Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

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)

My Greg Tate and DC article --Here’s my Washington City Paper article on how DC impacted the life of writer and musician Greg Tate, who sadly died of cardiac arrest at age 64 in December. I tried to talk to as many people as I could for the article. I have plenty of anecdotes from people that sadly there wasn’t space for, but nonetheless I think this piece conveys some of Tate’s greatness. Plus DC people and references-- WPFW, d.c. space, go-go, Howard University, Haile Gerima, Bad Brains, E Ethelbert Miller, poetry & spoken word scenes, Coolidge High, Dera Tompkins, Reuben Jackson,

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/544093/remembering-flyboy-greg-tate/?fbclid=IwAR2dhw7QGq0RA0jeHKNAXMgq1OWfGw1L8OhpbWm-HoJlePsUH_5-3sFGbkU

Friday night Ms Kim Michelle IG Live

Friday night late felt like early Covid quarantine time sorta as I watched dc go-go band Sirius Company do some of an acoustic set from what might have been band member Ms Kim’s place on IG Live

I think it is bad that @wammiesdc / @TheMusicianShip require artists to also use Spotify or Apple or Amazon or certain other sites to qualify for an album award nomination.

Since @capitalbop 2nd fave DC jazz album of 2021-MARK CISNEROS / NIK FRANCIS / LUKE STEWART, ‘WE WERE HERE BEFORE‘ is available only from Bandcamp, it doesn't qualify for @wammiesdc awards which require 2 sites...Same for #3 Brad Linde- Into Thin Air

Rhizome will have indoor shows at current location in February and March. After that is “uncertain “ they say. Their location was scheduled for affordable housing. They have been looking for a new location for awhile

No surprise that Wammies nominations also leave out rock, rap, international folks worthy of nomination. I am a broken record on this ( but there is also media that regurgitates their press releases about how wonderful they are doing)

In November 2021 Lloyd McNeill passed . DC born jazz flautist and painter/ artist with a Howard MFA who designed cool concert posters with Lou Stovall ( some were on display recently at Hemphill gallery), and hung out with Picasso and Andrew White .

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2021/11/11/artist-and-flutist-extraordinaire-lloyd-mcneill-jr-passes-at-86/

The Lincoln Theatre turns 100 this year

I love the sign they had outside that says “This is not where Lincoln was shot”

Ha.

In other news saw a mention of an upcoming spring Messthetics show. Haven’t seen anything for Coriky.

Go-go bands keep playing and releasing live tapes/ albums

Saw on Facebook and twitter that Don Zientara was taking calls to do production and engineering. It turns out he is using his own home studio again. The city of Arlington was supposed to help him find a new location but home is where he ended up

Saw that too. I will miss that live room, but it's not like there's a huge shortage of good rooms. He's very clever at the board. I do wonder what he's doing with his big console.

Don't know. I should find the time to pitch a follow up article and ask him

RIP you made some damn good fried chicken (i never tried the fried fish)

Family and friends are mourning the death of Richard “Dickie” Shannon, the founder of Horace and Dickie’s Seafood, who died Sunday at age 84 of complications from COVID-19. https://t.co/0uuLFPNnbM

— WTOP (@WTOP) February 10, 2022

I only ate the whiting fish. Good stuff

I have since been to the Glenarden location once, but not the Takoma DC, Camp Springs , or Waldorf ones.

Chris Richards in W Post is excited about following newish dc releases:

New DMV music from...

P CAIN
JETT CHANDON
DAUNTING NIGHTMARE
FACHADA
LIL XELLY
LUKE STEWART’S SILT TRIO
THUNDA MAN
WORKERS COMP

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/547749/the-2022-spring-arts-guide-things-to-do-in-d-c/

I previewed upcoming gigs by Rare Essence, Mdou Moctar, & R’n’b singer Lucky Daye

Chip Py-DC Go-go: Ten years Backstage book

Photos are really good; text is is ok

book release event @ Politics & Prose Union Market Sat. Feb. 26 @ 3pm

A guy who's been booking some rock gigs @ Comet P is also now booking shows at Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring

If you're ready to go out for live or dj music there are plenty of March options in the DC Baltimore area. My March DC DMV gig list has go-go; a reopened Dwell dc local rock show; soca; gospel; Norteno; Songbyrd; Comet & a dj @ a senior center. Acts playing this month include Hardway Connection, Fatoumata Diawara, Gang of Four, Jorge Drexler, Mdou Moctar, Nick Cave, & Sons of Kemet.

Added more as I forgot about first friday Save your soul dj event at Lithuainian hall in Baltimore with dj baby alcatraz and rob macy plus some other gigs- Low at Miracle theatre, another soca show, a slash run gig that looked interesting

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/550604/documenting-d-c-s-doo-wop-histories/

website covers dc doo wop history and old dc clubs

https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/nappynappa-ondamicunderdacozmiclytz-review

Bandcamp album of the day review to DC rapper Nappy Nappa on March 14. He's also in avante-rap-electro group Model Home

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/wifigawd-chain-of-command-interview

March 16 Bandcamp interview with dc rapper Wifigawd

https://governor.maryland.gov/2022/03/14/governor-hogan-announces-annapolis-waterfront-park-funding-to-preserve-legacy-of-historic-carrs-beach/

State of Maryland purchases Carr's beach property. When Maryland was segregated, Black beachgoers went to this beach property near Annapolis. There were r'n'b/soul shows there regularly

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/march-april-2022/hank-dietles-tavern-finds-new-identity-after-devastating-fire/

Bethesda mag take on Hank Dietle's tavern before and after fire (with some slightly flawed discussion of whether a place can be blue collar in North bethesda and what that means)

I just wish their "roots/Americana" booking included more local blues and soul acts

Not much attention in local media for the dumb ol Wammie Awards this past Saturday. I feel I have done my job in pointing out their flaws. Ha .

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/552331/remembering-goonew/

Goonew’s stint at MPR is significant because a number of gifted artists from D.C. and Atlanta were on the label at the time. The infectious “punch in” flow favored by the MPR rappers was sometimes dubbed the “DMV Flow.” The cadence, popularized by D.C.-based rappers where bars overlap into the previous bar, was adopted by rappers in other parts of the country, and even internationally as it spread through the hip-hop industry. The origin of the “DMV Flow” is a hotly contested debate, but Goonew’s role in its evolution is on record.

The 24-year-old Maryland rapper had a gift for smearing time, phrasing his rhymes slightly in front of the beat,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/03/19/goonew-appreciation/

Not seeing Goonew discussed anywhere on ilx though

RIP Goonew

North Bethesda is just a fancy way of saying Rockville.

How bout we start calling Springfield South Alexandria or some shit.

But why stop there?

Newark = North Princeton

Oakland = East San Francisco

smug locals (pricks) only refer to DC as "Washington" and bristle at the rubes still calling it DC.

I know it's Rockville . Meant to put quotation marks around that. Was there a long time ago. I think Dandy Don is making a joke.

So several dcers here went to Low ( but alas I missed it). I have never been to that theatre

Loved the Miracle theater. It seemed perfect for Low. Is it a new venue? I dont get out much.

I don't know how old the building is, but yeah it has only been used for concerts for a few years at most. The folks who book Jammin Java and Union Stage use it.

First time I've been there but it's a very nice room. Some other interesting shows coming up there (Bedouine, Jenny Hval, Aldous Harding)

Looks like the Funk Parade is becoming the Funk Festival (and a less large one than it was when there was also a parade) . Trying to find out why

https://wtop.com/dc/2022/04/dc-stage-at-carter-barron-amphitheater-catches-fire/

Awwww. Bad news. In 2017 Carter Barron was shut down because of structural problems with the stage. Then the National Park Service decided it need to update the entire amphitheater. It pledged to get the plans started by 2020 or 2021. It has sat since and now yesterday April 10, 2022 there was a fire below the stage. It was once a mainstay for r'n'b and more Black music styles, and for the local community. It also hosted a Bruce Springsteen show in the early '70s, and Shakespeare in the Park for many years. This so Sad. [Was reminded that I saw Bobby Bland there. I also remember a great soul harmonies bill there that I took Brendan to. Hardway Connection played there. A zydeco battle of the bands with Bouzou Chavis and Beau Jocque. Sheila and I saw some other local soul acts there as well as poets.]

Spring Silver album is well done and skilled but something is keeping me from being as impressed by others. It is too 90s, too Shudder to Think for me. Friday show w/ Born I and Outlier.mp3 @ Chaos FM (once The Void) in College Park, MD

Born I does rap and meditation. Not sure about Outlier

I went to The Hard Art 1979 ( second edition) book release event 3 to 7 pm Sunday April 24, 2022 w/ photographer Lucian Perkins and Alec Mackaye . Mackaye wrote text for this book that includes Perkins photos at 1979 DC punk gigs including at the Hard Art Gallery. 3 bands - POA , Quattracenta Time is Fire performed @ Lamont St. plaza and saw Perkins photos on display in Elle Alley off of Mt Pleasant St NW . POA had a dub-punk sound and have Jerry Busher on drums (who sometimes used to do extra percussion for Fugazi), Dug Birdzell (from Beefeater) on bass and Shawn Brown (Dagnasty) on vocals. Kinda cool and timeless at first (but after a bit I hoped for something different or new) .

When Blue Monday Blues at Westminster Church in SW DC gets soulful with Eddie Jones ( and last night his sister and son as well) there’s no better place to be. Eddie leads on old school renditions of songs and keeps them vital. Little Willie John and William Bell covers sounded great

June 8 Home Rule Fest @ the Parks at Walter Reed with jazz, funk, and bouncebeat go-go - Doug Carn, Plunky and Oneness of Juju, David Murray, TCB

Juneteenth fest-- Pharrell was feuding with his home of VA Beach so he moved his Something in the Water Fest to DC . $$$ for 3 days with stages on Constitution Ave?

Lots of rap plus Davido, Ozuna, Dave Matthews Band, Jon Batiste, Rare Essence, Backyard Band,

Bowser and Events DC (w/ National Park Service signoff I guess) hosting $350 to $550 event near national mall

DC to host Pharrell’s ‘Something in the Water’ Prices for three-day passes run from about $350 to $550, and it prompted one to question whether there’s ever been an event near the National Mall that was not free.

Bowser cited Dîner en Blanc dinners,

…hmm

How near are we talking?

They're saying Constitution Ave . Wonder how many people they can fit

The Messthetics are playing the Petworth Porchfest this Saturday, April 30. On a porch.
4515 5th st. NW at 3pm
2pm is Janel and Anthony

If it’s on Constitution Ave. I guess the Park Service has no say?

That's what I am thinking.