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Terrain headliner brings New Zealand art, rock

As the only true out-of-town act playing tonight’s Terrain visual arts and music festival, Mint Chicks are precisely the right band for the job.

Coming originally from New Zealand, The Mint Chicks moved to Portland less than a year ago because it was the right vibe for the experimental art-noise rock trio.

Before that, Mint Chicks founding frontman Kody Nielson was the mentee of abstract painter Stephen Bambury, who is regarded as one of New Zealand’s leading artists.

Nielson ceased working with Bambury so he could focus on making music.

The Mint Chicks are revered for their outrageous live performance in which the members have been known to climb P.A. stacks, hang from lighting rigs, destroy guitars, inflict bodily harm on themselves and even attack the stage with chainsaw.

See for yourself when Mint Chicks co-headlines Terrain with Portland-by-way-of-Spokane dance favorites Hockey and a slew of other bands – highlighted by the juried exhibition festival – which takes place tonight starting at 5 p.m. at 120 N. Wall St. The all-ages event is free to the public.

Read an exclusive Q&A with Mint Chicks at spokane7.com/blogs/music.