Bratmobile

Bratmobile was an American punk band. Growing from the rich Northwest and Washington, DC underground and influenced by indie pop in the United States as well as Britpop, girl groups, grunge, and punk rock, Bratmobile was a first-generation Riot Grrrl band. Formed when University of Oregon students Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman collaborated on an influential feminist fanzine, Girl Germs, Bratmobile played its first show as a two-woman act at Olympia's North Shore Surf Club on Valentine's Day, 1991 with Molly and Allison sharing duties on guitar, drums, and vocals. During spring break 1991, Allison and Molly went to Washington, DC to follow Beat Happening and Nation Of Ulysses on tour and try to work on a new form of Bratmobile. Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson had previously introduced Molly to nascent guitarist Erin Smith from Bethesda, Maryland during the Christmas holiday in December, 1990 at a Nation Of Ulysses show in Washington, DC. Smith was co-author, with her brother, of the much-revered TV pop culture fanzine Teenage Gang Debs when Allison and Molly asked her to jam with them. It clicked, and in July 1991 the trio played their first show as a 3-piece with Molly Neuman on drums, Erin Smith on guitar, and Allison Wolfe on vocals. While in D.C. the band was briefly joined by Christina Billotte ( of Autoclave and Slant 6) and Jen Smith ( of The Quails). This line -up released a very limited-issue cassette called Bratmobile D.C., but Jen and Christina stayed behind when the group returned to Olympia. They were just in time to play at the historic International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, becoming the only band to appear twice.