Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

They're updating most of the meters around U st to take credit cards, which is great. In that area the spaces usually aren't metered once you make it a block or two off of U, and based on the popularity of the area recently it's a shock to find a space that close anyway.

holy shit does this sound awesome

my only concern is capacity--the perfect venue and i have visions of it being packed, always. how much more is 300 than dc9 upstairs, st ex basement, or black cat back room?

The Black Cat back room has a capacity of 200 according to the BC web site, so it's probably about half as more or twice as big. I'll post my impressions after tonight.

Yep, bigger than the Black Cat back room, smaller than the Black Cat big room, smaller than Zanzibar...etc.

Did ya have fun Skip and others who may have gone to da Music Hall?

Dancing until 2 a.m. is not usually how I spend my Wednesday nights (and I'm paying for it now) but I'm glad I went. It was less a coming out party for U Street Music Hall than a chance for attendants to size up the space. Very chummy, sceney crowd--until Aeroplane came on almost nobody danced. Skinny guys in flannel were saying hi to each other in the manner of people who see each other at a show or club every weekend. There was close to 50/50 guys/girls and most of the crowd appeared straight. The room itself was pretty sizable, certainly big enough for 300 people. It's a basement space with a bar to your right as you enter, a low stage to your left that functioned as a hangout area, and then the larger space opens up ahead and to the right. Another large bar runs down the entire left hand side, there are a few places to stand and put drinks with a (very) small number of stools, and the DJ platform is at the back of the hall. You can't see anything the DJs are doing but they are visible from the waist up. I didn't get any cell phone service, which was kind of a bummer. Beers cost about what you would expect ($4 cheapo can, $5-$7 draft). My favorite little touch was that the bathrooms are already tagged.

The openers played some nice italo stuff and Aeroplane did a good job to these ears.

sounds like an awesome venue. i'm slightly worried about American crowds not dancing, but will work to rectify the situation/dance on my own some months down the line.

i doubt that will be a problem. people will dance here.

skip, how full was it at peak?

It never felt over-full but you would have had serious trouble walking across the dance floor after Aeroplane started. I didn't mean to make it sound like people weren't dancing for Aeroplane because they most definitely were, and not just near the DJ setup. I don't think there will be problems getting people moving for main acts unless they are real clunkers--but before midnight it will probably be pretty slow in that regard.

yeah that's par for the course. and one reason i don't dance out the way i used to--my schedule doesn't work like that these days.

Oh man that was a great time - I haven't seen anywhere run so smoothly on a packed opening night before (for those that don't know, I'm one of the partners in U Hall). Skip, let me know next time you come out, would be great to meet another DC ilxor - I think daria-g was the only other one I saw there last night.

congratulations! i've seen nothing but positive words for the place, can't wait to experience it myself.

I DIED, will do. Good luck keeping up the momentum in the next few weeks!

So happy for I DIED and the other U Hallers! Looking forward to a Fri/Sat when I can stay out past my bedtime.

I went on Wednesday as well, it was real fun. It's a great space, the crowd was pretty good, and Aeroplane was damned excellent. Congrats I DIED for a successful opening.

Theo Parrish tonight at Trinidad and Tobago Clubhouse on Georgia Ave. Anyone going?

I don't think I can do 10 PM-4 AM, is there anyone worth seeing on Sunday?

I don't know too much about the guys playing on Sunday. Also, Loco Dice spinning on Tuesday at Aqua in NE.

they're doing parties at aqua now? i remember it just used to be bad asian college nights and the big gay latin party "fuego" on fridays.

How was Theo Parrish? I'm going to Delorean, Dum Dum Girls, and Beach House this week. Lots of music.

Did anyone here go?

I'm curious about Dum Dum Girls. I was underwhelmed by Beach House last year but I're read folks say this Baltimore duo's newest cd is an improvement so that has me slightly interested.

There's a ton of stuff going on in multiple genres tonight through next week. Dance and rock and jazz and more--

Friday--Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-chas at Glen Echo and the reggae dj thing at the Marx Cafe in DC

Saturday I might go see Ruben Blades speak for free at 3 at a Smithsonian (but he's not singing or acting I don't think)

Saturday night I might go see New Orleans' Hot 8 Brass Band at the PG Publick Playhouse ($10 ticket)

Sunday afternoon 2 to 4 I might go see Jim Byers' latest Metro Mambo event at the Smithsonian Anacostia museum with old DC mambo musicians on a panel and a live band afterwards.

Japandroids and Gang Gang Dance next week

So "I Died" what does this mean--(from an e-mail from local club Ibiza)

Ibiza is equipped with a million dollar MARTIN lighting and sound system

I see that Love is reopening while Fight Club Dc (Blagden Alley place)is shutting down Saturday night(with the Points and Cloak/Dagger and others performing)

It means they have a really good soundsystem! We used the same soundsystem designers for u hall because Ibiza has some of the best sound in the city. I think u hall sounds even better, just because it's a less cavernous room with more sound treatment. Or I could be biased.

Thanks. I have never been to Ibiza and figured you'd know if that was all hype or not.

Fear of a PG County Planet part 10--I was not the only white person at the Prince George's Publick Playhouse in Cheverly Saturday night for New Orleans' Hot 8 Brass Band, there were around 15 or so. But I know that blue-eyed jam band fans like New Orleans brass bands (and no I do not like jam bands) and I'm guessing many of them have cars so where were they? Their loss, the mostly middle-aged, likely PG Based African-American audience (with some Hispanics) there (aroud 90 folks) enjoyed the show(and they probably don't go to see brass bands when they play the Velvet Lounge or State Theater).

So metal club Jaxx in Springfield which I have never been to, is now having Latin nights. I guess the audience for metal is shrinking or is Jaxx not marketing correctly?

U. St. Music Hall's no photography policy gets attention

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802383.html?sub=AR

Shouldn't someone have told Will Eastman to avoid photographers with that goofy 1970s pornstar moustache

I am a big supporter of the moustache.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/blueimage/MtownApril2010.jpg

The first Funk & Soul party to go down at U St. Music Hall goes down on Wed. April 7th, and it's FREE!! See flyer for details:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/blueimage/DYNAMITE_Sm1.jpg

I'm going to Serena Maneesh that night but sounds fun. How's U Hall coming along? I haven't been since opening night.

Looks like its closed on most Mondays and Tuesdays (like some Ethiopian restaurants on the block. Ha. Inside reference for dc ILEers)

So Gang Gang Dance was real good on Tuesday night. Shame the opener sucked so hard, I don't even know what to say. Was like a bad mix of Jandek and afrobeat, maybe?

That description sounds right. And the opener was the bass player of Gang Gang Dance wasn't he? I didn't like the female vocals of GGD but the percussion and keys/samples were pretty invigorating.

I also don't understand which indie bands are popular these days. I was underwhelmed by Beach House a year ago at the Black Cat backstage and this year they sold out the big room I think. Meanwhile Gang gange Dance get a half-filled RnR Hotel crowd of about 70.

Beach House hasn't changed, they are still boring as sin live. As for selling out, the show was on a Friday night, it was the kickoff of their tour, the new album got 9.0 on P4K, they get Sub Pop promotion, etc. Things are coming together for them. GGD haven't put out a full-length record in 2 years and have been getting zero buzz.

Ah, that makes sense.

Yeah, the opener was playing bass for Gang Gang Dance, but he's not a permanent member, I can't even remember if I could make out what he was playing anyways. Echoing xpost: As for the comparison of the crowd sizes, Beach House definitely has more buzz, but a show at the RnR Hotel on Tuesday probably dissuades quite a few people from going, versus the Black Cat on a Friday night. At least the crowd at Gang Gang Dance was pretty into the show. Also, the Woods/Real Estate show at the RnR last Saturday sold out ahead of time which still kinda surprises me.

Another issue with Tuesday shows in NE: With GGD not coming on till 10:30 and doing their encore at 11:40, I ended up leaving during the encore and being a nice guy and driving a buddy to the Metro as he was concerned about getting the last train.

Meanwhile the Post and CP only blogged about Wilco's Tuesday show at Strathmore. The NPR superstars have gotten enough attention already for a lifetime. And then Rahm Emanuel was there at their show so that got them even more coverage.zzzz. I figured someone else at CP would blog about GGD but it did not happen.

Theo Parrish tonight at Trinidad and Tobago Clubhouse on Georgia Ave. Anyone going?

― Ivor, Saturday, March 20, 2010 3:40 PM

damn i need to check this thread more

anyone been to this place on u st.?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012802126.html

"(True story: On the first nights of operation, the bass was so powerful that it was vibrating glasses and bottles off the bar.) "

x-post. Oh yeah, I forgot about Patty Boom Boom. I still haven't been there. Reggae and dancehall from Theivery Corp pals could be alright, I guess.

I designed Patty Boom Boom, too. Weekends are uncomfortably crowded, but other nights are pretty fun. Different DJs each night, but each leans heavily toward roots/one drop/early dancehall stuff. There's a live band every Tuesday, the Arkives, and they're ridiculously tight and they draw a fun crowd without being too packed.

My plan is to finally go check out DJ Nitekrawler's soul music Moneytown thing at Dahlak tonight with some friends of mine

Moneytown was fun (although the sound system in that not too big place was cranked so loud some of the vinyl-generated sounds, ie. records, were getting distorted)

So the U st. Music Hall calendar only goes to April 10th and I thought DJ Nitekrawler told me about an event planned there for later in the month. Hint, hint to event promoters--the earlier you list things the better for those of us who do part-time writing in the media world

U Street's sidewalks on weekend nights are now nearly as full of drunken bargoers as Adams Morgan's or Georgetown's

Curmudgeon, if you're talking about the event I think you are, we're still trying to hammer down a critical detail - it'll be listed as soon as we're confirmed!

Otherwise, the calendar at U Hall this Wednesday-Saturday is looking pretty sweet.

I am talking about a soul event DJ Nitekrawler mentioned to me, but I'm also just grumbling that your calendar only covers the next 5 days. It does look great, but it makes it hard for me to pitch stuff to the City Paper or for them to add the club listings to their danceclub listings. Plus I'm sure others like to plan ahead as well. But maybe cuz your place is new you have not booked far ahead.