Bonfire Madigan Shive

Madigan Shive
Shive in Central Park, New York, 2005
Background information
Born	Seattle, Washington, United States
Genres	avant-garde
Instruments	Cello, guitar, vocals
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Kill Rock Stars St. Francis MoonPuss Music
Associated acts	Tattle Tale Bonfire Madigan
Website	bonfiremadigan.com

Madigan Shive, or Bonfire Madigan Shive, is an American songwriter, performing artist, community organizer, and musician.

She is a cellist, singer and guitarist, formerly of the band Tattle Tale and currently fronting her own ensemble, Bonfire Madigan. She undertakes commissioned pieces and performances for live theatre and film. She was a part of the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s and her songs have been included in independent feature and documentary films.

Shive's parents were "intentional future community" people; her mother called her Running Pony until she was about six years old, and regularly changed her name. Shive eventually chose one of them, Madigan, as her permanent name when she was a teenager. The family lived in a teepee in Washington for about two years when she was a child, and moved often. She learned to play cello from age nine.

In 1992 at age seventeen she formed the Seattle based duo Tattle Tale with Jen Wood. Tattle Tale were a part of the riot grrrl movement. They released a cassette album, Tattle Tale, on the Kill Rock Stars label and a CD album on St. Francis Records. The band broke up in 1995.

In 1995 Shive formed her own artist run music label, MoonPuss Music and began solo releases as 'Madigan'. She released the Rock Stop EP in 1996. The song "Pity Rock" from the EP featured in the film Sleeping Beauties by Jamie Babbit. Babbit also featured Tattle Tale's "Glass Vase Cello Case" as the love theme in her film But I'm a Cheerleader (1999). In 1996 Shive also released the Fortunes From The F-Holes album.

In 1997 she formed the ensemble project 'Bonfire Madigan' with original members contrabassist Sheri Ozeki, guitarist Shelley Doty, and percussionist Tomas (Tomas Palermo). The music has been described as "mixes classical stringed elements with modern beats and percussion into a punk-influenced, emotional concoction." Bonfire Madigan continues as a collaborative effort with other rotating musicians recording, performing and touring.