Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

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

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)