Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

forgot about that one.

Sunday Washington Post article by classical music critic Midgette about the building of regional, suburban performing arts centers (Hylton Arts Ctr in Manassas, Strathmore in Mont. Cty, Clarice Smith in PG, etc.) over the last ten years slightly interesting. She sorta points out how expensive it is to build these huge places and how difficult it is to fill 1,100 size rooms that rent for alot, but I think she could have come down harder on the programmers of these places and their lack of creativity in booking, no matter how hard it is (plus some of the places have smaller rooms; or they could just close off the upstairs). Get the taxpayers their money's worth.

I've been pleasantly surprised at how Strathmore is promoting itself and the kinds of bookings they're doing, like they've got Ra Ra Riot there in a few weeks which I expect is gonna draw a way bigger crowd than the Steve Reich showcase me and tza went to a couple months ago.

Their "eclectic" offerings (I think they use the word "eclectic")in the mansion are good, I just think they need to do more of them. Although a little birdie told me that their budget for those is smaller, so maybe that explains the limited number.

But I also would hate to see that more creative booking for these types of places be simply defined as what a Washington Post reviewer said in regards to a Baltimore indie-rock band playing the Kennedy Millennium stage- we need more of this(indie-rock on the M. Stage). That's true but these places need more of lots of different types of non-symphonic music.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/01/10/yeah-about-the-wammies/

It's time again for the well-intentioned but flawed Wammie awards.

I think I enjoy parsing the head-scratching nominations more than I would an actual good awards showcase.

From the City Paper post:

But a browsing of this year's Wammies nominees raises enough red flags—like, where's all the good indie rock? It's great that Bob Mould is nominated again, but did he actually release music in the last year? Props for nominating Nadastrom, but why does the list otherwise ignore the EDM scene's banner year?—to suggest that this well-intentioned awards ceremony is pretty removed from much of the great music that comes out of D.C. each year.

^ I'd like to note that Nadastrom moved to LA late last year and Bob Mould moved to SF in 2009.

Just looking at the electronica (don't get me started) segment:

- in the "Electronica Vocalist" category, two of the nominees live in SF and Baltimore, and three of the other four are on the same very small label

- in the "Electronica Performing Artist" category, one of the nominees (Nadastrom) has never performed live, they only DJ. But they're not nominated in the following...

- In the "Electronica DJ" category, they have "Dubfire & Sharam" nominated. The two of them were huge as Deep Dish before they stopped working together - five years ago.

I mean, people are going to nominate dumb shit. It happens. But you'd think they could at least do a quick google check on things before announcing nominations that only serve to make them look like idiots. The thing is, these are niche awards and anyone who cares enough to pay attention also likely knows enough about the local scene to know the nominations are bullshit with just a cursory glance.

the EDM scene's banner year?

banner year? aside from recognition as moombahton ground zero, how so.

Good points I Died. Fauxmarc, I think the writer is referring to the opening of U St. Music Hall. Ali S. over at tbd.com has been writing similar such praise.

Meanwhile Blob's Park in Jessup, Maryland has not yet been sold and turned into real estate for Mcmansions:

This Friday, 14 January, The Oklahoma Twisters hit the stage at 8. Free survival dance lesson with Ben at the first break (9ish). Word is getting out on this great continuing roots music series every 2nd friday of the month. Get there early, order some schnitzel, get a shot of ice cold schnapps from Max's amazing ice-cream case, and ease on out on the dance floor!

Blob's "no neon sign/40 acres of parking/watch out for the deer" Park, 8024 Max Blobs Park Road, Jessup, MD

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/01/11/more-thoughts-on-the-wammies-nomination-process-and-omissions/#more-38920

"Quality people" Saturday, EDM people Sunday

These days Bar7 is known more for its VIP list than its groundbreaking techno. On Saturdays, the club’s most profitable night, “It’s a hand-picked crowd,” Wube tells me. “We probably do about 500 people – quality people. High-end spenders, a good clientele, quote-unquote the pretty people, good-looking people, you know what I mean.” He quickly adds, “We will turn people away at the front door.”

But starting Sunday night, Bar7 has a chance to be unique again. Patrick Fonseca, a former OKAY promoter who now books events as Bigfeet Promotions, is bringing electronic dance music back to the nightclub. This weekend Fonseca has booked three intriguing music producers from Hamburg, Germany: Smallpeople and Christopher Rau, who play extremely chilled out deep house music

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2011/01/this-week-in-electronic-music-bar7-embraces-the-genre-again-7045.html

Prepare to get strip searched.

They're doing Prince Language, too!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/13/AR2011011306087.html

Aaron Leitko in W. Post on Moombahton Massive at UHall.

Just got facebook spammed about The Magician playing at U Street Music Hall this Wednesday. 9:00 pm to 2:30 am.

I am seriously considering attending that.

I also have a sneaking suspicion that he was the better half of Aeroplane when it came to DJing.

U Hall just announced Hercules & Love Affair DJ set on 2/1 and Classixx on 2/19.

how was the recent Andy Butler set?

I'm opening for The Magician! Very excited about it. Stephan was the DJ half of Aeroplane before they started spinning together. We'll try to book Vito when he comes back around, too, I'm sure.

I wasn't here for Any Butler's last time but he's been good the two other times I've seen him - great track selection, not the tightest mixing but pretty good. I really enjoyed the first time he played when he opened with an hour of old jacking house.

Classixx are maybe my favorite DJs to see right now. Just great at reading the crowd and they've been pretty different the couple times I saw them.

Waves of regret hitting when I switched platforms to just come home after work. Tell me The Magician was awful.

I also didn't make it, tried to corral a couple people into coming but wasn't successful.

I never did get Dismemberment Plan reunion tickets--they were gone too quick. I'm doing my Latin music thing this weekend-Peru Negro and Eva Ayllon at George Mason Saturday, and Eddie Palmieri at Blues Alley Sunday

If 9353 do any more reunion shows, please let me know. Will travel for that.

I was gonna hit up Hole in the Sky this weekend for some pop punk joy but I hear its gonna be below freezing all weekend??

they kinda have heat! i think!

ha yeah but i gotta walk from the metro and i haven't mapped distance yet, always feel dorky unlayering at a show

Oh no, Hoos has a big fluffy winter coat.

can't put my arms down tbh

I think the Dismemberment Plan coverage has reached overkill-tbd.com, W. Post, City Paper, dcist.com, tweets

Didn't the group do a reunion show 3 years ago as well? And I even like them but still, let's move on.

I went last night. They put on a good show but are kind of lame IMO. The out of control chirping stuff works on record -- in person it's mad scientist shtick.

at times saturday was pretty awesome. at other times made me question my early 00s taste.

DC 9 has reopened (mentioned earlier elsewhere, but I just really noticed it now and see that one of my fave Malian female singers, Khaira Arby, is going to be there in March). I guess civil lawsuits are still proceeding against the employees (I'm not sure) and the club has its liquor license?

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2011/01/in_concert_the_dmv_bounce_beat.html

Go-go bounce beat is still big. How'd I miss this event? But do any of these groups write originals?

they hosted Mixtape the other weekend so I assume they are not dry. Haven't been since the incident.

noon:30 with joell ortiz (??!) at liv tonight

i like noon:30 like um a lot

from that link i discovered gogo band "tob" that i think i'm into

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133309067/monday-best-coast-wavves-in-concert

tonight's wavves/best coast show streaming liev

Oops, forgot about that. Wonder if it's archived, although I kinda think if you've heard 1 Best Coast song you've heard 'em all (though it's a nice girl group pop punk sound).

it is archived

Monotonix and Federation X at Comet tonight should be fun.

Yes, although it will likely be mobbed and I bet they will be stopped from setting anything on fire

:( was that tonight??? dag

blackcat has a Cure vs Smiths night. is this a joke?

these ppl already have razor blades what are they thinking bringing them together

i assumed it was some sort of ironic thing because smiths fans and cure fans on their own are awful, and if you put them together i imagine the whole thing would be insufferable. also would they just alternate between those two bands all night?

prob some covers

I'm going to go along to see a band there one of these days. Just to see.

They've been having those Cure v Smith nights forever, and I was always curious who went to them, but never curious enough to actually go.

Here's dcist.com with a photo and review of Monotonix (I disagree on their musical influences but that's just nitpicking mostly)

http://dcist.com/2011/02/monotonix_comet_ping_pong.php#