic guitar riffs and confessional lyrics about her experience coming out as a transgender woman. She followed up in 2019 with American Queers, a full-length pop album of empowering, Pride-themed bangers.
SuperKnova’s recent music has been less centered on the trans experience, but still told through a queer lens, she said.
Her second album, superuniverse, came out in May 2023. She followed up that October with her latest single, Ava Gardner, a feel-good track about feeling sexy and carefree in a relationship.
“I’m trying to show another side of things,” SuperKnova said. “The queerness and the transness is not an explicit part of the music, but it’s still there.”
SuperKnova’s new music, which she hopes to put out later this year, will continue that evolution, she said. The musician is also thinking more visually about how she wants to present the songs.
“I’m gearing up for a little bit of a shift in branding, visuals and music style,” SuperKnova said. “I’m being more intentional about how I want to marry visuals and music.”
SuperKnova’s Chicago show is among a series of Pride gigs she’s performed in across the country, including Sacremento Pride in early June and in Sarasota, Florida, in 2023, she said.
SuperKnova’s opening acts are also queer. Bev Rage & the Drinks are a garage-pop band fronted by drag queen guitarist Beverly Rage, while Pictoria Vark is a singer-songwriter from Iowa.
“I’ve been a big fan of both of them for a long time, so I’m really excited to bring this show with them,” SuperKnova said.
The concert has also been a long time coming, SuperKnova said. She wanted to perform in Chicago again sooner, but venues have been backlogged with concerts that were rescheduled during the pandemic.
Since moving to New York, SuperKnova has leaned into TikTok to share her music and expand her fanbase, she said. Her account, which features everything from lyric videos to queer humor, has amassed more than 44.4 thousand followers.
“It’s been really helpful in finding new fans and people to connect with,” SuperKnova said. “And because of that, I’ve been able to travel more for shows.”
Still, nothing compares to the music scene SuperKnova experienced while living in Chicago, she said.
“Chicago has this Goldilocks-like balance of being big enough to have a lot of people and talent, but small enough that it’s not too fractured,” SuperKnova said. “The people are warm and there’s so much diversity of arts and culture. Nothing compares.”