Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

August 28 is March on Washington and a Moechella

Washington Women in Jazz hosting events at K Center next Thursday through Saturday plus Spacycloud Djs

http://stevekiviat.blogspot.com/2021/09/dc-baltimore-dmv-global-music-and-more.html

Did my first DMV DC Baltimore concert calendar gig list since March 2020. Lots of fall events including many many today:

Ethiopian New Year

End of Summer Soul Fest w/ JR Walker Allstars Band & Show, Stylistics Revue feat. Van Field, Might Mighty Dells Revue, Dr Salaam Love honoring Smokey Robinson, Hardway Connection, Kevin Langford Band @ Drury Ballpark, 1139 Smith Ln., Lothian, MD

CultureFest DMV (Caribbean music) @ 1 @ National Harbor

Free Kennedy Center outdoor event--Dupont Brass (5-6pm), DC Legendary Musicians Gospel (6:15-7:15pm), Ragamala Dance Co on Kennedy Center Lower lawn 7:30 to 9pm

Proper Utensils, 4 Life Project, X Factor, Pump Blenders, West Mob 12 noon to 7 pm 2 Fort Circle Park/Fort Totten (Between Galloway St. & Gallatin St. NE DC)

Ambition Band (go-go) for free @ 6 pm @ Moechella Gallery in Eastern Market

Fiesta DC 11am to 7 pm on Pennsylvania Ave w/ Mala Fe & Orquestra; Optimo;

Long Branch Festival with Cheick Hamala Diabate @ 6 pm & La Colombopercutivo @ 7 pm in Long Branch, MD

CCB go-go band at halftime of 7:30 pm Howard U. at U of MD football game

Black Cat 28th Anniversary party w/ Algiers; Ted Leo; The Owners; Teen Cobra; Anna Connolly (w/ Hannah Burris) @ Black Cat

Raheen DeVaughan @ City Winery

Kush: Sitali w/ Eliot Seppa @ Bossa @ 7:30 (afro-folk); Latin Night w/ Tumbao @ 9 @ Bossa

Dave Chappell Band @ Hank Dietle’s

Embassies of embassy row tour @ 12 noon

Crown Vic’s Weird World Dance Party at the Green Zone @ 10 pm

BYB & New Impressionz @ Hard Rock Café

Rare Essence @ Aqua

TOB @ 4 pm @ Marvin Gaye Park

Still Familiar @ Masonic Temple on U St NW

Thanks!!!

https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/inner-ear-studio-label-profile

Inner Ear Studio history article with lots of Ian Mackaye quotes about the place and Don Zientara. The Arlington location is closing but Don says he will reopen elsewhere. He had a studio in his home basement before Inner Ear.

Don will be playing music himself at Epicure Cafe in Fairfax on October 2. I am adding that to my concert calendar along with a bunch of other gigs I have noticed

Yay

Looking ahead —September 25 has that cool jazz meets go-go event in Malcolm X Park and late that several nice Art all Night events

Broccoli Fest cancelled this year

RIP 91-year old blues guitarist Warner Williams whose duo group Little Bit of Blues used to play around in the 1990s. Williams was known for his Piedmont blues style
Blues
Here’s an old article about him. Saw on FB that he passed

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/music/brace14.htm

https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/08/30/think-you-know-dc-music-a-huge-new-compilation-reveals-treasures-from-a-bygone-era/

German Bear Family label releases 16 cd plus huge book in a box of 1940 to 1960 DC r’n’b

RIP Melvin Deal at 75, leader of the DC based African Heritage Dancers and Drummers

thanks curm for that blogspot you posted with local shows. bookmarked

I keep updating it too.

Some ones that interest me—
Cameroon’s Petit Pays Friday night in Burtonsville; Next Fest jazz & go-go w/ specific times listed for Saturday, some Saturday Art all Night events; Erykah Badu; Sept 30- 75 Dollar Bill opening for Mac M at DC 9

yeah gonna take the family out for nextfest

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/randb-in-dc-box-set-washington/2021/09/21/1ca21e2c-1aee-11ec-a99a-5fea2b2da34b_story.html

Chris Richards re the $200 16 cds plus huge coffee table book of 1940-1960 dc r & b

An Amazon reviewer savaged the remastering as flat but I may buy this anyway.

Some tracks are from 78s and some from tape and yeah some of it does sound muffled and flawed . But I am just going to deal with that .

If like most people, you've been jonesing to read the origin story of the music biz in DC, and hear its first sixteen volumes, we got you!

Now in stock, hand delivery citywide, free delivery on #capitolhill .https://t.co/tTAxLi0FHq

— Spin Time Records (@SpinTimeRecords) September 13, 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/don-zientara-inner-ear-closing/2021/09/29/672c1e46-1c7b-11ec-a99a-5fea2b2da34b_story.html

Chris Richards on Don Zientara and Inner Ear studio.

At the end it notes Zientara is doing a free gig himself Friday at 6 at a brewery and one Saturday night in Fairfax

Oh no. Singer Julia Nixon has died of Covid. She used her soulful voice and theatrical power in DC music clubs and onstage in Dreamgirls and other shows on and off from the 80s. She used to play little Mr Henry''s a lot. Then moved back to her native North Carolina in early 2000s

Hey DC locals, I am trying to talk my teenage son to seeing an All Ages show with my wife and myself at the Black Cat and he asked me if there was a place to sit. I told him I was dubious since it's a club but I would ask the locals.

There are a few tables and seats in the back of the room, yes.

Now a City Paper writer on Inner Ear Studio

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/534537/end-of-an-ear-a-the-legendary-inner-ear-studios-closes-a-chapter/

There are a few tables and seats in the back of the room, yes.

― Chris L, Friday, October 1, 2021 1:21 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

And benches and stools on the side of the room opposite the bar.

La Marvela and Leo Rua, dc based acts from Colombia are part of the free Down in the Reeds fest Saturday at the old Walter Reed Medical Center ( now the Parks at Walter Reed)

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/534443/city-lights-feel-good-feel-great-at-down-in-the-reeds/

There’s also Saturday in the Parks event at the reopened Franklin Square park ( now with less trees) with club dance music and jazz.

This Saturdays in Franklin Park DC dance music & more series is impressive. OCTOBER 9th
Afrofuturism Meets Jazz
Ron Trent (Music and Power, Chicago)
Live Performance & DJ Set By
Brad Linde’s Tribute To Sun Ra / Adrian Loving
https://www.downtowndc.org/event/rocktheparkdc/

https://www.arlnow.com/2021/10/13/county-to-ask-public-what-arts-programming-should-replace-inner-ear-studios/

After Inner Ear studio is demolished they might build an outdoor stage and name it after Inner Ear ( or maybe not).

Outer Ear

Zientaraweather Post Pavilion

All great names!

so there's a new (academic?) book coming out about 1978 to 1983 DC hardcore punk

Politics as Sound: The Washington, DC, Hardcore Scene, 1978-1983 (Music in American Life) Paperback – October 19, 2021
by Shayna Maskell (Author)

She has an American Studies degree from U of Md and now teaches at George Mason U I see online.

https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Sound-Washington-Hardcore-1978-1983/dp/0252086228

Due allegedly to complaints about noise from Ellington condo building residents , the Bin 1301 wine bar did not have its lease renewed in September and is out. I started following that place on IG awhile back because awesome drummer Trae Crudup ( who plays with Luke Stewart and has dc gospel, marching band, gogo roots) was playing along with musicians and hiphop djs together at same time . The IG stories from there were great. They had a Monday night live music series more recently. But now place is closed. Boo.

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