From rocking out to Bikini Kill, L7, and Sleater-Kinney in the ’90s as a teen, Fort Worth’s Jennifer Zooki Sturges has been doing her music idols proud, not only as the frontperson of a queer-forward rock outfit (Ex-Regrets) but as the producer of an annual festival celebrating all things femme and LGBTQIA+.
Now in its eighth year and inspired by the global Riot Grrl movement of the 1990s, Riot Girl Fest is set for Sat, Oct 4, at Growl Records in Arlington (509 E Abram St, 682-252-7639) with Oddly Ginger, Jennifer Savage Hurley, Gluestick, and many more. The point is to raise money for local female-centric and LGBTQIA+ nonprofits while empowering, educating, and entertaining the local femme and queer communities.
“I’ve had a really great response to Riot Girl Fest,” Sturges said. “There was such a plethora of talent to choose from. This year, eight bands are supported by five nonprofits related to trans legal libraries, voter registration, and NARCAN distributors. I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to create spaces for people to feel included and be entertained. At first, I wanted to highlight women in the music scene, and now there are so many that you’re going to listen to what we have to say.”
Platforming trans and queer musicians at Riot Girl Fest now “compared to when I was making music 10 years ago makes a big difference,” Sturges added.
Sturges is creating quite a scene within a scene. Venues like The Cicada, Caves Lounge, and Deep Ellum’s Double Wide have been hosting femme- and queer-forward acts like Ex-Regrets, Fort Worth’s mod-rocking Darstar, and politically charged punks BOOF with regular frequency. These bands and others like them tackle issues like bodily autonomy and gender naturally.
Adding to this scene is a new project of Sturges’: a 12-page zine. She will publish the first edition of riot girl manifesto in print and online in September, and if it gains traction, Sturges will make it quarterly.
“I really wanted to bring back the zine culture of the ’90s because you know the kids are into it,” she said. “It’s an effective grassroots way to spread information and ideas in a format that’s nostalgic for some.”
Ex-Regrets’ next show will be Sat, Jun 28, at Double Wide (3510 Commerce St, Dallas, 469-872-0191) and at Riot Girl Fest. You can also catch Dartsar on Fri, Jun 27, at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth).
“There is a core part of my personality that enjoys rallying people,” Sturges said. “I feel like [Riot Girl Fest] is an opportunity to have a collected group onstage as a rewarding experience.”
