Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Sunday morning I found out the Sun Ra Arkestra was playing that night at the Birchmere in Virginia, and that they are doing shows celebrating Marshall Allen's 100th birthday this week. He wasn't able to be there but it was still a great show, and they'll be at Keystone Korner in Baltimore on Wednesday if anyone feels like making the trip.

I was at the Birchmere last night too, hello neighbor lol

I hope Allen is ok. He was with the Arkestra when I saw them open for Solange at the Kennedy Center some years back. I was away when they played at Franklin Park some months back. Toyed with going last night but just did the late afternoon Slickee Boys thing.

My contact said that Allen from Sun Ra's Arkestra got worn out at a Saturday gig in North Carolina, so he rested on Sunday and therefore missed Birchmere gig. Saw DJ Baby Alcatraz's IG story video from the Birchmere gig and it still looked good. Seeing them march through the crowd reminded me of when I saw 'em do that at the old F Street 930 Club and a bunch of folks from audience followed them like it was a conga line or a New Orleans jazz parade. Alas, Birchmere makes everyone sit and watch politely.

Allen seemed strong and well the 3 times (!) I got to see them last year. even came out on a cold February night to smoke up right next to me. amazing.

DC writer and DJ John Murph talked to longtime DC rapper, poet & more Kokayi for Downbeat

https://downbeat.com/news/detail/kokayi-taps-the-musical-power-of-language?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/listings/items/the-queen-of-go-gos-50th-birthday-celebration-june-1/

My preview of Ms Kim go-go birthday party in Bethesda Saturday

My preview of Brazilian guitar masters tonight and tomorrow night. The Saturday one with samba and bossa guy Joao Bosco is more interesting to me

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/719378/brazilian-guitar-masters-bill-evans-and-more-city-lights-for-may-30-through-june-5/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/29/best-concerts-dc-june/

Chris Kelly in Post on younger dc rock bands - Birthday Girl , Ekko Astral, Spring Silver , Outerloop and others

Posted my June 2024 concert calendar finally

Steve K blogspot

Been waiting!

I have already updated it since this morning. I left out some cool gospel gigs, and some Leon City tropical djs ones, but have now added them. The Green Zone has not posted all of their June djs & the djs who spin there that I follow haven't posted on Instagram that I can tell.

There are too many punk and indie pop and rock bands to keep up with; so I just list what interests me

Thanks it's a valuable resource

I also appreciate what you do. I especially appreciate the non-western music listings.

Thanks . That reminds me -

Seeing the phrase "For local teens" about the possible return of a rock music fest in a major newspaper article bugs me. If I edited or wrote the article I would have said "for local rock music loving teens" because I don't think teens into rap, go-go, reggaeton, dancehall & more cared about that. It’s presumptuous

HFSestival

No thanks to HFStival $175 upper section 300 level seats or even more expensive ones down below at Nats Park. Plus I don't care about seeing Incubus or Bush or Tonic. Just Death Cab and a few others maybe

he DC Council Chair Mendeleson (who spent years before 2020 making sure DC arts & Humanities $ mainly went to Arena Stage and Fords Theatre) is suggesting spending 5.3 million $ to buy the National Theatre & 6 $ million to renovate it in the new budget proposal, which is over twice as much as the $4 million allocated a few years back for the now being built DC go-go Museum. That doesn't even add in what the Council chair is also proposing for Arena Stage to help them pay off a loan and do renovations. Dr Natalie Hopkinson, AU Professor & Don't Mute DC activist is not happy. She says the DC Commission of Arts & Humanities money for DC go-go musicians was small. While yeah, Arena is now having Step Afrika and occasionally the National has Black touring musicals, this seems a bit much.

Lots of June live music and DJ events happening but can’t do em all. Did see and enjoy Swansea Sound at Quarry House, Samba Prime at Bossa , southern soul multi act bill at Gray’s Beach in Marbury Md on the Potomac; Go-go w/ Still Familiar & EU at MLK Library roof, and English Teacher at Atlantis.

Lots happening this weekend plus Juneteenth next week

Seeing folks say on Facebook that Lamont's Entertainment Complex in Indian Head (Pomonkey) Md which hosts southern soul has been sold and that the new owners will renovate the buildings & still book southern soul events

No thanks to HFStival $175 upper section 300 level seats or even more expensive ones down below at Nats Park. Plus I don't care about seeing Incubus or Bush or Tonic. Just Death Cab and a few others maybe

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 5:04 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

Very much my opinion. Also no second stage (this always had the more interesting artists). Any news how tickets are selling?

Have not seen any news re how this is selling

Fort Reno schedule is posted. Shows are in July

https://fortreno.com/

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/738251/indigenous-cultures-is-the-only-theme-for-this-years-smithsonian-folklife-festival/

My Washington City Paper article on why the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has only 1 theme this year, Indigenous Cultures, and has a shorter runtime- ending July 1 and not going through the 4th of July as usual.

The year they had the Silk Road theme was just amazing. It practically stretched from the Capitol to the Washington Monument. Also got to see (albeit from a distance) Yo-Yo Ma with the Silk Road Ensemble.

Yep that was great

https://fortreno.com/

Fort Reno starts tonight on a very hot Monday with Flash Hits who are Los Angeles base but include a few former DCers

The Flash Hits began as a four-track project in 2012 in Philadelphia by Damien C. Taylor (the sounds of kaleidoscope, Macitajs on Acid, Kohoutek, Asteroid #4, etc.) and Mike Hammel (Lilys, Ropers, Pink Skull, False Tracks, etc.). Damien and Mike had the same machines and would exchange unfinished ideas, which resulted in a 38 song demo tape

based

NPS has still not completed a contract with a promoter yet for Fort Dupont for 2024

updated my July 2024 calendar with a DC Punk Archive library gig, some Green Zone dj events, & more. Missed a Rare Essence July 4th daytime free show

I spent the day avoiding the sun

I worked late and then ended up skipping it also. Saw online somewhere Brendan Canty raving about Flash Hits, and also saw others post some IG stories

Capital Bop website has a jazz calendar and recommends shows every month

https://www.capitalbop.com/dc-jazz-clubs-shows-july-2024/

In late June they also had this interview with cellist Janel Leppin about her duo album with Anthony Pirog, and her group album with Ensemble Volcanic Ash

https://www.capitalbop.com/janel-leppin-ensemble-volcanic-ash-interview/

Was there , loved the show more than the record

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/07/09/joe-record-paradise-died/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzIwNDk3NjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzIxODc5OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MjA0OTc2MDAsImp0aSI6ImU5YmMxZDAzLTM0ZGQtNGE0Yy1iMjI2LTBiYzU5ZjZhODc4MSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vYml0dWFyaWVzLzIwMjQvMDcvMDkvam9lLXJlY29yZC1wYXJhZGlzZS1kaWVkLyJ9.XuhX3uALg0EbDsx4mHgWiWch5iBQYHSUITFk_H5FQbU

Washington Post obit for Joe Lee of Joe's Record Paradise

https://wtop.com/local/2024/07/i-found-it-intoxicating-joe-lee-founder-of-record-paradise-shop-dies-at-76

One more Joe Lee obituary

https://wtop.com/entertainment/2024/07/dc-go-go-legend-and-eu-frontman-sugar-bear-celebrating-50th-birthday-with-shows-in-tysons-bethesda/

Sugar Bear of EU

50 years of making music

https://open.substack.com/pub/hometownsounds/p/the-week-in-dc-music-6c8?r=2ck8a&utm_medium=ios

This substack covers dc rock largely and does kind of a good job at it , but I wish the name of it was “the week in dc ROCK music” as they only occasionally include other genres

W. Post Chris Richards is into US / Uk pop, rap, country, rock, jazz ( not too much into African or Asian music) and he ‘s digging into dc punk history

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/07/11/dc-hardcore-punk-albums-reissues/

He likes Brazilian music a bit too but loves him some mid 80s to 90s DC punk .

Speaking of dc punk, at Fort Reno tonight most of Fugazi were there watching Birthday Girl DC (Guy is in NY ). Birthday Girl DC who are all around the age of 17 drew some crowd members their age, so it wasn't just old folks like me.

LG Records who have put out much of the vinyl Richards reviewed, don't have a website, just an Instagram page and they sell the vinyl through Dischord and Midheaven

6 former Dcist staffers are raising money for their new worker-led weekly newsletter project 51st state

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/07/16/51st-local-news-dcist-wamu/

RIP Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon from Georgia to DC she showed courage and was an inspiring civil rights activist & singer with the Freedom Singers and later Sweet Honey in the Rock. She got a graduate degree from Howard U, taught at American, and worked for the Smithsonian and Folkways Records. Created the Wade in the Water series . Performed at Obama's White House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhafyI6-Bp0

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/743455/a-night-with-prince-girls-rock-and-more-city-lights-for-july-18-24/

I previewed Saturday July 20 Colombia Independence Day Fest at Catholic U

Wow just heard some Bernice Johnson Reagon on Wpfw. Beautiful stuff

She was ill in recent years, and I don't think her singing with Sweet Honey in the Rock from awhile back or w/ the SNCC Freedom singers in the '60s or their reunion gigs ever got the credit it deserved.

f you have any interest in late 1970s rock that paved the way for punk, or just have seen Jeff Krulik docs ( Heavy Metal Parking Lot & others) then you might want to consider seeing RAZZ(The)Doc, co-directed by Krulik, at AFI Silver Saturday, July 20 @ 3pm about that 1970s dc band

https://www.capitalbop.com/the-carlyle-room-has-closed-after-two-years-of-trying-to-bring-music-back-to-downtown-d-c/

Upscale 2 years in dc r& b and jazz club closes. Was interested in some gigs there but never did go. It was more expensive than Blues Alley, Birchmere, and the Hamilton Live. Food & drink minimum plus ticket plus fees . Some people loved it though

My City Paper editor emailed me that another City Paper contributor was writing a short article on a dc punk band for the Best of DC 2024 special for City Paper, and did I have any other local music ideas for coverage. She wanted a quick response and turnaround. I submitted 4 ideas and she said she had room for 2 of them . So I wrote about promoter District of Raga and the Capital Bop dc jazz website.

https://bestof2024.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts-and-ent-editors-picks/best-eye-for-great-music