Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

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.

I also have given them a list of stuff I'd like. They have an account with Forced Exposure, so I'll soon have the Lawrence album I've been gasping to hear for ages.

Re: Melody: While they're matchless on international, classical and jazz, their electronic section is showing conspicuous gaps since Joel, who used to buy for the electronic section left for Baltimore at the end of last year. CD Warehouse deserve to clean up!

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities invites musicians to participate in the 2nd Annual Fête de la Musique DC. The Fête is an internationally recognized music festival that marks the first days of summer. Festival dates are June 18-21, 2004 with performances throughout the afternoon and evening. The Arts Commission is sponsoring special workshops for area musicians interested in participating in the Fete and conducting live auditions for “acoustic” and “acapella” musicians and performers.

All types of musicians and bands interested in learning more can attend one of two special festival workshops. The workshops will provide valuable information on how musicians can participate and receive promotional assistance from the Arts Commission. The workshop dates are:

Dates and Times: Monday, March 15, 2004 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Thursday, March 18, 2004 at 12 Noon – 1 PM

P Place: DC Arts Commission, 410 8th Street NW, 5th floor

Please call (202) 724-5614 or send an email to jose.dominguez@dc.gov with any questions that you may have.

st ex has chimay, stella and delerium and a few more that i cant remember on draft. really nice people there. the barback, by mistake, bussed my last cigarette and matches when i went up to the bar to get another beer. when i mentioned this to the bartender, he gave me matches, a regular hooked me up with a cigarette, and a woman who was with the DJ said she was going out a cigarette run, and asked me what i wanted. i was actually confused by kindess.

My attempts to get the DC Arts Commisssion to add more indie-rock, Latin, African, go-go and hiphop to the upcoming June 20th Free Music Fete seem to have run into bureacratical walls and lack of money. Oh well, I tried.

Weather alerts didn’t keep you away? Nothing happened here in Arlington until well after midnight, though all the reports said nasty stuff would happen earlier in the evening which made me cancel my plans.

Last time I drove in DC in a torrential climate change downpour it was scary, streets starting to flood, I-395 in Virginia habitually has standing water right where I need to exit, etc.

Boring, I feel betrayed that you live in VA

In PG county record store news, the amazing Memory Lane has moved to a bigger location

Ha! Yeah a recent (three years ago) move for love, the things we do to make a partner happy

Very sweet

Aww nice .

I lived in Arlington for many years but a few years ago moved to Takoma Park, Md not too far across the dc line and close to Rhizome and Takoma Station. The worst of the weather Friday didn’t affect me. I saw that Rare Essence gig down at Fast Eddie’s in Prince George’s County got cancelled due to weather. I also have those memories of storms on 395 and on dc streets.

So Memory Lane Records is in Forrestville now

I used to live in Frederick. Among the advantages of moving here is I can go to way more concerts now that I’m just across the river.

Speaking of heavy rainstorms I'm moving to Cambodia in July. Renting our house in hyattsville so planning to come back. Need to set up my reoccurring payments to WPFW before I bounce

I got hailed on in Falls Church today

I decided at last minute not to go to Ekko Astral Gender Liberation weekend events, but saw some clips this morning in Instagram stories. Ekko had a bunch of guests with them-- they did a Bad Moves song with Bad Moves, some vocalist sang Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" with them , Ted Leo and others were there too.

I liked Ekko when I saw them open for Bad Moves whom I also like.

I saw Takaat (members of Mdou Moctar's band without Mdou) do a show last night at Comet and the drummer was especially great (guitar and bass were good). JMB Mfers opened and started psychedelic before going motorik with the hurdy gurdy and the guitar and drums. I didn't stick around for other band Opt Out that had been added to the bill.

Stereogum had a review of the Gender Liberation weekend thing.

Last night I saw Shirletta Settles and guests sing soul at Westminster Church. She did line dance song "Boots on the Ground (where my fans at) " Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come", a Chaka Khan and Rufus song, Etta James "At Last" and other covers. She works for DC Dept of Recreation and books events at DC senior centers and some of her work colleagues sang as well. She's got a pretty good voice though not as great as the late Eddie Jones who I once or twice saw him bring her up onstage there as a guest. Westminster was packed. Local tv news guy Mark Segraves who likes roots music was there.

My Steve K blogspot dmv concert calendar for June is finally posted. Got some cool movies at AFI and some book talks in addition to music gigs. Capital Bop website has more jazz gigs, and there others if you want every hardcore punk and metal gig

I did a City Paper preview of Marvin Gaye: Melancholy and Genius in Black Culture and Media at the Library of Congress
Professor I. Augustus Durham’s talk with Marvin Davis of the Library of Congress that is Thursday June 5 at 6 p.m. at the Library of Congress, 10 1st St. SE. loc.gov. Free; advance tickets are sold out, but seats will open on a space-available basis (as many people get free tickets in advance and then don't go)

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/765368/world-pride-recommendations/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/06/09/smithsonian-kim-sajet-national-portrait-gallery/

Smithsonian not rolling over for Trump, while noting they don’t want museum heads to get political

Good

I’ve been pleasantly surprised that next season’s Kennedy Center offerings, so far are pretty normal. Haven’t seen a jazz season announced yet but I checked my email from last year and it was announced some time in June last year.

Only Hiphop event now listed is the previously postponed Noochie's front porch that is now set for November 9. International music acts still listed through 2026. Dance is there but no Alvin Ailey dance company

Yeah Ailey is a notable exception. Not sure if that was a deliberate snub by the KC leadership, a choice by the dance company, or something else like.

Like scheduling issues

I heard that Washington Performing Arts deliberately decided to not use the KC.

Yep, saw that.

Lots of interesting to me local things happening lately, but between family events and working on some City Paper writing, have missed some events I was interested in. I added more Juneteenth and Saturday June 21 events to the concert calendar.

Positive Force's Juneteenth event was moved from Malcolm X Park to St. Stephens due to likelihood of late afternoon and evening rain

DC cops shut down the scheduled TOB bouncebeat go-go "5 Years of Good Trouble" event scheduled for near the site of the former BLM plaza at 16th & H says the organizers on their Instagram page and folks who went to go see the show/rally

I had an old people music day and evening Saturday- saw a doo wop trio and then a rapper doing an Ice Cube song at Peter Bug Day at 13th and E Se at the Peter Bug Shoe Repair shop; then went to MLK Library for the Revolution Summer 1985 panel, and then up to the Parks at Walter Reed for Farafina Kan african drummers, Plunky and his afro-funk band, New Impressionz, and Backyard Band (the last 2 are go-go)

Impressive day!

Thanks. It was. It got really hot out at Walter Reed. Took my time flipping through records in a tented area for a bit. Backyard was really good even if I had seen them do many of those songs before.

https://www.hillcenterdc.org/jim-thomson-global-sounds/

For Jim Thomson's 10th anniversary of doing "Global Sounds on the Hill" concerts in a small room in the old Hill Center building in SE DC, not too far from the capitol, I wrote a profile of him for the Hill Center website largely regarding the international music he books there, but also mentioning that he's a dj and a musician as well.

Also previewed Step Afrika dance company w/ guests Sweet Honey in the Rock & the Farafina Kan drummers director, on Friday & Saturday at Strathmore; plus cumbia guy Yeison Landero w/ Chicha Morada at Songbyrd Wed July 2

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/766687/what-to-do-this-week-june-26-to-july-2/

Me on 40 years of dc punk activists Positive Force past, present, future

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/766964/positive-force-at-40-looking-at-the-activist-groups-past-present-and-future/

Hey is the KC going to have a jazz series next season?

Fun fact: I met my now-wife because of Positive Force. 27 years ago next month.

So you could say that it's been a force in my life. A positive one, even.

Some local jazz acts listed for Millennium Stage in August but no national acts so far

And I haven’t found any news that Jason Moran quit or was fired, so I’m crossing my fingers.