Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

The only electronic night i have ever been to is called Matter and it is held at the Blue Room on 18th street. I am not sure if it still exists, as i havent seen it listed for a while. The Djs played a lot of techno, including all the requisite hip german stuff, but whenever i went, there were 20 people there, and everything was being played at lounge volumes. it was a bit sad really, though the bar has a good beer selection.

SALT (listed first, because it's my night, dammit)
synthfunk, indiepop, dancehall, grime, electropunk, hip hop, industrial, hits
DJ's Sad and Lonely
1st Wednesday monthly
Cafe Saint-Ex

<>
indiedisco and beyond
DJ Will Eastman
generally 3rd Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Confusion
disco, new wave, funk, postpunk, hiphop
DJ's Serpico, William Alberque, Cullen Stalin, Sad
generally 4th Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Yellow Fever
reggae, groove, soul, hip-hop, dub
DJ's Yellow Fever
Tuesdays biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

Spilt Milk
rock, disco, funk, mod, punk, soul
Tuesdays biweekly
Red

Blowoff
indie house?
DJ's Bob Mould and Richard Morel
Saturdays
9:30 Club

Taking the Piss
jingle-jangle indie pop & psychedelic
occasional Fridays
Marx Cafe

We Fought the Big One
UK post punk, shoegaze, guitar pop, indie dance
DJ's Brandon Grover and Rick Taylor
1st Friday monthly
Marx Cafe

The Wag
60's garage soul & trash
DJ Mark Zimin
1st Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

The Mousetrap
brit pop, indie
DJ Mark Zimin
generally 2nd Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Cold
coldwave, darkwave
2nd Sunday monthly
the Blue Room

Atmosphere
post punk, UK indie, dream pop
3rd Sunday monthly
the Blue Room

The Melting Pot
everything, 1964-1980
DJ Neville Chamberlain
Thursday biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

UH-HUH!
rock and roll
DJ Johnny
Sundays
Cafe Saint-Ex

Groove
soul, mod, garage
DJ Beat Neat-O
Thursdays biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

I'll work on a whole separate list of the club/hip hop/EDM events...

24 Hour Access: 24 Hour Psycho

February 28, 2004 at 5:30 p.m.
A first for the Hirshhorn---the Museum will open the Douglas Gordon exhibition for twenty-four consecutive hours. 24 Hour Psycho (1993), the artist's video installation that stretches the Hitchcock classic into a twenty-four-hour experience, is the inspiration for this all-night happening. Launch the leap year with this unique, drop-in event, which will also include music, gallery discussions, and a "Meet the Artist" interview with Douglas Gordon conducted by Hirshhorn Director of Art and Programs and Chief Curator Kerry Brougher on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Ring Auditorium. "24 Hour Access: 24 Hour Psycho" is made possible through the generosity of Aaron and Barbara Levine.

http://hirshhorn.si.edu

The following music (presented by Signal 66) will be played:
5:30 ˆ 7:00pm DJ Sandwich Man
7:00 ˆ 8:00pm Band Chessie
8:00 ˆ 8:30pm DJ Debut
8:30 ˆ 9:15pm Band The Hipnotix
9:15 ˆ 9:45pm DJ Beat Neat-o of Groove
9:45 ˆ 10:30pm Band Rose
10:30 ˆ 11:00pm DJ Neville Chamberlain
11:00 ˆ 11:45pm Band The Phobes
11:45 ˆ 12:15am DJ Neville Chamberlain
12:15 ˆ 1:00am Band Sounds of Kaleidoscope
1:00 ˆ 1:30am DJ Happy Family
1:30 ˆ 2:15am Band Sons of Disobedience
2:15 ˆ 2:45am DJ Neville Chamberlain (tentative)
2:45 ˆ 3:30am Band Gully Jimson

Habib Koite from Mali at the National Geographic Grosvenor
Hall--Habib's got a nice live cd out--He trys to meld styles from
different parts of Mali, and while he's not a big fave of mine he's
definately not bad

Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Ache at the K. Ctr. Eisenhower Theater--A
wonderful percussionist, bandleader, and sideman (not to mention a
college professor) who is very charismatic and entertaining with his band

Los Hombres Calientes from New Orleans at the Clarice Smith Center-An
interesting bunch from New Orleans who blend that city's jazz with
flavors from throughout the Caribbean. I believe WPFW's Jim Byers is
hosting and leading a chat with them as well.

Muzsikas at the Freer-Hungarian vocal combo
________________________________________________________________

Sat. 2-14

Sanchez and Richie Stephens at the Crossroads-Jamaican lovers rock for
Valentines Day
_________________________________________________
Sun. 2-15

Haj Youness, Casablanca, Moroccan oud player and the Voice of Wisdom
Orchestra at 2 p.m. at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center
Lecture Hall

La India and Sonora Caruseles at the Washington Hilton, 1919
Connecticut Ave. NW salsa
__________________________________
Tues. 2-17

Peru Negro at the Kenn. Ctr- Excellent Afro-Peruvian veteran combo--if
you like Eva Aylon or Susanna Baca this outfit's blend of soaring
melodies, strumming, and funky drumming (on instruments including
wooden boxes and donkey jawbones) will be up your alley
__________________________________
Other cool stuff:2-11-Super Furry Animals
from Wales at 930;2-12( & 2-13) jazz singer Jane Monheit at the
Birchmere; 2-13-Atmosphere at 930;2-14 Black Dice at Ottobar;Jazz
singer Dee Dee Bridgewater at K. Ctr.;Carmaig De Forest at Roots Cafe;

To get on my DC African/Latin/World whatever events ocassional e-mail thing, contact me at ritmika@hotmail.com The above comes from that...

Which reminds me...any news regarding a new location for the Metro Cafe?

dc-improv-announce-owner@yahoogroups.com

salsanews@aol.com

the blow_up@hotmail.com

bw_zydeco@yahoo.com

Dizzee's supposedly coming back for a bigger tour in the summer, but I'm not sure if he'll hit DC or not. I don't know of anything regarding Dear or Mayer, but if they came I imagine it would be at 5ive, unless it was a one-off somewhere else.

What's odd it that it seems to be only the EDM scene that really tries to escape the city - the most successful go-go and indie artists are, if anything, too tied to DC.

Is it odd that the most interesting and boosterish electronic dance DJ in DC over the last year has been Bob Mould?

The DC go-go artists have seemingly given up on being national and international acts (go-go hasn't crossed over) although Chuck Brown gets flown to Japan periodically to play.

Dischord indie rockers are always playing worldwide but such gigs just never get much local press here. Q and Not U are also booked to play that big fest coming up in California over the summer(Coachatella or something). Black Eyes toured Europe awhile back.

Why did they locate it in Georgetown? You can only make so much money from selling prog to white hats from GW. Better to be on U st with a big deep house section. They never seemed to have their shit together anyways. They cheated me out of $40 once but totally inadvertantly. I had my revenge during their clearance sale I guess.

As for Q and not U, I tried to see their last show at the Black Cat and ended up waiting in line for an hour by myself. As I was waiting, the show sold out. That is all. They need to play here more often.

I always wanted to check out the Grits & Gravy dj night at Bar Nun... Years ago I saw DC rappers Opus Okuben playing with a live band at the now defunct Metro Cafe. Wow, they were great. Now they just mostly play Europe, sometimes with Ny jazz guy Steve Coleman. They were at Black Cat around New Years Eve but I missed them.

anyways, wednesday night P Brotzmann is playing with Hamid Drake and William Parker. Its at Twins on U st (btw 13th and 14th?) at 8pm.

DC 9 is in the original Asylum space, I'm not sure what it was between then and now. Half the music I've heard played there has been great indie/hip hop/disco, the other half has been too much midrange compressed guitar and singers that sound like they're in beer commercials. Which is a better hit rate than most places, but the DJs seriously can't mix or sequence their tracks.

List of EDM events is not so good. Seems like no place is doing well with regular nights and lineups are changing like crazy. And Cubik is filling the main room at Nation with the level of talent that would have played the front room at Buzz.

how long have you been in DC? what is the reason for the instability?

Is the below show which is at the Ottobar coming to DC?

Thursday March 25th
DEFINITIVE JUX PRESENTS:
Murs
The Perceptionists
(Feat. Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, DJ Fakts One)
RJD2, C Rayz Walz
Hangar 18, SA Smash and more
Doorsat 8pm/ Show at 9pm- ALL AGES

3 years! I want stuff NOW ;)

I've been complaining to friends for 2 or so years that I wish someone would book all of the Afropop and Latin acts that play for free in Central Park in NY each summer, in DC... So I'll have to form my own group to do this...

There's the once.twice festival coming up in Baltimore next month-

April 15th - 17th, 2004
Baltimore's 4th Annual
once.twice:festival of sound and video art feat.
AKUFEN . DIMBIMAN . AGF . CHRISTOPHER WILLITS .
DABRYE . SUE COSTABILE . MATTHEW DEAR .
GHISLAIN POIRIER. NAUTICAL ALMANAC.JIMMY EDGAR
MYLENA BERGERON . CAROLINE HAYEUR .
SCOTT PAGANO + more TBA

once.twice also runs the occasional Treatment night at Sonar, the last one in November featured Magda and Sammy Dee.

On a different note, any musicians (d.j.'s?) who wanna perform for free outdoors or maybe at Carter Barron or other locations during the June 18-21st 2nd annual Fete de la Musique DC should call 202-724-5614 or e-mail jose.dominguez@dc.gov . There will also be meetings at the DC Arts Commission, 410 8th St. NW , 5th Fl. on Mon. 3-15 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 and on Thurs. 3-18 from noon to 1.

I'm trying to encourage them to expand the musical horizons of this event...

Five is a great venue, nearly perfect, but the different promoters that do nights there only really book house, d+b, and reggae. There was the electroclash/breaks night there, too, but that's over and has turned into a retro night.

9:30 Club, as you mentioned, is a live music venue. They'll have the occasional DJ, but it always comes off as a bit out of place.

It costs a lot of money to run a club in DC due to the scarcity of suitable spaces. In a town with 8-foot ceilings in 95% of all buildings, there’s going to be a lot of competition for the remaining few with large open spaces. Permitting, safety codes, and accessibility standards are pretty tightly enforced, which means you have to sink a lot of money into a space before you can do anything with it. This goes for bars, dance clubs, live music clubs, and pretty much everything. And don't even get me started on ANC's and "voluntary agreements".

"After over 4 years in business, the owners of Now! Music and Fashion
have decided to close permanently, so we can move on and pursue
other opportunities. We've had a blast talking to you about music,
putting on instore performances, and participating in the local
community. But the best thing about running a record store has been
the opportunity to meet you. Many thanks to our loyal customers and
friends we've made along the way.

We will be having a going-out-of-business sale beginning this
weekend. All clothing and music (except consignments and bargain bin
stuff) will be on sale for 30% off the regular price."

So I don't think DC's gone utterly down the pan. Close, but not gone yet.

They're also stocking the Ellen Allien album and remixes, Coloma's Finery. I think I even saw that Damon Album demo double 10" there, too!

Melody on Conn. Ave. is very underrated - I always thought they were better than DCCD for keeping up with current releases and pointing customers in the right direction. Good international and classical sections, too.

There’s a Backyard Band online thing Friday. ...Rhizome has been doing some and now Mr Henry’s on Capitol Hill.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21134670/city-lights-hear-a-new-chapter-in-october-71s-mob-tale-or-join-dj-kool-on-gogoradio-live

Me re new October’71 psych rock hiphop album. They’ve led by Rob Stokes, best known as rapper Sir E.U’s drummer. The other short article by Alona is about DJ Kool doing 2 throwback sessions Sunday & Monday nights at 8 on Gogo Radio Live

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/arts/music/emo-songs-washington-playlist.html

Onetime DC area resident Joe Gross who has lived in Austin for a long time writes here about late 80s and 90s DC punk bands and gives 'em a song a piece. He's got obscure Annapolis bands here and more --Happy Go Licky, Fire Party, Fugazi , Nation Of Ulysses, Shudder to Think (I was not a fan of the singer's operatic/prog metal vocals) and more

https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2020/05/29/864470936/stream-over-100-shows-from-the-9-30-club

Those are from the club's current location, not it's original F street one but still some good stuff.

unrelated--

Wednesday June 3 12 noon Facebook live with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Natalie Hopkinson talking about Coates article from 20 years ago-- Dropping the Bomb an Oral History of go-go

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ta-nehisi-coates-drops-the-bomb-on-go-go-20-years-later-tickets-106128134106

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13019207/dropping-the-bomb

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21135953/city-lights-join-tanehisi-coates-and-natalie-hopkinson-for-a-discussion-of-gogo-history

12 noon today

above conversation was archived on facebook and will be available from DC public library go-go archive

Lots of folks protesting in DC Black Lives Matter protests got to hear TOB, Suttle, and a dj play bouncebeat go-go and or classic go-go from the back of a big truck that drove through town. Lots of video clips on twitter. A mobile Moechella put together by Yaddiya

https://wtop.com/dc/2020/06/bills-keep-piling-up-dc-area-nightclubs-ask-for-help-as-they-await-reopening/

Juneteenth Million Moe March coming

Paul Glenshaw (based in the Washington D.C. area) and Darroch Greer (based in Santa Barbara) created The Seven Tones Project

Musicians are invited to make home recordings of themselves playing Duke Ellington and/or Billy Strayhorn compositions. Then independent filmmakers select a recording as the basis for short homemade films. The films are posted on social media with links back to the contributing artists.

The project is taking off. Nearly 150 artists have pledged to contribute or have already contributed. Thirteen films have been completed, and 10 more are in production. Over 30 recordings are in the pool for filmmakers. The Smithsonian Associates and other education organizations have helped promote the project, and several Washington D.C. media outlets have reported on it. The Washington Post will publish a story this week.

https://afropop.org/articles/the-seven-tones-project-calling-musicians-and-filmmakers-to-create-beauty-inspired-by-duke-ellington

https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/local/dc/first-lady-of-gogo-maiesha-rashad-died-stomach-cancer/65-806e1e0b-75ac-4038-bfed-0f8de924e516

Maiesha pioneered grown and sexy go-go covers of old school r'n'b in the 90s with her band the Hip Huggers

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/article/21136945/tony-redz-19742020

WPGC dj Tony Redz from a heart attack. He also was in a bouncebeat go-go band, a rapper, and an actor

Chris Richards has been reviewing lots of local music

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/with-the-dmv-nightlife-on-pause-these-area-musicians-want-you-to-press-play/2020/06/09/4c919558-a9b2-11ea-94d2-d7bc43b26bf9_story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/here-are-the-best-new-recordings-from-the-dmvs-quarantined-music-scene/2020/05/19/0787160a-99c6-11ea-ac72-3841fcc9b35f_story.html

Yaddiya is doing a special Juneteenth event

In Washington's classical scene news Washington Performing Arts (which brings touring recitalists and orchestras to town) is going all-virtual i the forthcoming season, and won't even start until 2021.

Whoa and wow.

In rock news , Coriky new album out.

Lotsa new rap efforts

New live Still Familiar go-go album

2 go-go Juneteenth protest events with live music Friday afternoon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/go-go-is-making-headlines-again-now-its-time-for-a-history-lesson/2020/06/16/86e5d756-af92-11ea-8f56-63f38c990077_story.html

That’s a review of the go-go doc that’s gonna be on TV One Sunday

Yaddiya has a new ep out, and is being interviewed by Malachai right now on go-gotix Youtube and Instagram. Talking his own music and the Juneteenth rally tomorrow

Well now the Kennedy Center is done for the rest of the year.

yep. Not looking good

The Birchmere is going to reopen for certain nights in July, but it seems problematic to me:

Birchmere fans in July will pay an extra $35.50 in fees & minimums on top of the $15 ticket price, bringing total cost per person to $50.50. ... a $5.50 tax/facility fee, a $25 minimum food & beverage purchase & a $5 "COVID-19 fee." For local blues-rock bands & overpriced food. You can't even get free water there. They charge $3 or so for a plastic bottle of water.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/virginia-nightclub-to-reopen-with-changes-covid-19-fee/2343205/

new DC area recorded music --Coriky, Nag Champa (I think), Wale, Nappy Nappa and more plus TCB live on Spinrilla efforts

https://dcist.com/story/20/07/01/dc-music-venues-coronavirus-black-cat-songbyrd-fallout/


Dante Ferrando, the owner of the Black Cat on 14th Street NW, keeps fielding inquiries about his club’s status.

“I’m getting calls, ‘Hey are you guys open tonight?’ ” he says. “I’m like, no, you guys don’t understand. We’re not open until next year.”

That’s not an exaggeration. Ferrando says there’s no way for him to reopen in the foreseeable future and make any money. He’s considering adding tables into the main checkered-floor concert hall that typically hosts sweaty rock shows and dance parties, but if he did that, he’d only be able to sell tickets for a fraction of the room’s total capacity. With overhead costs like rent, insurance and staffing, it wouldn’t make financial sense.

“It’s pretty simple: The numbers just don’t work,” Ferrando says. “It’s insanely expensive.”

The city & the feds need to give clubs $

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/dont-miss-these-new-recordings-and-books-from-the-dmv-music-scene/2020/07/06/78bb97ac-bfb3-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html

Chris Richards on recent dc music and books

https://thedcline.org/2020/07/15/in-uncertain-financial-environment-go-go-advocates-press-for-dc-arts-funding-equity/

My deep dive re how the Mayor & DC Council voted to give $ automatically on a yearly basis to Arena Stage and other large million $ entities, but not to go-go. Now go-go may get $ via 3 DC agencies, & individual musicians in many genres will be able to get $ from DC Arts Commission grants

Two recent lesser known losses for Washington DC this past week: RIP Tex Gathings, WOOK-tv news & (50s-70s) & Teenarama (63-70) black teen dance show producer; Leon Gibson-funky soul singer, tv & stereo repairman & store owner , DC Council candidate in the ‘70s.

Wammies were quietly given out online last week. Hmmm. Dupont Brass Band won for best rap artist ( apparently they have a vocalist in addition to horns).

RIP drummer Herbert Drake who played at Westminster jazz and blues shows over the years. Also, reportedly with Sonny Til & the Orioles. Maybe even with Dinah Washington and Otis Redding per one comment on Facebook.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KM7kjF1pNeg

5 years old go-go rapper Lil Kelz

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/article/21141789/how-a-5yearold-rapper-became-one-of-the-newest-faces-in-gogo

National Park Service says no more than 50 people including staff at Fort Reno till early October, so Amanda is going to wait until October and hope to do a fall 2020 season of shows if that is allowed then.

Meanwhile Carter Barron which was closed in 2017 because the stage was determined to be unsafe , is still closed. NPS drew up a plan for a new stage but they say they won’t have money to build it till 2021 into 2022! I wish they could hit up a millionaire or 2 in DC and start sooner ( or get more nps money to do so)

looking forward to hearing this - https://black-fire.bandcamp.com/album/soul-love-now-the-black-fire-records-story-1975-1993

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/arts/music/black-fire-records.html

Yes, it’s on Spotify. Some is too jazz fusion, but a lot is more than that.

Nitpicking- The NY Times article doesn’t mention that label owner Jimmy Gray went from being a DJ on WHUR in early 70s to being a WPFW DJ later in ‘70s

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/go-go-is-dcs-official-soundtrack-it-deserves-equitable-funding/2020/08/13/c6af908c-dbea-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html

Charles Stephenson, who managed EU, ran DC Commission on the Arts and co-wrote go-go book , has an editorial re the need for go-go funding ( that links to my DC Line article reference to 3 million for go-go)

https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/08/21/how-joe-englert-changed-the-dc-bar-scene/

Owner of many DC clubs Joe Englert died from complications from surgery at 59. Sad. I liked many of Joe Englert’s places. He deserves credit for his imaginative approach. But the Wtop and Washingtonian coverage also led me to think about it from different angles. I called Eddie Jones to find the name of an H street NE club where I once saw Eddie perform that Joe later bought and turned into Argonaut ( 2005 to 2017 I think). It was called Ledbetter’s. Eddie said when he was young his father sang there also.

isn’t it also significant ( and unmentioned in wtop and Washingtonian articles) that he was a white guy, with access to bank loans, coming into what was once a majority black city and was buying property & transforming it into places largely geared to white rock and pop listeners? I get that it’s complex but I think only State of the Union had rap and dance, right? I get that he did what he knew and did it well though.

Chuck Brown Day concert tonight 8 to 10 pm on YouTube, Facebook, and DC Public Acess

Fort Dupont Park concerts online through September start tonight too

Sunday there’s a go-go protest against the Postmaster near his home in Kalorama . Kalorama Park meet up at 7 pm

Is DC band Flasher still together? Saw on Instagram that guitarist Taylor Mulitz is moving to LA.

Kate Greer from Priests moved there a little while ago

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/08/24/scott-van-pelt-sportscenter-dc/

ESPN new theme by Troublefunk at request of Scott Van Pelt

More tv news: Malik Dope drummer isn’t in quarterfinals on America’s Got Talent tonight

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/joe-englerts-quirky-bars-revitalized-dc-nightlife--and-a-neighborhood-too/2020/08/25/8ec918cc-e60e-11ea-97e0-94d2e46e759b_story.html

This obituary at least acknowledges what was there in various neighborhoods in addition to focusing on what Joe Englert brought in

X-post - Oops autocorrect. Malik Dope WAS on America’s Got Talent quarterfinals on NBC last night. I once did a best of Dc piece on him shortly after he cut back his stints out on Gallery Place

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/article/21143323/city-lights-dive-into-model-homes-deep-discography-or-watch-black-journal-online

Experimental duo Model Homes have released 18 plus efforts since 2018. Often sped up or edited rap vocals with noisy synth

There’s a bouncebeat go-go thing on the national mall today with TCB & 2 others , around 3 pm

https://www.admoday.com/history-culture/

Music panel at 2 Sunday plus history of “Admo” activism on another one & a Latino activism one too

Crush Funk Brass playing

https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/admas-sons-of-ethiopia?fbclid=IwAR0hS_x4YAs9D_JSPjkPNJyj5O5fxU8Yaks4-SJhzzxR_4g1YFn25gRSCHI

Admas and DC Ethiopian music

Dc go-go bands have been doing gigs in indoor Va clubs that are supposedly complying with Covid rules, as well as outdoors gigs in far from dc exurbs in Md & Va. Birchmere & state theatre have had rock bands. A Latin dance club in Tyson’s appears to be open. I am not going to any of these . Doesn’t feel safe to me

Black Cat club 27th anniversary gig is on Youtube on September 18 w/ Algiers, Ted Leo, Mike Watt, and David Combs

Rare Essence anniversary gig also online Saturday the 19th plus the debut of new single with guest Snoop Dogg

Apparently the new movie Residue on Netflix directed by M Gerima, son of director Haile Gerima who owns Sankofa Books in DC, has a Moechella scene amongst the DC gentrification.

Speaking of sorta, Yaddiya is doing a voters registration outdoor gig with TOB tonight downtown