The Exclaimer
Sept. 1992
[Thea's note: I only ever had a poor-quality photocopy of this article. The version reproduced here has had contrast increased and text switched from white on black to black on white.]
Riot Grrrls
by Chicken Milk
[Excerpts]
Riot Grrrls is a loose collective of young women which evolved from a Washington DC based punk hardcore D I Y scene. They put out a fanzine, have a record label, are politically active, and put on events. This past April, they had their first Annual Sleepover. That same month, they organized The Women's Rights Benefit, a two day event where Scrawl, Bikini Kill, L7, and local heroes Fugazi played in support of a woman's right to control her own body. The next day, a large group of them marched for Choice in what turned out to be the biggest march ever on America's capitol.
From Friday, Aug. 1 [to] Sunday, Aug. 3, a Riot Grrrl Summer Music Convention was held in Washington D.C. On the Friday afternoon, there were workshops on everything from how to operate a sound board and mix sound, to how to put out a fanzine. These were held at the Washington Peace Centre, a headquarters for politically active Quakers and other like-minded people. Later that evening, a handful of bands played in a hall at the Peace Centre. Our band, Chicken Milk, snagged an invitation to come down and play the outdoor show which would close out the weekend. At the time, we didn't know much about Riot Grrrls, and had no idea what to expect, but we jumped at the chance anyway. It was, at times, an organizational nightmare, with lots of schedule juggling and budget calculating. It wasn't until we got there that we were even sure the expense of going down would be worth it. But in retrospect, we would have to say that any band interested in travelling for any kind of gathering of like minded musicians, even if (especially if) you're small potatoes like us: beg, borrow, or um work. Just make sure you get there. What follows is a very lucid diary of our trip to D.C. A !*@# exclusive!
. . .
Sunday, 11:30 a.m. Edison House, Arlington, Va. Wanting to be at our best for the show, we sleep instead of attending a final workshop for the grrrls and the boys first thing in the morning. Some things are not meant to be. We are awakened from gentle slumbers with the news that we are expected to be on stage in an hour. Half an hour of mass confusion and we eventually manage to load up. We arrive on time at Dupont Circle Park, right smack in the middle of one of D.C.'s famous traffic circles where we are scheduled to play. A beautiful day. The stage was on the grass between a couple of really huge, old trees whose leaves provided a canopy from the sun. Besides the residents of the park (who were sitting around the big fountain, hanging out near the stage, and playing chess right behind the bands), there were lots of people who had planned to come and many others who had stumbled on the concert.
. . .
We all agreed that Shrieking Violets from New York City were one of the better bands. A rocking three piece worth checking out if they ever make it to this neck of the woods.
. . .
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