Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

My condolences too.

Thanks

Sorry to hear curm

Thanks

Fort Dupont summer series had started already this time last year in first week of August ( and in years past started much earlier) but no National Park Service announcement yet for this year. But I see that DC city recreation department has announced that Chuck Broen day is moving from the smaller Chuck Brown Park to the bigger Fort Dupont on August 19. I also saw a public post from a random person on Facebook saying that there will be jazz on August 12 at Fort DuPont. The National Park Service continues to say on their website that “We are still in the planning stages for the 2023 events and hope to announce concert dates later this summer”

https://districtfray.com/articles/6-dc-music-insiders-to-know/

Songbyrd and jazz and rhizome and elsewhere booking folks

free shows (with registration ) at Library of Congress. Some jazz ones look good

https://www.loc.gov/events/concerts-from-the-library-of-congress/concerts/upcoming-concerts/

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah comes to the Library of Congress with his latest works, Axiom and Bark out Thunder, Roar out Lightning On Friday December 1. Free with registration. Once known as Christian Scott, this New Orleans Jazz and more musician has a number of Mardi Gras Indian style rhythmic songs on his Bark out Thunder album. Some of album is more out there jazz

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/08/28/william-mackaye-journalism-dead/

William Mackaye, journalist, board member for non profits and more . Father of some musicians

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richardfriend/capital-centre-a-retrospective

Kickstarter for book about Capital Centre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMplnXOlVu4

Ms Kim from Sirius Company on Noochie’s Front Porch

A response to Tiny Desk sorta

Lots of music docs @ AFI in September— Birthday Party, Jobim, Cramps, mariachi

AFI music movies-Sept 8- Superfly (Curtis Mayfield soundtrack) ; Sept 16- The Cramps and The Mutants: the Napa State Mental Hospital 1978 concert Tapes; Sept 21 & 25- Mutiny In Heaven: The Birthday Party; Elis & Tom Sept 24, 25, 27; Going Varsity In Mariachi Sept 24 & 25; Sept 29 & 30 Stop Making Sense; Let the Dance Begin (tango) Sept 29 & Oct. 1; Oct 1, 4, 5- Miúcha, The Voice Of Bossa Nova

Sat Sept 9--“Bring On The Audio Alchemy”- Matmos (electronic duo & Björk collaborators) will be mixing to celebrate 75 years of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings by sampling Folkways Recordings LPs such as the Sounds of North American Frogs, Sounds of the Junk Yard, and Speech After the Removal of the Larynx, and more, into original compositions from 1 to 4 @ 1–4 PM @ Hirshhorn Plaza

Gotta go to that one. Drew Daniel used to post here, too.

I have 2 tickets for sale to the Friday September 8 night of the Black Cat 30th anniversary, as I now have a conflict and can't go.

Sold

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2023/09/08/fall-pop-concerts/

Chr*s R*chards fall preview has rock, rap, jazz, go-go, techno/electro, r'n'b, artsy fingerpicking guitar, pop

I added a few days ago some interesting events to my DC concert calendar that I recently learned about including some local acts that are are Adams Morgan Day today Sunday plus an Inner Ear Studio event at Lost Origins :

*Adams Morgan Day Belmont Stage w/ Baba Ras D west African drumming @ 1; Crush Funk Brass @ 1:30; DC Cuban Allstars @3; Leon City Sounds djs @ 4; DJ Kristy La Rat @ 6* ; Dance Plaza @ Marie Reed has Indonesian Dance Troupe 1:25; Malcolm X drummers & dancers 5:10; Ras Lidg reggae-go-go band @ 6:15; DJ Divine house music tribute to Sam the Man Burns @ 3 @ Kalorama Park; Roots reggae band @ 6 @ Kalorama Park;

*DC state fair @ Franklin Park w/ Crush Funk Brass @ 11am; DC hand dance demo @ 2pm ; Zaneta Z w/ AFRBam @ 3

*Minnush (modern Sephardic music) @ Capital Jewish Museum block party 11 am to 3 pm*

*artist talk and closing reception for “Curating Sound: The Art of Inner Ear" with Don Zientara of Inner Ear, Jason Hamacher of Lost Origins Gallery, and Holly Eney from 5 to 7pm @ Lost Origins Gallery

* A Gospel Experience w/ New Vizion, Bless-Ed, Sonny Brown Experience, Tamy Edwards & Edwards Sisters, Chevela & SV, & more @ 5 @ 5110 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE *

Next Fest (that had jazz and go-go) is not returning this year. Capital Bop the sponsor is taking a year off

https://dcist.com/story/23/09/18/wolf-trap-tomberlin-show-merchandise-fees/

Singer Tomberlin calls out Wolf Trap for taking 41 % cut from tshirt merch sales and a lot from music sales at Wolf Trap, but Wolf Trap defends practice as does 930/IMP/Anthem (which used some Save our Venues funds to build new Atlantis and now complains about pandemic)

Birthday Party doc is at the Afi tonight and September 25 only

My preview is in this below

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/628820/2023-fall-arts-guide/

I would add to that round-up the Jean Eustache film series coming to the National Gallery of Art in October:
https://www.nga.gov/calendar/film-programs/jean-eustache.html

Oh cool

I read that ilxor Govern Yourself Accordingly has passed away. He used to post on this thread and may have lived in the DC area . I don't recall every meeting him. RIP

Art All Night Saturday has harpist Nadia Pessoa and sitarist Snehesh Nag playing together & both using effects pedals on Alice Coltrane, Hindustani, Brazilian songs & Radiohead at 7:30 Saturday at Pen Arts, 1300 17th st NW ; also that night is a big go-go bill from 6 pm to 1 am near MLK library 9th & G with Rare Essence, Backyard Band, Junkyard Band, Black Alley & winning band from Making the Go-go band

Tonight I saw Engineer Don Zientara talk about his Inner studio with Antonia Tricaria (photographer who put together book on Inner Ear) , Joe Lally, Brendan Canty, and moderator engineer Don Godwin

Went to touching and sad but inspiring memorial service for Bill Mackaye. He played ann important role at St Stephens Church in setting up Washington Free Clinic, Urban Village, Fish & Loaves; supported Daniel Berrigan and other anti Vietnam war protesters, was a country blues fan, and was fine with Positive Force doing punk rock benefit shows . Crush Funk Brass did a New Orleans second line send off at end of service outside w/ “I’ll Fly Away.”

https://dcist.com/story/23/09/29/noochie-live-from-the-front-porch-freestyles-dc-rapper/

Long super detailed article on rapper Noochie who hosts the cool Front Porch series that has gone viral with different go-go acts each week

Aw @ Bill M

http://stevekiviat.blogspot.com/2023/10/national-park-service-struggles-delayed.html

How National Park Service bureaucracy and issues delayed Fort Dupont Park series till October. Plus the Cruddy Crudders snuck some shows in

So much going on around the area -

The director of "Lift", about homeless NY ballet dancers, showing for free at 2 at National Gallery today is David Petersen, now Brooklyn-based, but once a DC based musician in the band Insect Surfers back in the '80s. He will be talking after the free 2 pm screening today

"Deadwax From The Vinyl House" 12 to 2pm book talk w/ Vincent Mallardi, a 1960s era studio owner about hoards of master tapes and records a studio engineer left abandoned in a house; at Byrdland Records *

* Jill Greenleigh go-go book signing event 1 to 3 @ Mitchcraft , 9244 E. Hampton Drive, #203, Capitol Heights, MD*

Loved that video of Howard U Homecoming folks and others line dancing on U street in DC to "Jerusalema." I had seen that line dance @ dc go-go Art All Night gig, & after a southern soul one @ Lamont's. Haven't seen the Angolan version w/ plates of food live yet though. I posted one on tik-tok

New Old guy DC rock from Scream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnElJjaEQS0

RIP Sandra Butler-Truesdale who started the DC Legendary Musicians organization tol help older DC black musicians. She also did some WPFW hosting .

Went to school with Marvin Gaye I think. She was born in 1939.

Saw on Facebook she was getting chemo at one point.

The “affordable for tourists “hotel Harrington at 11th and E that first opened in 1914 is closing permanently December 12. In the 80s bands that played the F Street 930 club used to stay there . Its Pink Elephant cocktail lounge later became Harry’s and got associated with Maga extremists

Yeah I did some drinking there thirtymumble years ago, but once it became a Proud Boys / Trumpy hangout I have had no problem avoiding it.

Yep .

Washington City Paper editor in chief Caroline Jones announced she is leaving this week. She had been at City Paper for 11 years and was eic for a number of years. No announcement on who will take her place. There’s a managing editor there also.

I lost track after the Shafer and Carr eras.

Not joking, I wasn’t aware City Paper was still a going concern. Is it online only?

Still distributed, but thinly.

The current revenue model is not unlike NPR (member-supported). I donate occasionally because I am a sentimental sucka.

I don't think we knew (circa 1989) how much the financial model of display ads would crater. But the REAL loss was classifieds and personals.

Once Craigslist pulled the rug out from under classifieds, there was almost no way for a print newspaper to prosper, apart from a few flagship publications with established brands.

Washington City Paper has been online only for awhile now. When the current owner Mark Ein bought the paper he said he would keep it going as a community service and making money with it didn't matter. Then when ad revenue really stopped with the pandemic, he soon fired much of the staff and went online only. I still write "City Light" best bet concert and movie previews for them (and tweet them and share them on Facebook and Instagram). Occasionally I write longer music features for them or restaurant reviews.

I am going to be writing previews of Brazilian singer Roge at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and of Md based Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia at Union Stage for them.

Soon to be former EIC Caroline Jones maintained a low profile on twitter and social media , and with the newsprint gone , lots of folks don't see City Paper. They do have various emails (with links) you can sign up for. A daily one with news, arts, food, and sports ; plus a twice a week art and music events preview one.

I will have to start posting my City Paper articles here!

In other news there’s a ribbon cutting at 12 noon today for a mobile bus go-go museum, and a ground breaking for Ron Moten’s Se go-go museum

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/audience-growth-and-engagement-editor/

City Paper clearly needs a good audience growth and engagement editor based on the postings here about it!

Funny to see train-inspired experimental act Chessie in one of the first posts in this thread, gigging at 24 Hour Access at the Hirshhorn.

19 years later, Chessie's Stephen Gardner did well for himself, he's CEO of Amtrak (and pushing to return Amtrak's HQ to Washington Union Station)

Yeah, that's pretty wild

I previewed tonight’s K Ctr millennium stage gig by Brazilian singer / guitarist Roge and Friday’s gig by Md based Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia at Union Stage. They are included with previews by other writers in Washington City Paper link.

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/640301/anjimile-hailu-mergia-and-more-best-bets-for-nov-30-dec-6/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/11/29/alice-denney-washington-art-dead/

RIP Alice Denney at 101. DC art and event curator who brought John Cage to town and showed Sam Gilliam art. Not mentioned in obit is that the Velvet Underground played her Now Fest in DC in 1966.

The short-lived Owl Room on 14th St NW closed down with its farewell New Year's Eve 9 to 6 am night of electro/techno with Joyce Lim of 1432 r and others. I wonder if they couldn't afford the rent or what the reason was for the sudden closure. Place opened in the spring in former Marvin spot.

From a Beverly Lindsay Johnson public post on Facebook:

The past few weeks have been sad as the music world has lost some of the pioneers and legends of DC Doo-Wop.

Steve Charles of the Clovers ("Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash")

Sandra Butler-Truesdale - Founder of the DC Legendary Musicians, Inc.

Ronald "Poozie" Miles - Original founding member of The Rainbows ("Mary Lee", "They Say"). It was my pleasure to have lured him back onto the stage over the past few years before his passing. He adored me and I defintely adored him.

Royal Height - The Orioles and DC activist for DC with the songs he writes and performs "Taxation Without Representation" It hurts my heart but I know that they all are in heaven with the heavenly choir. [ me here: I wrote a short 2021 piece on Height’s anti-Trump single
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/506198/city-lights-royal-height-says-trump-aint-gotta-go-home-just-gotta-git-the-hell-up-outta-here/
]

So Anthony Pirog may be best known for his guitar playing in Messthetics and his solo and group jazz meets prog artsy math music , but a handful of times over last 10 years he played surf and rockabilly with Janelle Leppin, sax player Mark Muncie and others in The El Reys. I just saw them at Quarry House and they were good and fun

Messthetics are playing with jazz guy James Brandon Lewis on MLk Monday in NY on an impressive bill with Esperanza Spaulding and Shabaka H. Gig might be part of that Winter Jazz Fest happening in NY