Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

http://musicatthemonument.com/tc-event-category/carter-barron-amphitheatre-concerts/

So former football player and now promoter Darryl Haley may be well-intentioned, but I don't think people are gonna pay $25 a benefit show at Carter Barron to see the same obscure local acts he has been presenting at the Sylvan Theatre on the mall for free. He has 6 of these events planned.

that local rock series Fort R--- starts tonight. You might have heard about it...

https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/07/07/wamu-will-sell-or-close-bluegrass-country/

https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/12/16/wamu-diane-rehm-jj-yore-kojo-nnamdi-andi-mcdaniel-changes/

Team Familiar and some others go-go acts are on a special go-go vacation with gigs thing in Puerto Rico; and other go-go acts are doing the same down in Miami and South Beach right now.

WPFW benefit with a who's who of local jazz folks, out at Bethesda Blues and Jazz tonight

Fort Reno night of 1,000 cakes with Dot Dash and others

I went to Lubber Run Amphitheater in Arlington for the first time, and saw the great Nigerian sax player Orlando Julius and his band Saturday night. What a nice place to see free shows. 300 seat amphitheater under trees, with some room around the edges for standing or sittin on your own chair or blanket. The former Artisphere booking agent Josh is handling the booking, and he had Anthony Pirog the night before and they have Congolese electro-soukous act Mbongwana Star Saturday August 13th. Lots of locals-- I missed some of the international ones I like back in June--Elikeh, Feedel Band, Cissa Paz. Its getting no publicity, as area media folks only tout Fort Reno.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20828878/one-track-mind-fa-wouch-i-feel-something

Me writing up a new Md Haitian band

No stage covering anymore for Carter Barron, so they had to cancel their first of those $25 benefit gigs with the obscure local r'n'b bands. Can't imagine they sold many tickets and they have to be bought in advance. But we are supposed to feel bad for the NPS which spent 200 grand there last year while pleading poor.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/if-these-walls-could-talk-theyd-probably-scream/2016/08/01/86bbed62-5751-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html

Above link is about the original Madam's Organ hippie house where punk and rockabilly bands played circa 79. Club elsewhere took the name.

In other news, does anyone think the planned 4,500 seat Wizards practices and Mystics games) basketball arena will get many concerts? DAR and Eaglebank are around that size and they don't have many gigs.

DAR has one performance scheduled for all of September.

What a racket these taxpayer-funded stadiums are.

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/mary-timony-joins-seth-meyers-late-night-band-temporarily/

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20830357/longtime-wpfw-dj-rick-da-gator-bolling-has-died

southern soul, blues and jazz dj from the late 90s to 2014.

rip

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/15-recent-d-c-records-you-dont-want-to-miss/

You might want to miss some of them, but maybe not

Didn't go to Chris Burns' final Petworth Jam with 1432 R djs and more, but did go to Chuck Brown Day. Openers Plunky and Oneness were a fun funk coverband--P.Funk, Maze, Chuck Brown, etc .....than the main attraction who brought up various guests from the Brown family plus James Jas Funk and D. Floyd. Around 2500 folks there I'd say in Chuck Brown Park in NE. Demographically the crowd skewed largelyover 30 (with about 10 white people and a few or three Asian folks). Fun show with go-go call and response action. The band is so tight -- love em all--the horn section, drummer Kenny Kwick Gross, the percussionist, the keyboardists including Sweet Cherie who also sings & raps, and singer/guitarist Frank Scooby Sirius. Chuck's daughter KeKe was rapping (and she's now a Muslim and had her head covered). Last year the Mayor was there but I didn't see her this year. Someone from DC Parks & Rec. But weirdly (or not) former Mayor Gray wandered onstage right before the Chuck Brown Band and grabbed a mic and I guess was doing an intro-- but the sound on it was turned down.

and then

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-rapper-swipey-shot-and-killed-in-prince-georges-county/2016/08/21/42b92de4-67d4-11e6-99bf-f0cf3a6449a6_story.html

18 years old, lots of Instagram followers for his rapping, and now he's gone. I never heard of him I must admit, as I don't keep up with all the young DC area rappers. I don't think the W. Post, City Paper or Bandwidth ever wrote about his music.

https://spinrilla.com/mixtapes/swipeyy-best-of-swipey

video on the web page includes lyrics with lots of nsfw expletives

bump.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20831013/catch-a-rising-rap-star

A whole bunch of DC area rappers gigged Sunday night in Md. Big Flock, Lightshow, Shabazz, TopDolla Sweizy, Too Easy Black, Lazy Da Kid, Tino Loud, Yung Cezz, and Bali Baby

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summerstage-goldlink-backyard-band-dj-spicoli-tickets-25957138500

DC in Central Park NYC Sunday afternoon. Then Backyard are coming back to town for a gig later that night at Club Xo. They're doing a special bus trip up there and back for DC fans too.

Colombia, MD r'n'b singer Gallant has a sold out gig at U Hall tonight

https://societeanonymeinc.wordpress.com/2016/08/23/aint-no-punk-addendum/

That's a Tex Rubinowitz comment to Lux Interior of the Cramps..."You ain't no punk, you punk..."

Crossrhodes (Raheem DeVaughn and Wes felton and band) were on ABC's local Good Morning Washington program

Crossrhodes are at the Millennium Stage for free tomorrow

http://local.washingtoncitypaper.com/event/kennedy-center-millennium-stage/the-crossrhodes

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20831724/art-of-noise-andras-fekete

last year's show at mlk was enjoyable; maybe only a half a dozen guitars at that one, though.

Missed 70 guitars Friday, and Trillelectro, Arcangel and Maren Morris gigs at various locations Saturday, but did go to Midnight Star free gig at Ft. Dupont Park Saturday night. Final of 3 summer shows there was fun-- "No Parking on the Dance Floor" was one of a number of keyboards and guitar 80s & 90s ish electro funk numbers they did. Crowd was much bigger than Fort Reno, but not as big as at Ft Dupont shows I've been to in the past. Around 1,000 to 2,000 max this time. The place used to be packed up the grassy lawn hill with crowds of 5,000 or more.

Joe's Record Paradise finally opening at new location Tuesday August 30th...

Not all of DC is becoming condos-- this hand-dancing joint on Benning Road NE is going to survive, after death of longtime owner back in April. New mgmt...

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20832296/chateau-nightclub-reopens

The "Celebration of Life" for recently deceased local rapper Swipey (Douglas Myron Brooks) was today in DC. Haven't seen any updates re possible arrests for the killer of this 18 year old

RIP from cancer, keyboardist (and bass player and backing vocalist and songwriter and producer) Byron BJ Jackson who was in Rare Essence for years and more recently in Team Familiar. He also sang backup for and cowrote a song with Meshelle Ndgeocello, and backed Debarge and a gospel go-go group and others. He was 51.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20833396/funk-up-the-grass-on-chip-pys-locally-grown-music-series

Some funk players and some bluegrass ones playing together on a locally recorded Youtube show

http://www.afro.com/go-go-community-mourns-byron-bj-jackson/

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20833846/gogo-musician-byron-bj-jackson-dies-at-52

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/09/09/live-nation-will-book-shows-at-mgm-national-harbors-3000-seat-theater/

So am curious how that DC taxpayer paid for Mystics games/Wizards practices arena in SE will get any concerts, when there's gonna be this one, along with DAR, Eaglebank, Echostage and that planned IMP one on SW

It won't. Echostage and DAR are going to have big problems when the IMP venue opens (the MGM venue will pull from DAR and Warner Theater as well). The Wiz/Mystics venue is clearly never going to attract more than a handful of concerts a year.

it'll be like lisner, essentially.

Probably even less events than 1800 seat Lisner.

So I was able to go to the new museum of African American History and Culture (as part of preview for Smithsonian volunteers) and saw some go-go related stuff up in the music room including Chuck Brown clothes and hat, an EU conga and some globe posters. Also, DC resident for awhile Bo Diddely, and the Bad Brains. Hmmm, I think Marvin Gaye too.

Dcist.com mentioned a bunch of old-school Chocolate City related items there (link over on the ILE Brad Pitt DC thread)

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20834118/sockets-records-sean-peoples-is-back-with-a-new-label-atlantic-rhythms

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/blog/20834681/to-do-this-weekend-the-dhol-foundation-freedom-sounds-festival-and-signals-midwest

Jacques "Saxman" Johnson Sr died. He played in the US Army band for years, plus blues, soul and jazz bands (including w Lil Margie of the Jewels) at Westminster Church and elsewhere. He was also the father of musicians Jacques Jr., and Meshell Ndgeocello.

I think he was 77.

Speaking of older DC musicians, Little Royal (aka James Brown's half-brother) is still in the hospital.

Oh no, Little Royal has passed away.

If you dig down into this link for the City Paper's "People" issue, you will find my q and a with the singer known as James Brown's half-brother

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/special-issues/people-issue/article/13044834/the-people-issue-2013

I saw him perform at Westminster Church SW on Mondays 2 or 3 times. So sad. A great guy.

Check Little Royal out in this 1972 video from a regional tv show called Soul Street

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEbvK076HZU

More sad news. 33 year-old Karlston "Ice" Ross, bassist with the Chuck Brown Band, the Jo-Go Project and others, has passed away from some health complications.

A tough week for DC musicians.

https://www.gofundme.com/teenaramathemusica

Fundraiser for Teenarama the musical, about the Teenarama tv dance show for Black dancers in DC that was on from 1963 to 1970. It started when Black dancers weren't allowed on the Milt Grant dc tv dance show

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-a-small-dc-record-label-became-a-hotbed-of-modern-ethiopian-sounds/2016/10/06/7c3f0bcc-8667-11e6-92c2-14b64f3d453f_story.html

For you 1432 R Ethiopian-electronic dance music fans

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20836249/rb-singer-little-royalknown-as-soul-brother-no-2has-died