Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/top-25-dmv-artists-to-watch-in-2015.htm

rappers and some rockers mostly

http://dcist.com/2015/01/the_best_dance_clubs_and_nights_in.php

No international other than Tropicalia, no current r'n'b, no Glen Echo

http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/the-untold-history-of-postwar-washingtons-nightlife/

That's an Eddie Dean article (he wrote for the City Paper back in the 90s) about the Quonset Club, a hillbilly turned rock and soul joint from the 40s to the 60s that later became the now closed go-go & r'n'b Legend Nightclub in Temple Hills, MD

lots of good music coming in February and into spring...

Both the Eddie Dean article & my bounce beat one mention strippers. Some things never change I guess

DC folks, on FEb 7th from 6 pm to 2 am there's going to be a weird "audiovisual arts festival" event in Montgomery Co. at the "Pike & Rose" complex. It's free but you have to RSVP online or something? anyway, (self promo alert) Matmos is going to play. So now you know, sort of.

woah thanks, sounds cool.

I'm thinking about going to Joe's Noodle House before it if anyone wants to meet up

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Pike-Rose-to-Use-Office-Space-to-Host-One-Day-Arts-Festival-Next-Month/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/remembering-innovative-guitarist-bo-diddleys-time-in-washington/2015/01/31/8bad4296-a88c-11e4-a7c2-03d37af98440_story.html

casa ruby benefit at st stephens next friday w/hemlines (!), jail solidarity, crimson waves & stuff

https://www.facebook.com/events/343534385838771/

my lil org gonna be tabling too

Tereu Tereu too

that's Feb. 13th not the 6th btw

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2015/02/passings-don-covay-1938-2014.html

Soul singer-songwriter went to school and lived in DC for awhile. The Rolling Stones and many other covered his songs. He was also the uncle of Robert Owens of local group Hardway Connection

Lots of rock benefit shows happening

2-7- *Radio CPR benefit @3:30pm w/ Romantic States, Mattress Financial (mem. Two Inch Astronaut), The Creature People (mem. Pygmy Lush, Big Hush) @ La Casa, 3166 Mt Pleasant St NW;

Paperhaus (album release), Loud Boyz, Baby Bry Bry & the Apologists, and DJ Ayescold @ 9:30 Club (DC Music Download's 3rd Birthday & Benefit for DC Punk Archive - 7 PM show);

2-13- Casa Ruby Homeless Shelter Benefit with Tereu Tereu, Hemlines, Crimson wave, Jail Solidarity, Jack on Fire @ St. Stephen's Church;

i will be at all of those and tabling at the last, ppl should come

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/02/12/why-patty-boom-boom-is-closing-and-why-theres-a-silver-lining/

So Eric Thievery Corp & club-owning magnate Hilton is selling Patty Boom Boom (the building) on U Street cuz he can't make money there he says on 99 folks dancing to Irie sounds. He wants to just do it now as a dance night at the 930. Cloak & Dagger, that will take the place of Patty boom Boom is billed as a Gibson-like drinking joint

Oh Clinton Yates weighed in on this too:

When Patty Boom Boom announced that it was closing over the weekend, a very specific feeling came over me. I couldn’t help but get the sense that the very specific brand of entertainment provided there was simply going away. As the most popular U Street outpost for reggae and available late night beef patties, as far as bars/clubs went, it was the most authentic on the strip. Its closing means that the nouveau-urban lounge/speakeasy has officially taken over as the standard style for nightspots along that corridor, not the annoying exception.

But when, two days later, Rhino Bar said they’d be shuttering, a larger realization came over me: The days of the no-frills, regular-folks bars that allow you to dance and have fun are nearly done in D.C. (Somehow, Rumors is still standing.) Everything’s got to be upscale American, or tapas, or whatever. Even though Patty and Rhino had entirely different constituencies and styles, their overall appeal was basically the same.

You knew what you were getting when you walked in. Nothing special. And you could tell neither place was trying to be.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/02/10/rhino-bar-patty-boom-boom-to-close-another-cog-in-wheel-of-d-c-bar-evolution/

I dunno, while all this is kinda true it just means the outliers and the exceptions and the fringes may have to go elsewhere in the region

Did anyone go to that Prava fest w/ Matmos out in Rockville? How was it?

https://www.capitalfringe.org/fringe-music-inthe-library

Wish I coulda gone to today's lunchtime event

And I really wanted to meet Hoos and see the bands at last night's St. Stephen's benefit, but the Stylistics and others at the 70s soul jam at DAR were calling out to me, and I had to hear them hit those falsetto notes.

Next time, really.

Last night went well!

Nice. Raising money for a good cause

So the Wammies got so lazy in proofreading their ballot that they did this pop-rock instrumentalist nomination, combining two people into one:

Ian Kid Congo Svenonius kidcongopowers.blogspot.com

http://www.wamadc.com/wama/wammies/wambal29.html

So Wammies "fixed' the ballot making both Ian S and Kid Congo pop-rock instrumentalist nominees. But doesn't Ian S. mostly just sing these days? The Wammies left a bunch of worthy folks off the ballot: WAMA still does not acknowledge that go-go bounce beat bands exist, and metal bands are hard to find. At least two of City Paper jazz writer Michael West's favorite musicians for 2014, Tom Williams and Antonio Parker, are nowhere to be found. Also absent are a number of blues musicians who have played at Westminster Church’s weekly blues gigs, including Stacy Brooks, Memphis Gold, and David Cole, to name a few. Also noticeably absent from the ballot are such critically acclaimed D.C. rockers as Tereu Tereu, Thaylobleu, and Paperhaus, as well as rapper Fat Trel and electronic music duo Protect-U.

-----------------
Before I saw Dawn Richard last night with just a 100 or so others at the Howard, I was out in Silver Spring at Bump n Grind seeing the below with 30 some people max:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2015/02/16/photographer-chip-py-on-the-go-go-underground-and-why-he-doesnt-put-his-photos-online/

Maybe if I had posted this earlier, y'all would have joined me in seeing some awesome photos of Chuck Brown, RE, Familiar Faces and more. I got to get Chip to do this again. Maybe at the DC Salon, that every 2 month event at the Shaw library which tonight is having a panel discussion on DC 70s soul from 7 to 9.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/02/25/raheem-devaughn-on-d-c-s-entertainment-industry-and-musics-new-civil-rights-movement/

Hmmm, looks like he would have preferred not talking about Chris Brown; but other than that his interest in being both a Marvin Gaye activist and romance type is of interest

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2015/02/27/super-sly-at-dcs-chateau-nightclub-the-moves-have-never-stopped/

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/03/04/after-21-years-in-business-p-a-palace-closes-its-last-store/#more-119593

P.A. Palace, a longtime seller of live and studio-recorded go-go CDs, has confirmed to Arts Desk that its Iverson Mall location in Temple Hills, Md., has closed.

The go-go purveyor will continue to sell new and old recordings via download and mail order “for years to come,” a representative wrote in an email. The business used to have stores in the Forestville Mall and Prince George’s Plaza, but after more than two decades in business, its last physical outpost is gone. "We may reopen somewhere in the future, but there are no immediate plans as of yet,” the store's representative wrote.

P.A. Palace sold many of the CDs in its store at reduced rates to customers and to others in bulk. Go-go fans have long loved getting live go-go concerts recorded off bands' power audio (P.A.) soundboard on record, tape, and CD, and P.A. Palace has catered to that need. Its list of recordings includes the likes of the Junkyard Bard's Nov. 7, 1988 show at Hillside Firehouse and Northeast Groovers on May 31, 2014 at Icon.

But now, many fans just want digital downloads, and others are satisfied with YouTube videos of shows. In addition to the recordings it sells, P.A. Palace has its own free app and maintains a digital go-go radio station and a go-go news blog.

For those who still want to buy go-go in person on CD, the nearby Kemp Mill Music in Temple Hills sells live and studio go-go releases. Kemp Mill's Armando Cruz hopes his store gets some of P.A. Palace's old customers,but he acknowledges that the patrons of each business tend to stay loyal to their respective outlet.

aw man :(

The Ibiza club in DC has had its issues and reportedly was gonna be sold, but for now (shhh, don't tell DC P*lice & L*quor Board and future nearby condo residents) has hosted the bounce beat Kingz on the 10th and will again on the 17th.

Also, glad to read Black Cat is going with earlier weekday start times. Being able to use the metro to leave there (or whatever mode of transportation) while still seeing a band's full set is a good thing, not just for us old folks and whomever has to get up early the next day, but for all.

Wonder if Rare Essence and the other DC bands and rappers on that Sx SW bill in Austin last night managed to impress the right people and fans alike? So much going on there

Neither Kid Congo nor Ian S won a Wammie btw. Shocking I know. Some bluegrass guy Frank Solivan won a bunch of awards. Plus I saw on Facebook some others noting how they were winning for like the 5th year in a row. Why do I even pay attention. I am a trainwreck spotter I guess who won't look away.

http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/03/fire-guts-indian-restaurant-in-silver-spring/

Fire damaged the nearby Quarry House says the article. Oh no, I've seen rockabilly bands there.

http://dcist.com/2015/03/fort_reno_now_accepting_submissions.php

No cover songs...Too bad, was all ready with my reggaeton versions of "Stepping Stone" and "1, 2 X U"

"Quarry House Benefit Concert Tomorrow night at Jackie's Restaurant." This was posted late Friday night I think, so I guess "tomorrow" means today Saturday but it might mean Sunday. Rockabilly bands and more

There's an indiegogo benefit link page too. See the Quarry House FB page

The fire was in the building portion above the Quarry House (which is in the basement), so the Quarry House got smoke and water damage.

I haven't read anything about the last-minute benefit gig that took place Saturday night. Hope they raised some bucks. The employees are without work for a bit I guess (with some concerned that the old-school buildings like the one that burned are destined to be torn down and turned into condos which could make it difficult for Quarry House to stay open).

In my 20s I did not like 2amish events and I like 'em even less now. Saturday night/Sunday morning I went to Fire Station 1, a rented out restaurant/bar in Silver Spring for Ivory Coast danceclub/afropop act Serge Beynaud. Security presence at the gig included cops with bulletproof vests on and they were packin.' Btw, crowd was mostly 20-something African immigrant gals (dressed up in heels and such) and some African immigrant guys in afro-chic pastel jackets. Security looked bored most of the night. Until Serge came on at 2:15am most of the crowd was bored as well, looking at phones and only ocassionally dancing to the pre-gig dj sounds. Glad the wife and I stuck out for Serge though.

Posted this below elsewhere

Saw Serge Beynaud with Cameroon's P Brodaz doing a quick ten minute opening set. Well actually this morning,as he came on at 2:15 am with a dancer and DJ and performed till the cops shut the gig down at 3 am. He had some charisma and material that worked, although the show lost some energy mid-set when the folks who came onstage to dance were not as good as Beynaud's dancer, and the music during that section did not impress. The DJ beforehand was spinning a mixture of old and new Afrobeats, reggae dancehall and soca.

Ha, stuck it out.

Waiting until 2:15 for an act would certainly make me feel curmudgeonly

We foolishly got there at 11. I have heard some folks say, "oh the audience wants it to start that late." The looks of boredom and the lack of lots of alcohol sales (except for champagne to 3 VIP booths), and the number of people who were there between 11 and 12:30 am tells me otherwise.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2015/03/26/guitarist-joel-harrison-on-local-legends-d-c-roadhouse-sounds-and-anthony-pirog/

Saturday gig at JVs with jazz and art-rock guitarists Harrison and Pirog doing DC rooted honky-tonk roadhouse sounds could be good (if it doesn't get too barband self-indulgent)

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2015/03/25/as-chief-ikes-prepares-to-close-owner-al-jirikowic-bemoans-the-death-of-d-c-funkiness/

I don't agree with everything he says, but this is still fun to read

Ian Hilton also confirmed that he and his brother, Eric Hilton, have signed a letter of intent for The Wharf. They have not identified a concept, however, and talks are in the very early stages.

“We’d love to do something there. If it ends up looking like the master plan, it’s going to be a really cool project,” Ian Hilton said. “But until we at least have the ability to do a hard hat tour, who knows what will happen?”

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/top-shelf/2015/03/mike-isabella-stephen-starr-and-host-of-others-in.html?page=all

curmudgeon speaks the truth on the Chief Ike's piece.

I spent a weirdly large portion of my young adulthood there, looking at things embedded in the lucite of the bar and generally letting the 90s spool out behind me. Measured out in shots of Jim Beam and warbly acid house.

It was rather better suited for djs than for rock bands. For a typical three-band bill, half the room would be taken up by the amps and drums of the bands yet to play. And then they would play, at floor level, to an audience of their girlfriends and roomates and co-workers, totaling a healthy dozen people.

Lotsa comments posted on the Chief Ike's article. Some taking Al to task (at least 1 written by someone who worked there) and others grumbling about the rich kids in town now who just want to go to fancy restaurants.

The Joel Harrison piece covers an even older period of DC history (talking about Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Evan Johns). For you tldr types:

Has anyone come up with an explanation for that whole era from Roy to Danny and Evan, these guitarists interested in such diverse types of American music?

I tried to put my fingers on it in my liner notes to Mother Stump. It took me a long time to try to figure this out, but Washington, especially back then, was both a Southern and a Northern town. You had bluegrass emanating up from the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Seldom Scene and the Country Gentlemen; you had the rocking country and rockabilly thing coming in from Southern Maryland; you had the African-American community with jazz and influences coming in from Baltimore and New York and Philly and the soul and funk sound; and under-girding all this was the blues. It was a town where all these different classes and cultures mixed even though it was a very segregated place, except the music wasn’t segregated. Free form radio was around back then so you could hear this music all the time. More than other places it was kind of a crossroads kind of town.

Harrison also used to go to Fort Reno way back when.