Mary Green - vocals, guitar
Sharon Cheslow - guitar, vocals
Anne Bonafede - drums
Jan Pumphrey, Sally Berg, Tamera Edminster, Chris Niblack - bass
Influences
Bad Brains, Fairport Convention, Ventures, Buzzcocks, Clash, Television, Patti Smith, John Coltrane, Shangri-Las, Kinks, Crass, Germs, Trouble Funk
Sounds Like
Au Pairs, Delta 5, Mo-dettes, Kleenex/Liliput, Avengers, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Bush Tetras, The Fall, Swell Maps, Joy Division, Teen Idles, Untouchables, Slits, Raincoats, Urinals/100 Flowers
Chalk Circle were a legendary band that existed in the Washington, DC metro area punk/hardcore scene between 1981 and 1983. They were the first all-female band to ever record and perform in DC, although in the beginning several boys offered to play with them.
pre-history
Sharon Cheslow started working at Yesterday and Today Records in spring 1979, during her senior year of high school, and saw bands such as The Clash, Buzzcocks & Gang of Four later that year. The record store was a major hangout for DC punk kids. In early 1980 she met members of the Teen Idles (Nathan Strejcek, Ian MacKaye, Jeff Nelson, Geordie Grindle) and Untouchables (Alec MacKaye, Eddie Janney, Bert Queiroz, Richard Moore) and found out about their shows at Madam's Organ. It was through the Teen Idles that she met Anne Bonafede and became friends with Henry Garfield (later Rollins).
In March 1980, Henry and Sharon went to Nathan’s house to see Teen Idles and Bad Brains rehearse. They then saw both bands play at dc space. That same month Sharon took a train to Philadelphia to see The Clash. She came home determined to start a band with Anne. She and Anne had bonded over their love of punk, no wave, '60s girl groups, the Ventures, Beat poets, and hard bop jazz.
Sharon and Anne decided to form a band with Cheryl Celso, a girl they'd met through Henry and Nathan, and they asked Henry if he wanted to be their drummer. Henry wanted to be the singer but Cheryl was intent on singing, so Henry went off to form a band of his own - SOA - and Anne became the drummer. Sharon was the guitarist. Bert from the Untouchables filled in on bass.
1981-1983
The Unheard Music Festival at dc space took place in December 1980. It was the first time all the young local hardcore bands played together - including Henry’s new band SOA, Ian & Jeff’s new band Minor Threat, GI (Government Issue) - but none of them included girls.
It was around this time that Cheryl left the band and in March 1981 Chalk Circle had its first all-girl lineup: Mary Green (vocals and guitar), Sharon Cheslow (vocals and guitar), Jan Pumphrey (bass), and Anne Bonafede (drums). Mary was a writer and wrote most of Chalk Circle's lyrics. Sharon came up with the band name after reading Bertolt Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle.
In July 1981, the same month Henry joined Black Flag, Chalk Circle played their first show at dc space on a bill with the Velvet Monkeys. Sally Berg (borrowed from DC's REM who ended up changing their name to Egoslavia) played bass instead of Jan. Tamara Edminster, who worked at 9:30 Club and a L'Enfant Plaza record store, was a friend of Sally's and became Chalk Circle’s bass player from October 1981-April 1982.
In Feb. 1982, Chalk Circle played another show with Velvet Monkeys at dc space. Their reputation had grown by this point and John Waters was in the audience. They recorded their 1st demo tape with Howard Wuelfing (Nurses) and Don Zientara at Inner Ear.
Sally and Tamera moved to NY and formed SHE w/Laura Kennedy (Bush Tetras) & Claudia Summers. SHE gigs also included Kimberly Smith, Patti’s younger sister, on guitar. Sally later played with Lydia Lunch, recorded with Indoor Life, and acted in Richard Kern films. Tamera later did projects with Annie Toone & Adele Bertei (both ex-Bloods), Lesley Woods (Au Pairs), Barbara Gogan (Passions), and Claire Hirst (Belle Stars). She now goes by the name Tamera Lyndsay.
The last Chalk Circle bassist was Chris Niblack, who Sharon had met through Colin Sears. Sharon and Colin co-published the fanzine If This Goes On (and Anne was a contributing writer). Chris was a DC native who moved to Madison, WI in high school and got into mid-west hardcore. She moved back to to the DC area after she graduated and was into DC Go-Go (along with the rest of the band). Chris played in Chalk Circle from July 1982-March 1983.
In Nov. 1982, Chalk Circle recorded their 2nd demo tape with Don Zientara at Inner Ear. Two of these songs ended up on the Mixed Nuts Don't Crack compilation released by Outside Records, the label run by Lara Lynch of the Nuclear Crayons.
After the demise of the band, Mary moved to Ireland. Anne moved to Baltimore and became involved in the literary scene around Normals. Sharon joined Colin's band Bloody Mannequin Orchestra. Chris joined No Trend.
Yes finally recognition of my request for this band. The first song I heard was subversive pleasure and I thought that was good? And then reflection? Sent me into a sort of recollection. Id really appreciate it if you could make it to where I could add a song as a soundtrack to my space, maybe even downloadable so I can listen to it every day?
Sometimes I feel like an idiot for all the energy we put in to music at the time, but then someone like you comes out of the woodwork and reminds me (again) that the music really was worth all that trouble and expense; it was THAT good. Peace and Love, Erik RT
it is incredible and i can't really understand why there isn't yet a compilation of all your demos and stuff released.... hope to see it very soon, you deserve it :) all the best from barcelona, s-pain.
I was in touch w/ Bob Boilen recently from NPR- he is putting Tiny Desk Unit back together! dubbin it Teeny Tiny Desk unit-
Have a great weekend, the page looks great-
-Tamera
i put a record on! i'm happy to announce that my solo album is out now! and: you can listen to all the album tracks on my site this week! best regards ggut
What a great story you have! We were all pioneers, weren't we, and we should never stop being proud of what we did.
Glad to be your friend!
Helen McCookerybook
:)
WE WERE EARLY RIOT GIRRRRRLS....This was my very FIRST EVER band! Wish I still had that 3/4 size cheap fender jazz knockoff from the chinatown luggage store!
