Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Getting the attention of Grammys folks is kinda as ridiculous as getting the attention of local Wammys folks

DC neo-soul singer Carolyn Malachi ain't bad (not amazing either) and I see she decided to work harder at getting the attention of Grammys folks before trying to develop a local following. Other DMVers who have gained fame more traditionally are also up for awards tonight like Chuck Brown

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/02/09/prize-fight-want-a-grammy-join-the-club-literally/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2011/02/11/ST2011021102504.html

hey daniel, thanks again for the ride last night. total lifesaver. a question 4 u-

what happened to my face

at one point i believe you faceplanted directly into the first band (who subsequently dedicated their set to you)

hahaha awesome i will accept that

btw that was my first malt beverage since my arrival in dc and i have decided i am not gonna do malt beverages anymore, kinda embarassed for myself, thx for being such a bro

no problem! just get ready to be greeted by a chorus of "HIPWHIT!" next time you go to a show there i bet

I swear Classix was going to DJ at the UHall, but I don't see it anywhere. Info? Am I just mistaken?

Last year yes. This year, I don't know.

Meanwhile the odd closed and opened and closed saga of the Crossroads Nightclub continues:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/02/14/the-crossroads-nightclub-no-music-no-alcohol-just-carryout-food-for-now/

Gukbe, they were supposed to be back this month but they had to reschedule - they'll be back later in the year.

nostalgia related questions-- How was HR on Sunday? Did anyone spend $35 and see Henry Rollins tell stories at the National Geographic? Mark Jenkins reviewed him at the Washington Post Click Tracks blog.

Ally at tbd.com continues to highlight techno-related danceclub events

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2011/02/this-week-in-electronic-music-l-alliance-francaise-goes-elektronik--8513.html

Lots going on tonight

I wrote about 3 choices for tonight here. Blues at Strathmore; retro soul at Rock n Roll Hotel; and rockabilly at the Surf Club
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/02/17/tonight-blues-soul-and-rockabilly-shows/

There is also an Eileen Torres (salsa dance instructor) multimedia presentation at Artisphere tonight for $5 on the African roots of salsa and African acts that incorporate salsa

The Smithsonian Museum of African Art is finally doing like the Hirshhorn and Phillips, and having an after-hour event with djs and beer (African) and more Friday night

I kinda wish I could go see Kid Congo Friday night with Ian S.'s band at Comet. Maybe I can

Bad news: Hole in the Sky temporarily shuttered by the city, hope they're back soon cause they fuckin rule

Good news: the guys at Hole in the　Ｓｋｙ　ｆｏｕｎｄ　ｍｙ　ｗａｌｌｅｔ.

speaking of house venues, Mi Ami / Protect-U / Hume at Subterranean A this Saturday

The Smithsonian Museum of African Art is finally doing like the Hirshhorn and Phillips, and having an after-hour event with djs and beer (African) and more Friday night

at least for the upcoming event, African Art seems to be doing a much better job of having an after hours party that actually relates to the mission of the museum than the Hirshhorn and Phillips are.

Good news: the guys at Hole in the　Ｓｋｙ　ｆｏｕｎｄ　ｍｙ　ｗａｌｌｅｔ.

YESSSSSSSSS

According to this thread, both the cops and their landlord are supportive of what they're doing, which is really great to hear; hopefully things work out for them.

I would go to that Mi Ami show for sure.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/02/17/sunset-grille-is-not-closing-no-matter-what-you-read-on-facebook/

The Sunset Grill hangs on

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2011/02/where-to-hear-live-reggae-in-the-d-c-area-8526.html

www.dccaribbeanconnection.com/NewSite/Events.asp

speaking of house venues, Mi Ami / Protect-U / Hume at Subterranean A this Saturday

fwiw this is actually *march* 19

OOPS

I always get so mixed up with the Feb/March matching days of the week

hahaha no problem - i'm just glad i realized it before i showed up there

Especially a concern with house shows!

anyone going to the Friends Records showcase at Subterranean A this Wednesday?

The best show this week is Lower Dens, Secret Mountain, and Weekends at Subterranean A on Wednesday

Jon Fischer of the Washington City Paper is likely going

Here are Baltimore's Lower Dens in archival video at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Ok I guess

http://199.75.26.120/explorer/artists/?entity_id=68527&source_type=B

Me and my lil gang are trying to put together a little benefit event for Hole in the Sky, I'll keep u guys posted on the story on that if you're interested

Anyone going to see anything here- http://www.nga.gov/programs/film/ ? I'm planning on the Lou Harrison documentary this weekend.

And on March 5th there's a documentary on cinema and criticism and Jonathan Rosenbaum will be there.

I'm definitely going to the Rosenbaum thing.

I've grumbled about Jem Cohen's directing style over on the ILE Brad Pitt DC thread, but if you've never seen Fugazi's Instrument movie doc, it's kinda worth seeing at the NGA.

when is that

Lou Harrison: A World of Music
February 26 at 4:00PM

World premiere
Director Eva Soltes in person

Music pioneer, writer, and activist Lou Harrison (1917–2003), an early experimenter with alternate tunings and intricate mergings of Western and Eastern styles, has been a legend of the American music scene since the 1950s

Instrument
February 27 at 5:00PM

East Building Concourse, Auditorium
Director Jem Cohen and musicians Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto in person

National Gallery of Art, 4th and Constitution Avenue NW

Those NGA events are free btw

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/02/22/same-ol-same-ol-at-25th-wammies-awards/#more-42043

Thanks ilxers for your earlier input

Sarah Godfrey at tbd.com on the Wammies and the performances at the show

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2011/02/the-wammies--8769.html

So, while the long process of announcing the silent auction winners late in the night was somewhat painful, and it was strange when Wale (who did not attend) was referred to as "wail," and when someone in the audience praised Bill Paxton for winning folk musician Tom Paxton's award, and it is still baffling that Bob Mould (who also did not attend) was on the ballot at all, the performances were still pretty great.

hahahahahahaha "wail"

Various unverifiable rumors circulating re Caribbean and Rnb club the Crossroads in Maryland, and still open blue collar roots rock bar Sunset Grille in Annandale. Several comments have actually been posted on the CP blog post re the Grille. Who knows what's true?

can't decide if i wanna go see Tiny Victories, Alvin Risk, So So So @ velvet lounge or take up my guest list spot at a michael showalter show

It's a funny guy weekend-- Fred Armisen at Black Cat; Jon Lovitz at Cinema & Draft House

lots music-wise too at small clubs, UHall, and more:

Fri. Feb. 25

El Sujeto at Bravo Bravo

Wanda Jackson at the 930 Club (rockabilly & country)
_________________________________________________________________
Sat. Feb. 26

Jonathan Richman @ the 930 Club;

Ra Ra Rasputin, Title Tracks, Laughing Man, The Cheniers @ St. Stephen's;

Elite 8 Bhangra Competition at the Warner Theatre

Xtreme at the Salsa Room

Los Amigos Invisibles at Black Cat

Salt & Pepa at DAR Const. Hall

Gibraltar at 9:30 at Atlas Perf. Arts Ctr, 1333 H. St. NE (DC based North African band singing mainly in Berber)

Salt and Pepa can fill DAR???

Who knows? It's rap oldies bill with I think Doug E. Fresh and others.

Here's some funny stuff:

In an eagerly anticipated event, much heralded urban alternative underground rap leader Theophilus London headlined U Street Music Hall on a billing alongside Brooklyn hip hop punks Ninjasonik and stalwart DC performers the Roll Wit Us All-Stars. The event was far more exciting in theory than in practice, a show that continued the unveiling of a large portion of the DC market as woefully square, unhip and a half measure behind the beat of the art house underground that keeps moving on. Solid performances from all three acts were met with near comic levels of restraint, polite applause or complete indifference, as the crowd appeared more interested in Theophilus London's conceptual essence than much of anything he (or anyone else billed) had to say. In summation, this was a group of largely awestruck and aspirational hipster/blipsters, wanting to be as cool as the New York kids who give them the entirety of their stylistic impulse and lifestyle guide silently worshiping a high priest of cool. If coming to be a part of a group of willful participants in a wild concert experience, it was a case of wrong place, wrong time.

http://www.tgrionline.com/2011/02/reviewed-theophilus-londonninjasonikrol.html

so how would this guy prefer fans act at a Theophilus London show?

The rest of the post and the comments are entertaining as well (or not as some of the whole hispter and coolness thing gets pretty tiresome)

Another interesting weekend event:

William Parker:
Inside the music of Curtis Mayfield
featuring Amiri Baraka
Bohemian Caverns
Saturday, February 26th

I ended up being busy with family and writing and hanging out and did not make anything over the weekend.

I went to the William Parker thing! It was rad. Baraka was fire.

Cool. I've read Baraka but never seen him talk.

I'd always kinda had the sense that Parker was an eccentric, but the show drove that home more than ever. He stood in back behind the band for the whole set and the trumpeter did all the talking. The band was really animated (got lots of laughs when the three male horn players sang "Move on Up"), Baraka kept egging them on when they got really into it (at one point the tenor guy was getting into some trancey early-Sanders style low honking and Baraka just starts imitating him yelling "HAWWWWWW, HAWWWWW, HAWWWWW"), and the pianist really tore it up.