Often likened to a punk Janis Joplin, singer Mia Zapata was by all accounts on the verge of stardom with her band the Gits when she was raped and murdered while walking home on a July night in 1993. Formed at Antioch College, the band relocated to Seattle in the years before that city’s music scene exploded, finding a place in the local community while distinguishing themselves musically from the grunge bands of the era. Although Zapata’s murderer seemed to leave no clues, the case was kept alive by fans and other members of the Seattle scene. Shortly after filmmaker Kerri O’Kane began working on her documentary about the band, DNA evidence led to the arrest and conviction of the killer. But if The Gits Movie can be said to have a happy ending, it’s less in witnessing the wheels of justice than in seeing the lasting effect that Zapata had on admirers who keep her memory alive 15 years after her death. The Gits Movie will be shown on the giant screen at the historic Riviera Theatre, preceded by a performance by the Apologies and followed at 9:30pm with a performance by Prescription Happiness.

—m. faust

6:30pm doors open, 8pm screening. Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster Street,

N. Tonawanda (692-2113 / rivieratheatre.org). $8 advance (Riviera box office), $9 door.