# Jen Smith

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Jen Smith, 2011

**Jen Smith** is an artist, musician, zine editor, and activist from the [United States](/source/United_States). Smith is credited with being the inspiration behind the term [riot grrrl](/source/Riot_grrrl) and being one of the architects of the movement.[1]

## Biography

In early 1991, Jen Smith and Washington, DC guitarist [Christina Billotte](/source/Christina_Billotte) of [Autoclave](/source/Autoclave) joined [Pacific Northwest](/source/Pacific_Northwest) band [Bratmobile](/source/Bratmobile) ([Allison Wolfe](/source/Allison_Wolfe) and [Molly Neuman](/source/Molly_Neuman)) when they temporarily relocated to Washington, DC. The band released one [cassette tape](/source/Cassette_culture), called *Bratmobile DC*, with this line-up.[2][3]

The Bratmobile girls were [zine](/source/Zine) writers, and Wolfe and Neuman created *[Girl Germs](/source/Girl_Germs)* to which Smith contributed.[1] It was during this time in Washington, DC that Jen Smith came up with the idea of a "girl riot" and [Molly Neuman](/source/Molly_Neuman) conceived the *riot grrrl* mini-zine that gave the movement its name.[1][4] Writing in *Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital*, Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins report that while living in Washington, D.C., Smith reacted to the violence of the [Mount Pleasant](/source/1991_Washington%2C_D.C._riot) [race riots](/source/Race_riots) in spring 1991 by prophetically writing in a letter to Wolfe, "this summer's going to be a girl riot." Other reports say she wrote, "we need to start a girl riot."[1][5] As written about in *Bikini Kill* zine by [Kathleen Hanna](/source/Kathleen_Hanna), Jen proposed they all collaborate on a zine called *Girl Riot*, which would serve as a networking forum for young women. Molly Neuman began the zine, released under the title *riot grrrl*, with contributions from Smith, Wolfe, and the members of [Bikini Kill](/source/Bikini_Kill).

By the end of summer 1991, [Erin Smith](/source/Erin_Smith_(musician)) (no relation to Jen) from [Bethesda, Maryland](/source/Bethesda%2C_Maryland) replaced Billotte on guitar and Bratmobile returned to [Olympia, Washington](/source/Olympia%2C_Washington), with Erin and Jen remaining in DC.[5] Jen Smith stayed behind to edit a zine called *Red Rover*. A number of issues were released before she began a new zine in 1993, an offshoot of *Red Rover*, called *Another Lo-Fi Xtravanganza*.[6] The zine also became a small record label.

At the same time, Jen Smith began a band with [Donna Dresch](/source/Donna_Dresch) and Nikki Chapman called Rastro! The trio, with Smith on guitar and vocals, Chapman on bass, and Dresch on drums, released two songs on compilations by [independent record labels](/source/Independent_record_labels) such as [Simple Machines](/source/Simple_Machines). After this band broke up, Smith moved to Olympia, Washington where she recorded *[Boot Party](/source/Boot_Party)* with [Dub Narcotic Sound System](/source/Dub_Narcotic_Sound_System), and began the Cha Cha Cabaret, which she hosted under the persona of "Miss Lady Hand Grenade" in 1996 and 1997. Participating artists included [Miranda July](/source/Miranda_July), [Mirah](/source/Mirah), Flying Tigers, [Old Time Relijun](/source/Old_Time_Relijun), Simplement Jacques, [Nikki McClure](/source/Nikki_McClure), The Lookers, The Skirts, and Panties, and all appear together on the [K Records](/source/K_Records) compilation *Chez Vous*.[7] Cha Cha Cabaret toured the Pacific Northwest, adding musicians such as [Sharon Cheslow](/source/Sharon_Cheslow) while in San Francisco.[8]

In the 2000s, Smith returned to San Francisco, where she joined with ex-[Circus Lupus](/source/Circus_Lupus) member Seth Lorinczi[9] and ex-Electrolettes member Julianna Bright to begin the band [The Quails](/source/The_Quails_(US_band)).[10] The band toured with [Sleater Kinney](/source/Sleater_Kinney), [Aislers Set](/source/Aislers_Set) and The No-No's. They released three CDs, as well as zines and projects such as the comic book *Bon Soir* and a mini-opera CD under the name 'Marzipan Ponce'.[11] The band broke up, Jen Smith devoted herself to her artwork.

In 2008, she appeared in the feature film *[The Lollipop Generation](/source/The_Lollipop_Generation)* by [G.B. Jones](/source/G.B._Jones)[12]

## Discography

### with [Bratmobile](/source/Bratmobile)

- *Bratmobile DC* (self released cassette tape, 1991)

### with Rastro!

- "Some Things", on *Go In The Dark* (Mira Records 7", 1992)

- "Kiss Me", on *Simple Machines Working Holiday: June* ([Simple Machines](/source/Simple_Machines) 7", 1993)

- "Kiss Me", on *[Working Holiday!](/source/Working_Holiday!)* (Simple Machines CD compilation, 1994)

### with [Dub Narcotic Sound System](/source/Dub_Narcotic_Sound_System)

- *[Boot Party](/source/Boot_Party)* ([K Records](/source/K_Records), 1995)

### with Cha Cha Cabaret

- *Chez Vous* (K Records, 1997)

### with The Quails

- "Memo From the Desk of The Quails", on *[Fields And Streams](/source/Fields_And_Streams)* ([Kill Rock Stars](/source/Kill_Rock_Stars) compilation CD, 2001)

- *We Are The Quails* (Inconvenient Records, 2001)

- *Atmosphere* (Inconvenient Records, 2002)

- *The Song Is Love* (Mr. Lady Records, 2003)

### Compilations

- "Inkling", on *Selector Dub Narcotic* (K Records)

## Bibliography

- *Bon Soir*, Jen Smith, Julianna Bright, Seth Lorinczi, ed. 2002

- *Quail Hunt*, Jen Smith, ed. 2000s

- *Another Lo-Fi Xtravanganza*, Jen Smith, ed. 1993

- *Red Rover*, Jen Smith, ed. 1990s

- *riot grrrl*, Molly Neuman, ed. 1990

- *[Girl Germs](/source/Girl_Germs)*, [Molly Neuman](/source/Molly_Neuman) and [Allison Wolfe](/source/Allison_Wolfe), ed, 1990s

## Film

- *[The Lollipop Generation](/source/The_Lollipop_Generation)* by [G.B. Jones](/source/G.B._Jones), 2008

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Guardian2009_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Guardian2009_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Guardian2009_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Guardian2009_1-3) Barton, Laura (March 3, 2009). ["Grrrl power"](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/04/grrrl-power-music). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Huff, Chris (July 10, 2018). ["Riot Grrrl and the true spirit of rock n' roll"](https://blog.discmakers.com/2018/07/riot-grrrl-and-the-true-spirit-of-rock-n-roll/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Gunnery, Mark (March 8, 2019). ["Rebel Girls: D.C. Women In Punk"](https://thekojonnamdishow.org/2019/03/08/d-c-women-punk). [WAMU](/source/WAMU).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Hannon, Sharon M. (April 2, 2020). ["A Riot Grrrl Primer: Revolution Girl Style Now"](https://pleasekillme.com/riot-grrrl-primer/). Please Kill Me.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Anderson-Jenkins_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Anderson-Jenkins_5-1) Anderson, Mark, *Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital*, Akashic Books, 2003 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-888451-44-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-888451-44-0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Sarah Wood Zine Collection, Duke University"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110520151644/http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/bingham/zines/item/bwzzn01999/). Archived from [the original](http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/bingham/zines/item/bwzzn01999/) on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-11-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Donaldson, Glenn, "Flock You, *SF Weekly*, 20 Mar, 2002"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110610100628/http://www.sfweekly.com/2002-03-20/music/flock-you/). Archived from [the original](http://www.sfweekly.com/2002-03-20/music/flock-you/) on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2008-11-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["THE CHA CHA CABARET Tour"](http://www.joanie4jackie.com/event/cha-cha-cabaret/). Joanie 4 Jackie. Retrieved February 19, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Pletz, George (2001-11-15). ["Circus Lupus Bassist Forms New Band"](http://216.92.252.2/article/news/32301-circus-lupus-bassist-forms-new-band). Pitchfork. Retrieved 2009-08-05.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Rapoport, Lynn, "Red Hot Lovers of the People", *SFBG", Oct 2002*](http://www.sfbg.com/36/52/art_music_quails.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Donaldson, Glenn, "Flock You", *SF Weekly*, 20 Mar, 2002"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110610100628/http://www.sfweekly.com/2002-03-20/music/flock-you/). Archived from [the original](http://www.sfweekly.com/2002-03-20/music/flock-you/) on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2008-11-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [EvilEvil "The Lollipop Generation Premiere", 2008](http://www.evilevil.ca/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080918061510/http://www.evilevil.ca/) 2008-09-18 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- Andersen, Mark and Jenkins, Mark, *Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital*, Akashic Books, 2003, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-888451-44-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-888451-44-0)

- Drake, Jennifer and Haywood, Leslie, *Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminist*. University of Minneapolis Press, 1992. pgs 226–238

- Isaksen, Judy, "Identity and Agency: Riot Grrrls Jouissance", *Enculturation*, Vol 2, No. 2, Spring 1999

- Kearney, Mary Celeste, *Girls Make Media*, CRC Press, 2006 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-415-97278-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-97278-7)

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Jen Smith](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Jen_Smith).

- [The Quails on Pop Matters](https://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/q/quails-atmosphere.shtml)

- D [.C. Punk collection at the University of Maryland](https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/4/resources/1748)

Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jen Smith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Smith) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Smith?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.