Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

More on Kato Hammond, go-go history, and tmott-go-go

written by Alona Wartofsky who used to write about go-go for the Post and Washington City Paper years ago
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/05/21/kato-hammond-go-gos-de-facto-historian-remembers-his-roots-and-go-gos-too/

Going to the Black Cat (for the first time) to see Death (the awesome proto-punk band from Detroit of A Band Called Death documentary fame) because the band's Philly date was cancelled and my wife adores the band.

It's not all bad: Never been to the venue and Obnox is supporting who I love (and whose drummer Bim I know from when we lived in Columbus, Ohio).

The plan is to get into DC around 4ish tomorrow. Hit the record stores close to the venue (Smash, Crooked Beat, Red Onion and Som Recprds are all walking distance from what I can ascertain), have dinner, catch the show.

Questions:

1) Parking - Should I hit a lot if I plan on having my car in that area from 4 until the show ends? Will I be feeding meters? Is street parking generally shitty there?
2) Dinner - We could just eat at the Black Cat - is their food good? Or is there something around there that you locals would recommend? We're omnivores who will eat anything.
3) Anyone wanna come out? I always like meeting ILXors.

My email address works if anyone wants to reach out for a hang or to just say hi at the show.

1) you're best off just finding a lot so you don't have to worry about the car. The area around there doesn't have parking for that long of a period for non-residents.
2) I'd eat elsewhere.

Have fun!

i'm thinking about going to that! uhhh i can't be really useful with parking as i have kinda public transit blinders on, but the food at the black cat is pretty good imo, but its kinda overpriced the space can get a little cramped near a big show like this one is prob gonna be.

I'd add Joint Custody to your record store list -- closer to the Cat than Smash or Crooked Beat and has been really good this spring

Eating options on 14th are plentiful, but pretty picey and pretty meh. For cheap food, hard to go wrong with Amsterdam Falafel (across the street & block north of Black Cat) or Fast Gourmet (in a gas station on 14th St north of U). Of the more expensive options, I've enjoyed the Epcot Center France vibe at Le Diplomate, though Balthazar it isn't. In the opposite direction of all the record shops is Seki (really good Japanese) and Dukem on U for Ethiopian and you can sit outside. Standard BBQ a few doors down from Black Cat will be overrun with young professionals if the weather is nice but the BBQ is decent.

My brother who lives in Reston picked a parking lot which will cost me $20 and he suggested Ted's Bulletin which is right across from the venue. The wife loves breakfast food so hopefully it'll be good.

Yelpsters like Ted's "adult pop-tarts" and milkshakes, I've never been. Another food option-- Further south on 14th st is Baan Thai, 2nd floor place above Thaitanic at 1326 14th st NW.

I'm thinking about going to Black Cat too.

Find me if you go. Wearing a Bad Brains tee.

Nice. If I go I will probably wear an Orioles baseball cap.

I was there but missed seeing you. I liked Obnox better than Death ( the latter sometimes were too plodding or typical 70s rock with solos as opposed to proto-punk Stooges like. But they were so enthusiastic and some songs worked so i can't get too mean).

Sorry I missed you. I loved both bands although (and this is sacrilege, probably) I felt that Death's sound could have been better fleshed out with a second guitarist.

I posted some pix in the Obnox thread of them. Here's a couple of Death shots:

http://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11295671_10155639689945597_2579907220071649359_n.jpg?oh=13e34db3ae1c830f824c7711873f310b&oe=55F1EDE8
http://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11351271_10155640111455597_1332137665571073939_n.jpg?oh=57992702ae52073b3bfd573aee78bf52&oe=55F7ACE0

The VERY happy girl in this shot is my wife, who absolutely adores Death. Don't know whether it's the underdog story of the group but she absolutely fell in love with the band after seeing the documentary. Seeing her so happy during the show and also in this pic makes me very happy.

As for the rest of my journey to DC... An accident on 95 delayed me getting there by over an hour and a half so we went straight to Ted's, enjoyed the malted and the company of my two brothers I don't often see. Someone who works there complimented me on my Bad Brains shirt saying "nobody wears Bad Brains shirts around here." I was like, really, in DC nobody wears Bad Brains shirts?!?

No time for record store hopping thanks to the traffic so we immediately went to the show.

The Black Cat is a great venue, you guys are lucky to have it. I heard that Ian Mackaye was at the show but I didn't see him.

I loved how the show was both multicultural and also spanned the ages. It was neat to see so many people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and ages enjoy the bands that played. Made me wish I still lived in the area.

Sorry we missed each other and glad you had a good time. Yep, love the Death underdogs from the '70s story, but circa 2015 they do need something.

It was a busy night for music too. Saw some folks who watched Obnox and then bailed to see Aaron Leitko from Protect-U do a solo dj set on a bill with experimental types at Safari; there was Baltimore math-rock band Horse Lords somewhere else; Chris Stamey at Iota and a lot more

Interesting reading in W. Post--Chris Richards grumbling about overpriced, predictably booked Sweetlife fest and his dissapointment that Kendrick Lamar just did old songs and had Sweetlife guy onstage.

Metro section article re The Park at 14th getting temporarily closed because they tried to throw a troublemaking drunk with a head wound out the backdoor without calling 911 or anything

http://ourcityfilmfestival.com/

This is nicely curated--movies plus more--Sam the Man Burns and hand-dancers; Feedel Band and other Ethiopian immigrants; formerly incarcerated teen poets back by Kenny Kwick Gross from Chuck Brown's band ....All this coming weekend

A busy weekend-- that 70 guitar Saturday night benfit for music in DC schools thing is happening too; plus lots of great acts visiting town-

Excuse the typos.

JVs in Falls Church is such an odd little place. It wants to be a dive but its not quite one. Saw Anthony Pirog sitting in with the Dave Kitchen Band there. Plus special guests including an old drunk blind guy who did not sing the blues that well.

The DMV has a number of female oldies r'n'b djs...

The National Hand Dance Association Oldies Extravaganza Part 5! (A fundraiser)
Back by popular demand!
Saturday, June 6,
7:00 pm-12mid.
VFW Post 9619,
6527 Suitland Road, Morningside, MD.
Main Ball Room - 50s and 60s music (only)
ITS THE LADIES OF OLDIES DJs!

NHDA DJs - DJ Peaches, DJ Addie,, DJ Lady JC, DJ Bev with guest DJ Vi.

MC's Dr. Nick and Alwanda Higgins
Cash bar, cash menu, 50/50 raffle, trivia, giveaways and more. Attire:"Casual Chic".

Tickets:
$15.00 General Public
$20 at the door.

Contact:

NHDA 866 583-0780

Is anyone tired of all the dc music media attention for just this guy? Or maybe he deserves it. Ian S is gonna be on Kojo's WAMU radio show at noon today

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/d-c-rock-icon-ian-svenonius-to-appear-on-kojo-nnamdi-show/

bored as hell tbh

http://i.gyazo.com/d936b77ae32e5e9bf7f166c6bb27acff.png

Ha. Some of Ian's comments were dumb, most were kinda dull whether about the meaning of rock n roll or surrealism. Kinda cool still that he got to babble about this stuff in mid-day on an NPR station

So much to do in June even on a Monday---

Mon. 6-8
Malportado Kids at Union Arts (tropical punk)

"Villalobos" (movie doc about German-based Chilean electronic music dj) at 6:30 pm at Goethe-Institut Washington

White Lung (Vancouver, Canada hardcore punk) at DC9

Jo-Go Project at Kennedy Ctr. Mil. Stage for free from 6 to 7 pm (jazz meets go-go with horn player and more from Chuck Brown's band)

Went to "This DCiopian Life" at the MLK Library last night as part of the Our City Fest. It was free. About 100 folks attended. The Feedel Band played their wonderful distinctive minor-chord like rhythms and were accompanied by dancers on some songs. Periodically between songs, members of the DC Ethiopian community went upfront to a mike and told their stories of coming to DC and their life here and there. A non-profit worker by day who does standup comedy at night; a cab driver; a 14 year-old; a government worker by day, singer by night (who is Aster Aweke's sister). Interesting and touching tales about immigrant parents and life in the DMV.

"DCioipan"??

Ethiopians living in DC. Just a pun for this event As opposed to This American Life or My So-called Life...

Today from 3 to 5 is the teen poets backed by a go-go trio led by Kenny Kwick Gross from Chuck Brown's band.

Read a bunch of tweets and articles about the final Spoonboy show. Emo gender binary?

I'll always love Svenonius for NoU but kind of bummed that Chain & the Gang is so durable, because they're probably my least favorite of his bands. Wish Felt Letters had lasted longer!

I feel like the membership of Chain & the Gang has changed since I last saw them. I should probably give 'em another chance. Not sure that Olivia Neutron John/Anna Nasty was in the band last time I saw 'em. Regarding his interview, I'm kinda over his mentioning of various gangs and rebel groups over the years, but I guess some like that. Also, his mentioning of Situationists, and other historic artsy radicals may be bringing new attention to them.

Read a bunch of tweets and articles about the final Spoonboy show. Emo gender binary?

― curmudgeon, Sunday, June 7, 2015 5:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it was sort of funny, i know so many people who don't even like spoonboy who went to that just bcz it was the last one.

today Thursday--FYI: The Smithsonian Celebrates Go-Go | Thurs. June 11 3:30 to 5:30 pm at Amer. History

Team Familiar from 3:30 to 4 then a gogo panel with authors of The Beat then more Team Familiar from 4:30 to 5:30. Free

Weird day and time, with little publicity for this

I got there in the middle of the panel discussion, and thhen saw an hour Team Familar set. Fun stuff, enjoyed mainly by visiting tourists, little kids and scattered others. Go-go covers og Miguel, Elle Varner, Temptations, Luther, Stevie Wonder and more. D. Floyd on sax and rapping, other vocalists whose names I don't know, guitarist Frank Scooby Sirius Marshall using a credit card as a pick (and his falsetto on some songs), the always great tGo-Go Mickey on percussion, and Lil Kim on vocals too.

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/looking-for-d-c-s-most-interesting-music-try-the-library/

There was a punk basement library gig last night, and there's a Fringe music show by the r'n'b-rock hybrid group Coolots at the entrance to MLK Library at lunch today. The article covers more details on the 2 sets of gigs, including the worthy folks who have already done some

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/looking-for-d-c-s-most-interesting-music-try-the-library/

Oops with the double link

Soul musician Little Royal who goes for a James Brown-like approach, once featured in Washington City Paper's People Issue, performs at Westminster Presbyterian Church in SW DC tonight for 3 sets between 6 and 9 pm for $5. Show up anytime and you'll get your money's worth. Royal has had a stroke but he still puts on a decent show with his band. Downhome food for sale in the basement

Classic or Dud (or just sad)-- Wonderland bar folks naming their new Brookland bar with a name of a historic African-American New Orleans Bar, and not even being aware of such a historic music-associated bar. Apparently there were many Dew Drop Inns.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2015/06/17/dew-drop-inn-to-the-new-brookland-bar-from-the-owners-of-wonderland-ballroom/

The Hideaway might have made a great name, but "I always liked Dew Drop Inn," McGovern says. "I saw one in North Carolina when I was 12, and I've been fascinated by it ever since. I think it was the first pun that I really got. And it's a good American name."

http://www.offbeat.com/articles/the-dew-drop-inn-past-present-future/ the New Orleans one

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/06/17/after-echostage-deaths-dancesafe-surveys-club-conditions/

Interesting that DC Police are not trying to shut Echostage down (they blame nightclubs in some parts of town for gun-related violence but not this megaclub for a Molly related death).

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/your-band-sucks-author-jon-fine-i-got-a-job-that-was-a-big-failure/

Jon Fine discusses his book with Washingtonian‘s Andrew Beaujon at Busboys & Poets in Brookland June 23. He was in B Magnet

In the world of twitter and instagram, this past Saturday night's Northeast Groovers reunion go-go gig, playing with Backyard band (whom had special guests)was a big deal; elsewhere not so much

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/film/2015/06/22/this-wednesday-watch-tv-ones-unsung-documentary-on-chuck-brown/

do they post those online?

Good question. I saw in my FB news feed that someone posted a link to the Ike Turner one, so maybe they do at some point afterwards

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2015/06/23/fort-reno-is-broke-again-needs-your-money-to-make-concerts-happen/

Oh Amanda.

http://www.fortreno.com/

jfc

Why is the organizer surprised that the same police request is being made this year as last year? Am I missing something?

The National Park Service and United States Park Police recognize the importance and value of the Fort Reno concerts to the community. The NPS and USPP met with the concert organizer in February to review last year’s series and discuss planning for 2015.

One of the primary goals in permitting any event is to ensure public safety. These fees are standard practice for many permitted special events.

The National Park Service, U.S. Park Police and Fort Reno organizer Amanda MacKaye discussed the fee for police coverage in February, the spokesperson says.

This is the update to the WAMU Bandwidth story. Amanda therefore knew in February of this year that the NPS could be making the same request.

As for why she is surprised--She has a purist mentality based in part on all the years Fort Reno occurred without any attention from the NPS. Also, I know is that I attended a DC Music Salon at the Shaw Library all about Fort Reno concerts. Amanda just kept saying again and again how Fort Reno is just all about sitting on the grass and babies and dogs. She did not want to talk about details about how it was run. She did acknowledge that Fort Reno shows used to start in June, but she decided to do a shorter schedule because she thought it would make the shows seem more special and there would be less events to solicit volunteers for. She has her rules for how bands must submit music if they want to be considered--cds or vinyl only, nothing sent electronically...

Apparently pre-sequestration, and post-Fugazi, there were no payments made for Park Police security.

The Smithsonian Folklife Fest starts today. One theme- this year--Peru. Its on a small area near the Museum of the American Indian due to new National Park Service rules. 11 am or so to 5pm and then evening concerts from 7 to 9. Eva Ayllon tonight