Washington State Historical Society

08/25/2026

08/17/2026

During this week in Washington (August 20, 1991) a group of musicians ignited a Riot Grrrl movement. Twenty all-female punk bands performed over six days at the Capitol Theater in Olympia.

Candice Pedersen and Calvin Johnson, founders of Olympia’s K Records, organized the “Love Rock Revolution Girl-Style Now” -- shortened to “Girl Night.” It launched a new era of feminism meant to counter discrimination in the punk music scene and society as a whole. The extra “Rs,” intended to make a growling sound, underscored the animal-like ferocity of objection to society’s ills.

What started in Olympia soon spread to Washington D.C., and then internationally. Gritty songs from local groups like “Rebel Girl” (Bikini Kill), “Cool Schmool” (Bratmobile), and “Complicated” (Heavens to Betsy) shed light on gender inequality, identity, and female empowerment. Written commentary called “fanzines,” were handed out at the concerts.

The experience of a librarian reflects Riot Girrrl’s impact on a generation of young women. She claimed the experience “provided me with a different way of thinking…” and that she “didn't need to assimilate to somebody else's standards. . . .”

Post written courtesy of David J Jepsen - Historian

Photo of Bratmobile in 1994 by Greg Neate, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

08/14/2026

See you next year at IN THE SPIRIT! Sign up for our IN THE SPIRIT newsletter to receive the latest festival applications, updates, and news. https://bit.ly/news-its

08/12/2026

Don't miss the 2026 Pacific Northwest History Conference in Spokane, October 8-11! Early bird pricing ends on August 15. Register now to lock in the best rates!

Highlights include a keynote from Charles F. Sams III, former Director of the National Park Service, the “Spokane Tribe History Bus Tour” with former Chairman Warren Seyler, a History Shaken & Stirred cocktail mixology session, a literary walking tour of sites from Jess Walter’s bestseller “The Cold Millions”, and networking at The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

The 2026 PNWHC is presented by the Washington State Historical Society and Washington State Council for the Social Studies.

Register today at: https://bit.ly/pnwhistorycon

Images from 2022 PNWHC, courtesy of Washington State Archives.

08/10/2026