Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Busy weekend. I also saw Los Van Van from Cuba at Kennedy Center, and the Billy Hancock tribute with Tex Rubinowitz and others at Pearl Street.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/oldies-are-goodies-at-the-monthly-music-fest-at-gees-club/2018/04/23/c258db2a-4708-11e8-827e-190efaf1f1ee_story.html?utm_term=.600d83cd5ceb

I used to go to the old Gee’s at 4400 Rhode Island Ave. The current Gee’s in Hyattsville has a soul oldies event on the 4th Sunday of the month

Hardway Connection play at Lamont's down in Pomonkey, MD every other Sunday from 6 to 10 (3 sets). Had fun there seeing them Sunday do a mix of original southern soul and 60s and 70s soul covers (Al Green and Sam & Dave)

On June 7 the lawsuit by the non-profit associated with the Howard Theatre against the company hired to run the place (a DC based entity associated with the Blue Note out of NYC) goes to hearing in DC. The defendant is allegedly 1 mil behind in rent (per J. O'Connell of Washington Post tweet)

Earlier this year the DC Attorney General, Karl Racine, had brought a lawsuit against the Howard Theatre non-profit for its alleged negligence in allowing the entity running the theatre to get behind on rent and bills. I wonder what is happening with that lawsuit?

WAMU Arts reporter M. Lefrak has a story out about Arena Stage and in it says that pre-Wharf all DC southwest had other than Arena Stage was a "couple of nightclubs" and the old fisherman's wharf. Ugh, no names for the clubs and no elaboration on their cultural and social importance. Zanzibar had African, Caribbean and African-American music; H20 (once Hogates) had big name Latinx acts; Channel Inn had old-school DC r'n'b.

The old seafood wharf remains important too.

Here's a 2010 piece I wrote. 8 years later many don't know this.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/13074513/zanzibar-on-the-waterfront-closes-down

Nena Perry-Brown on Michelle Blackwell go-go and r'n'b album

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/21008175/on-her-debut-album-michelle-blackwell-puts-her-unique-stamp-on-gogo

Fort Reno schedule posted. 7 gigs. Kickstarter made over $13,000

Messthetics naturally drew the biggest crowd I've seen in a long while to Fort Reno

Call me obsessed, but it bugs me that the Fort Dupont Park concert schedule meanwhile has not even been announced yet alone started. It's in SE DC so the right media folks don't care.

Thursday is nostalgia and cake night at Fort Reno.

Too many DMV rappers to keep up with— I give up. Here’s a list of young ones in an article about a contest for DMV rap producers

Real quick, who’s your favorite young rapper from the DMV? Maybe you said Rezt, or YBN Cordae, or Baby Boof, or the Khan, or Miss Kaniyah, or El Cousteau, or Marty Heem, or WiFiGawd, or Shabazz, or Lil Dude, or Chachi, or Ciscero, or Lil Xelly, or Goonew, or Chelly the MC.

Oops, here’s the Chris R story
https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/madeinthedmv-is-looking-for-the-perfect-beat/2018/07/17/265fc9ca-852b-11e8-9e80-403a221946a7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.59b030771ecb

Thankfully that noise ordinance got tabled (though it might be up for discussion in the fall. I don't get people moving downtown to Gallery Plce area and then griping about street musicians).

Malik Dope Drummer, one of my fave streetcorner percussionists is over in Paris and then going to South Africa as part of a special music program I think.

Still no Fort Dupont Park concert season announcement, and no news on Carter Barron fundraising.

FOrt Reno Night of 100 Cakes was fun. Unbilled act--Ian Mackaye and Amy Farina from Evens did a Lungfish cover and another song. John Davis with Chris Richards was good too. Got there late and missed Betsy Wright, Jerry Busher and others I think.

MD rapper Rico Nasty sold out the Fillmore the other night. She also signed to Atlantic Records.

Flasher were good despite wet weather and technical problems at Fort Reno last night. They have been busy touring the US.

Fort Dupont Park is showing the movie Black Panther Saturday, but the rest of the Saturdays into September are labeled "tba".

There's a DC go-go panel coming up August 25 at 3 at the Benning Library.

I am going to assume you heard the Kojo show on Summer in the Park / Fort Reno the other day? It was nice.

Actually read that it was happening but haven't heard it yet. Am hoping/thinking it is archived. Although as much as I like Fort Reno, and I do, I must confess that I became quite a contrarian at a Shaw Library DC music salon awhile back hearing Amanda proclaim the superiority of hanging out there, over anywhere else in DC. I am guessing she never went to Carter Barron when it was open, and has never been to Fort Dupont Park.

Fair enough. Agree that Amanda can be a trifle one-track. Having the USPS rep there meant they could talk about other things, and did.

Hello there DC dwellers!

I am in town and managed to get out of work early to catch a band called Campdogzz this evening at DC9. The band is a Chicago-based alt-country group whose brand new album In Rounds was sent to me as a promo and I really enjoy it, especially the vocalist Jessica Price.

Spotify link to new album:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3jaUBuWZpQSQnm10zF3uP9

If any ILM/ILX folks will be there, say Hi to me! I'm the guy in the Feelies shirt!

If I can swing it tomorrow as well, I'm gonna try and catch Alice Bag. Probably gonna wear a different shirt though.

My email address here works and I am reachable through the Facebook as well if anyone wants to ply me with liquor.

Well I went and had a wonderful time. Great band, were nice to chat with. I ate at the Po Boy place next door which was really terrific and brought a dozen hipster donuts back for this morning at work.

I also managed to get out of work tonight and I can see either Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Baltimore Soundstage or Alice Bag at Comet Ping Pong. Not sure what I'm doing yet - GYBE involves a longer drive and I haven't seen them before whereas Alice Bag is in DC but I have seen her before and she won't be onstage until midnight which will be a late night.

I'll figure it out but I am leaning towards GYBE.

They’re unbelievably boring live

Literally nothing happens and everyone just stands and watches. GY!BE might be the worst concert experience I’ve ever had

X-post - hope you had fun whichever you chose. I attended friends anniversary celebration last night. 1 of the couple had gone to high school with Guitarist Thalia Zedek. Thalia was there and did 2 songs solo .

GYBE was a lovely, spiritual experience. Sorry no DC ILXors wanted to hang out but oh well.

Maybe next time. There may be a Baltimore ilxor who was there

So new temporary old-school supergroup Hammered Hulls are supposedly gonna play live in September. Members include Mary Timony, Alex Mackaye, Chris Wilson ( from Ted Leo band), and Mark Cisneros (Kid Congo band and more)

Hammered Hulls are gonna be at a Black Cat anniversary show.

Went to a go-go panel at the Benning Library today. Kato Hammond, Nico Hobson, and Andrew Gaston on the panel with Natalie Hopkinson as the moderator. Interesting recollections of go-go old days, and observations on go-go today (popular still with oldtime DMV, but not with the youth).

They mentioned that Junkyard Band would be playing for free at 5-ish at Barry Farm public Housing area in SE DC. We then headed over to there where a stage was set up on the basketball court used in the Goodman summer league. JYB are trying to keep up a bit with the bouncebeat bands now, some new-school speedier tempoes alog with the old-school crank. Barry Farm, where JYB started, is being shut down by the powers that be, so this outdoor event may be the last one there. Team Familiar played earlier in the day at 2. Go-go bands don't always publicize their free outdoor shows because they want people to pay to see them later that night for $ at a club. I think that was the case with these shows (only online mention I saw was an Instagram post by Team fam drummer jammin Jeff

There was still a big local turnout at the bittersweet Barry Farm gig. The powers that be are shutting down the public housing location, building new there and not really promising tenants a way back.

The 4th Sunday of the month soul oldies live music thing at Gee's on 52nd Street in a warehouse district in Hyattsville, is no more. 80-something Ms. Gee is selling the club (which is attached to a liquor store and a Jamaican restaurant). At least that's what the cashier at the liquor store told me. There have also been go-go shows there. She had the place since the 90s, after she left /sold Gee's 4400 club on Rhode Island Ave NE, near the MD line (that's a restaurant now).

https://thedcline.org/2018/08/30/a-glimmer-of-hope-for-the-once-iconic-fort-dupont-concert-series/

Mon. 9-10

*Straight Crankin'!! - DC go-go music documentary free debut screening at 6 pm at the Lincoln Theatre

Smithsonian Folklife Festival issued a statement today that Park Service proposal to ban use of temporary tents on side portions of National Mall “would profoundly impact ...continued feasibility of Smithsonian Folklife Festival.” The Park Service is taking comments through Oct. 7th

DC Music Download website is no more. Editor Stephanie Williams got a new job with the Post Express. Um, always found her taste to be a little too narrow for me (although she sometimes highlighted stuff I didn't know about and came to like).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-black-cat-is-shrinking-by-half-why-because-punks-dont-live-there-anymore/2018/09/12/d6c319ec-b529-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html?utm_term=.1e52de3722b5

Awww man, Dante is gonna rent out first floor of Black Cat including Backroom live performance spot to upscale shops. In January a smaller version of Red Room and Backstage will open above somewhere.

Aw man indeed. My band played in the Backstage a couple times.

Jean Cook is leaving Beauty Pill after tonight’s gig.

Unrelated. That 69 million DC taxpayer funded Entertainment and Sports Arena at St Elizabeth is gonna hold 4200. Mary J Blige will be there in October. I think the place will sit empty a lot.

The Wizards and Caps at Cap One Arena have longer schedules than the Entertainment and Sports Arena teams-Mystics and Cap City Go-go.

They added a Wale and 20 other DC rappers gig to Entertainment and Sports Arena. And had ticket issues online.

Rare Essence got some sort of DC Mayor's Arts award lifetime achievement award at Lincoln Theatre recently. I still haven't seen that DC government made Go-go doc. Wonder if its online yet?

I am more interested (naturally) in the month-long Flash of the Spirit global music fest at multiple dc locations than I am in the All Things Go popfest at Union Market.

https://thedcline.org/2018/09/28/second-annual-festival-will-bring-global-sounds-to-dc-venues-throughout-october/

Amplified Noise bill hearing today. Ugh-- folks who moved into downtown DC grumbling that street musicians are too loud.

National Park Service comment period deadline today for their proposed new regs that could impact Smithsonian Folklife Fest and rallies and more on the national mall and near white house and elsewhere in the city.

Flasher and Bad Moves albums are good and have gotten lots of media coverage. New Anna Connolly has gotten web attention and ink too. Local scribes still like rock music (news at 11).

Haven’t been to Union Stage club on new wharf, or to been around longer Latino club Diamond Lounge in Annandale. But I did see Junkyard Band outside the being torn down Barry Farm public housing project.

Me re recent releases by April + Vista, Black Alley, Hardway Connection, Team Familiar

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/21028177/the-scene-report-april-vista-black-alley-team-familiar

https://thedcline.org/2018/10/19/another-summer-comes-and-goes-with-no-events-on-carter-barron-stage/

National Park Service is allotting money in 2020 or 2021 to rebuild stage at Carter Barron Amphitheatre that was closed down in 2017 (after a short summer 2016 season of free shows)

Not a single additional concert is scheduled now for the 69 million dollar DC taxpayer funded Entertainment & Sports Arena in SE. Some minor league basketball and 1 e-sport event are all that I see on their meager calendar

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/kali-uchis-used-to-live-out-of-her-car-now-shes-one-of-pop-musics-rising-stars/2018/10/25/46afaa0a-d310-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html?utm_term=.26bb23776c55

Didn't realize Kali Uchis went to TC Williams High in Alexandria and lived out of her car for a bit

Amy Farina, Ian Mackaye, Joe Lally band for free (donation to loaves and fishes encouraged) at St. Stephens Nov. 11 , doors at 6:30, show at 7

oh neat

ian was 'backstage' at the st stephens lifetime/give show last week with his two kids in giant runway ear-protectors which was p fuckin adorable

Snoop Dogg is at the Warner Theatre this weekend, and per social media I see that he has gone in the studio separately with both Rare Essence and with Backyard Band

Ian, Amy, Joe band was ok—Fugazi & Evens elements. I was kinda hoping they’d go off in a new direction instead, but no.