Amy Heneveld (b. 1978) was a participant in the Washington, D.C. punk scene of the 1990s and the riot grrrl punk feminist movement, as well as a member of the bands Meltdown and the Danaides. The Amy Heneveld collection of punk fliers and zines was collected by Heneveld throughout the 1990s. The collection includes fliers for punk concerts, as well as feminist and riot grrrl zines. The materials date from approximately 1992 to 2001, with the bulk of the materials being created between 1992-1996.
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0.5 Linear Feet
English
The Amy Heneveld Collection contains materials from 1991-2001, with the bulk of the materials being from 1992-1996. The collection consists of zines, newsletters, and concert and event flyers.
Amy Heneveld (b. 1978) was a member of the short-lived, Washington, D.C.-based band Meltdown as a teenager, along with collaborators Sonia Brenner, Fiona Griffin and Raquel Vogl. Meltdown only existed for a few years in the mid-1990s, but the all-girl band left an impression on audiences, incorporating avant-garde influences into their music that challenged conceptions of what punk music could and should sound like. Prior to Meltdown, Heneveld was a member of the Danaides, a band also including Griffin, Brenner, and Emily Powers.
Archigramophone, the record label which issued Meltdown’s posthumous LP compilation, The Map, described Meltdown as “three teenage girls playing guitar without strumming, without hesitation; a drummer who never played a single rhythm that you recognized; no bass; vocals only when necessary, and then an attack.” Meltdown disbanded when three of the members moved away to attend college, but their music left a strong impression. Tobi Vail, a musician (Bikini Kill, the Frumpies) and zine editor, wrote about Meltdown in issue seven of her fanzine Jigsaw, stating: “the point is [Meltdown] happened and it was spectacular. [...] Too good to be forgotten.”
The Amy Heneveld collection of punk fliers and zines contains concert and event fliers, newsletters, and zines that Heneveld collected largely from 1992 through 1996. Notable fliers include events organized by Positive Force D.C, a punk activist group, and performances by Bikini Kill, Jawbox, Fugazi, the Danaides, and Meltdown. Shortly before Meltdown and the Danaides came together, a punk feminist movement called riot grrrl rose in popularity. Materials related to riot grrrl that Heneveld collected include calls to submit girl power fanzines and join the network. Zines published towards the mid-to-late 90s often showed girls’ reactions to how increased media attention negatively affected riot grrrl. Throughout Heneveld’s collection, girls’ voices are centered, as many of the zines promote “girl love” over “boy hate,” and include personal writings by such underrepresented groups as queer women and sexual assault survivors.
This collection is organized into two series:
Gift of Amy Heneveld, February 19, 2024
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library