Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

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.

Brad Mehldau at the Library of Congress tonight! Free tickets are all "officially" gone but I'm gonna go hang out by the doors at 6:30 to see if I can get in on standby.

on a slightly more 'lamestream' tip, Titus Andronicus have just announced a show at the 930 in June. I'll be out of town that week, which means this will be the third time I've missed them since moving here.

Aren't they also opening for the Pogues in March at 930

also playing the blackcat in april

U. Shrinivas is tonight 6 to 7 for free at the Kennedy Ctr Millennium Stage for the start of Maximum India fest (through 3-20). His gig will be streamed on the Kennedy Center's website. Wow, was watching a youtube video of him last night. His mandolin playing is practically psychedelic with reverb and more.

I'll be missing Twin Shadow at the Black Cat because of work, as well as that other Titus gig and a few other choice shows. I can't wait to quit my job.

oh man i didn't realize Titus were playing black cat in april, i was lamenting not being able to afford the pogues ticket. and back again in june! man now i'm amped, they're one of the best small club live shows i've ever seen.

and that Titus show at the Black Cat is with Double Dagger!

Cool. That article on the DD member's dayjob was pretty interesting.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2011/02/24/why-double-daggers-corporate-design-commissions-are-still-pretty-punk/

Kurt Vile performed at Red Onion Records & Books in Washington and Sound Garden in Baltimore last Wednesday

I keep missing these in-stores

Things I should google myself but will ask here first instead:

So is Todd Terry who's djing at U St. tonight still considered 'relevant'? I know his name from house and hiphop-house remixes from ages ago. I guess these Red house nights though are all about delivering that traditional house music all night long, so as long as his crate of old stuff still works, the night will be fine.

Prince Paul who is spinning there next week I know from De La Soul days. What's he up to now?

x-post -There's an interview with Vile on the W. Post Click tracks blog

dammit, been loving Vile recently.

So is Todd Terry who's djing at U St. tonight still considered 'relevant'? I know his name from house and hiphop-house remixes from ages ago. I guess these Red house nights though are all about delivering that traditional house music all night long, so as long as his crate of old stuff still works, the night will be fine.

We try to book a mix of older and newer stuff - house as a genre is way more history based that a lot of other dance music so the idea of 'relevance' is less... relevant?, and for example next week we have Hot Natured (Lee Foss & Jamie Jones) who are doing really new and fresh work. You never know how or what the older guys wil really spin - some keep their sound classic, some shockingly up to date, most a mix of the two. Probably 80% of Dimitri from Paris' set when he was here was pre-house disco but it was one of the my favorite sets and nights we've had yet.

anything happening sunday? i'm meeting an out of towner and want to do something interesting but i'm not spotting anything musicwise

dum dum girls @ black cat

ah right! good catch

thnking u

Also:

L. Subramanian (Southern India Carnatic violinist) from 6 to 7 for free (and webcast) at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

Gyptian (Jamaican balladeer of "Hold Yuh" fame) with Etana at DC Star, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE 202-486-3707

dunno if i wanna walk to the metro in this rain! :/

my out of towner cancelled on me at the last minute btw so now its just me

more March live rock events that look interesting:

3-6-Dum Dum Girls @ Black Cat; 3-9-Robin Hitchcock & Joe Boyd at Birchmere;Pogues/Titus @ 930; 3-10 Wild Flag @ Black Cat; 3-12-The Ex & DJ Rupture @ Black Cat; Luger (Spain) @ Velvet Lounge;3-19 Hume, Mi-Ami, Protect-U @ Subterranean A; 3-20-Peter Case @ Takoma Park Aud.; Salem @ RnR Hotel; Steve Ignorant's Crass tour @ Sonar; 3-24- OFF! (w/Keith Morris - Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt), and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross)@ Red Palace; 3-25-Mtn. Goats @ 930 Club; Ron Sexsmith @ Jammin Java;Off @ Ottobar;3-26-Tereu Tereu, the Caribbean @ St Stephens; 3-31-Mike Watt @ Black Cat

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/03/06/why-fighting-at-the-dmv-awards-is-tragic-for-the-scene/#more-42768

http://dcmumbosauce.com/2011/03/06/dmv-awards-fight-was-the-act-of-niggers-not-of-artists/

http://dmvtmz.wordpress.com/click-here-to-vote-today/

This is sad.

3-24- OFF! (w/Keith Morris - Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt), and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross)@ Red Palace; 3-25-Mtn. Goats @ 930 Club;

YES

Those do look good.

Got a worried call from Mom who saw the Saturday DMV brawl videotape excerpt from the Crystal City Hilton on the local tv news, and wondered if I was there. I wasn't. There's more follow-up on this from the W.Post, blogger Dowling who we have linked to above, and others

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030603342.html

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2011/03/07/arts-roundup-reflecting-on-the-dmv-awards-edition/

Pharoah Sanders played at Howard University last week...and I was out of town. Dammit.

Anyone go?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ6DA2VrxB4

Nope. That was a Thursday at lunchtime show at Howard that didn't get much attention (although I see M. West, the CP's jazz critic mentioned it in advance).