Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Bin 1301 wine bar was on U Street btw

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/best-of-dc-2021/

My Dc R & B 1940 to 1960 box item

That link is not leading quite there, o curmudgeonly one

(and I speak as a CP member in good standing)

Thanks. Alas CP has done a less than amazing job on links for this issue . You have to get to Arts & Entertainment editor’s picks and it appears in there somewhere. Plus annoying intro often appears first and you have to arrow down from that.

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/best-of-dc-2021/

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/best-of-dc-2021/

Ah, got it. the ultimate url was https://washingtoncitypaper.com/best-of-dc-2021/#/gallery/306796231?group=400855

But as you say, one must click on Arts & Entertainment and scroll.

Missed due to family responsibilities the Des Demonas, and 2 others Lamont Park Mt Pleasant library sponsored gig Saturday plus subsequent Lost Origins gallery Jim Saah punk photos opening w/ J Robbins performing. Also Bacchae at Pie Shop later. Saw some IG stories video clips of Des Demonas to address some of my fomo

X-post — yes that r’n’b in dc 1940- 1960 box set with book is expensive. $200 plus

I also wrote a best of item on the wacky Wednesday DJ night that rapper Sir EU hosts at Spacycloud in Adams Morgan which sells Russian & Eastern European beer and wine plus veggie food from those locales as well as skateboards. They also do skateboard clinics out back

There’s a DontMute Black Women rally w/ Pure Elegance and TOB from 5 to 8 Monday Nov 1 ( today) at 14th & U in support of Howard U professor Natalie Hopkinson and Cora Masters Barry who DC Council chair Mendelson is trying to evict from their volunteer positions as DC Commission of the Arts members . Hopkinson has written a Medium post in response to the Proposed action and has been busy on social media about this and her efforts to provide equity in arts funding. Hopkinson successfully required Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre and others to have to apply for arts grants like everyone else this year, rather than getting automatic funding. This apparently riled Mendelson.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/31/mayor-bowsers-nominees-dc-arts-commission-deserve-consideration/

Colbert King column

12-1 vote keeps Professor Hopkinson and Masters Barry on DC Arts Commission. Now Commission just needs to do a better job of letting dc musicians /artists in all wards know that they can get grants

Which Maryland and DC Ethiopian restaurants have live music? Trying to find out without having to call all of the ones that show up in yelp, IG, FB, and internet. I have found ads for live Ethiopian music in Northern VA places - Hashtag Lounge, and others, but not currently seeing ones for rest of dmv.

I vaguely remember Meskerem maybe?

As you note, some Northern Va places host open mics at least.

I think Abyssinia in Silver Spring does music late night

or maybe it was Langano. same block

Was told on Twitter that Lucy’s in Silver Spring has music.

Hashtag Lounge in Alexandria, Va has music as do several places in Falls Church

Writer/ author/ musician/ teacher Greg Tate who just passed away at age 64 , lived in DC from age 13 to 22 or so. He went to Howard, wrote for the Hilltop & elsewhere ( City Paper), before he moved to NYC and started writing for the Village Voice.

Tate was briefly a WPFW DJ too I read someone say on Facebook

Took the subway for the first time in awhile and went in to Kennedy Center Reach building likewise. Saw Elder's Corner, movie doc about Nigerian music. About 25 people there

subway?

jk i saw maxwell at the kennedy center and attempted to park down there. terrible decision

I would frequently drive there and struggle to find parking. Over and over again. But did Metro Wednesday…Not too crowded on train.

It's not a bad walk from Foggy Bottom but they also have a shuttle (or used to, not sure in Covid times)

The shuttle still operates. I come to the KC from exurbia and I found the Watergate has a garage that is cheaper than the one under the KC.

Yes. Yes. So Diana Ezerins who was in charge of Millennium stage and many Reach events has left KC and is now an events programmer at Wolf Trap. She shared a Link there for a programming assistant to her. She noted that she herself is familiar with Americana and rock, folk, and jam, so she is looking to hire someone into other music genres.

Not sure who is taking over for her at Kennedy Center. They are now doing free movies every Wednesday at Reach, and live music on Thursdays through Saturdays. But last time I looked they only had the first half of December listed .

2013

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/412353/greg-tate-on-go-go-burnt-sugar-the-arkestra-chamber-and-what-makes-him-giddy/

RIP Carl Cephas who I knew.

Seeing on Facebook that he died Dec 29, 2021. He was in 1980s DC funk-punk band the Psychotics, dj’d experimental tunes at Lucky Bar, hosted the Washington Psychotronic Film Society, & worked @ Warner Theatre & LOC. Had health issues for decades, sadly, but maintained a quirky sense of humor. Old articles below.

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/436116/was-carl-cephas-separation-from-the-library-of-congress-overdue/

https://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/30-years-of-peculiar-films-with-carl-cephas

A fair amount of dc area gigs have been or are getting cancelled because of omicron Covid , but many still happening. I haven’t gone to any in a while ( family responsibilities making me extra cautious)

My Greg Tate and DC article --Here’s my Washington City Paper article on how DC impacted the life of writer and musician Greg Tate, who sadly died of cardiac arrest at age 64 in December. I tried to talk to as many people as I could for the article. I have plenty of anecdotes from people that sadly there wasn’t space for, but nonetheless I think this piece conveys some of Tate’s greatness. Plus DC people and references-- WPFW, d.c. space, go-go, Howard University, Haile Gerima, Bad Brains, E Ethelbert Miller, poetry & spoken word scenes, Coolidge High, Dera Tompkins, Reuben Jackson,

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/544093/remembering-flyboy-greg-tate/?fbclid=IwAR2dhw7QGq0RA0jeHKNAXMgq1OWfGw1L8OhpbWm-HoJlePsUH_5-3sFGbkU

Friday night Ms Kim Michelle IG Live

Friday night late felt like early Covid quarantine time sorta as I watched dc go-go band Sirius Company do some of an acoustic set from what might have been band member Ms Kim’s place on IG Live

I think it is bad that @wammiesdc / @TheMusicianShip require artists to also use Spotify or Apple or Amazon or certain other sites to qualify for an album award nomination.

Since @capitalbop 2nd fave DC jazz album of 2021-MARK CISNEROS / NIK FRANCIS / LUKE STEWART, ‘WE WERE HERE BEFORE‘ is available only from Bandcamp, it doesn't qualify for @wammiesdc awards which require 2 sites...Same for #3 Brad Linde- Into Thin Air

Rhizome will have indoor shows at current location in February and March. After that is “uncertain “ they say. Their location was scheduled for affordable housing. They have been looking for a new location for awhile

No surprise that Wammies nominations also leave out rock, rap, international folks worthy of nomination. I am a broken record on this ( but there is also media that regurgitates their press releases about how wonderful they are doing)

In November 2021 Lloyd McNeill passed . DC born jazz flautist and painter/ artist with a Howard MFA who designed cool concert posters with Lou Stovall ( some were on display recently at Hemphill gallery), and hung out with Picasso and Andrew White .

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2021/11/11/artist-and-flutist-extraordinaire-lloyd-mcneill-jr-passes-at-86/

The Lincoln Theatre turns 100 this year

I love the sign they had outside that says “This is not where Lincoln was shot”

Ha.

In other news saw a mention of an upcoming spring Messthetics show. Haven’t seen anything for Coriky.

Go-go bands keep playing and releasing live tapes/ albums

Saw on Facebook and twitter that Don Zientara was taking calls to do production and engineering. It turns out he is using his own home studio again. The city of Arlington was supposed to help him find a new location but home is where he ended up

Saw that too. I will miss that live room, but it's not like there's a huge shortage of good rooms. He's very clever at the board. I do wonder what he's doing with his big console.

Don't know. I should find the time to pitch a follow up article and ask him

RIP you made some damn good fried chicken (i never tried the fried fish)

Family and friends are mourning the death of Richard “Dickie” Shannon, the founder of Horace and Dickie’s Seafood, who died Sunday at age 84 of complications from COVID-19. https://t.co/0uuLFPNnbM

— WTOP (@WTOP) February 10, 2022

I only ate the whiting fish. Good stuff

I have since been to the Glenarden location once, but not the Takoma DC, Camp Springs , or Waldorf ones.

Chris Richards in W Post is excited about following newish dc releases:

New DMV music from...

P CAIN
JETT CHANDON
DAUNTING NIGHTMARE
FACHADA
LIL XELLY
LUKE STEWART’S SILT TRIO
THUNDA MAN
WORKERS COMP

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/547749/the-2022-spring-arts-guide-things-to-do-in-d-c/

I previewed upcoming gigs by Rare Essence, Mdou Moctar, & R’n’b singer Lucky Daye

Chip Py-DC Go-go: Ten years Backstage book

Photos are really good; text is is ok

book release event @ Politics & Prose Union Market Sat. Feb. 26 @ 3pm

A guy who's been booking some rock gigs @ Comet P is also now booking shows at Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring

If you're ready to go out for live or dj music there are plenty of March options in the DC Baltimore area. My March DC DMV gig list has go-go; a reopened Dwell dc local rock show; soca; gospel; Norteno; Songbyrd; Comet & a dj @ a senior center. Acts playing this month include Hardway Connection, Fatoumata Diawara, Gang of Four, Jorge Drexler, Mdou Moctar, Nick Cave, & Sons of Kemet.

Added more as I forgot about first friday Save your soul dj event at Lithuainian hall in Baltimore with dj baby alcatraz and rob macy plus some other gigs- Low at Miracle theatre, another soca show, a slash run gig that looked interesting

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/550604/documenting-d-c-s-doo-wop-histories/

website covers dc doo wop history and old dc clubs