https://theforeigncorrespondentsdc.bandcamp.com/album/lovin-you-aint-easy
The Foreign Correspondents is a power pop band with Brendan Canty , and former DCers Ted Leo, Michael Hampton, and Sohrob Habion
― curmudgeon, Friday, 1 March 2024 20:03 (six months ago) link
Sounds interesting! Ted Leo was, of course, in Chisel with my former colleague John Dugan. Next time I saw him he was out with Aimee Mann and Liz Phair. Brendan has been around forever. I confess I don't know the other two.
― alpaca lips now (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 1 March 2024 22:50 (six months ago) link
Michael Hampton was in DC hardcore band Faith , and then in some other bands . Lives in NY now I think
Sohrob was in dc postpunk band Edsel, and I think is now in postpunk band Savak. He lives in NY or Jersey now too.
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 3 March 2024 15:26 (six months ago) link
DJ RBI mix of classic old and obscure new hiphop on Saturday nights 9 to 12 midnight last night on WpFw was so good.
I listened for a bit in the car as my wife and I were coming back from Baltimore where we saw the Ethiopian art at the Walters Museum and heard dc Ethiopian Ras Band there with guest vocalists. They had free tej Ethiopian honey wine samples and food too. We ate a full Ethiopian meal at Tabor afterwards.
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 3 March 2024 15:31 (six months ago) link
https://wtop.com/music/2024/03/michael-reidy-dynamic-front-man-of-revered-dc-rock-band-razz-dies-at-73/
Michael Reidy was a great, charismatic front man for rock/ proto-punk band (the) Razz in late 70s/80s in DC. He was also a clever artist /painter who had art exhibits in local galleries, and designed cool flyers and zine ads for the band.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 19:05 (six months ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/682485/2024-spring-arts-guide/
I previewed late 70s early 80s Urban Verbs rock band talk ; Orquesta Akokan; Amaarae; Ms Kim; Arushi Mudgal dane & music ; & George Pelecanos for City Paper Spring Arts 2024. The Pelecanos one is under “books” but that Palisades Backstage event will have music too. Details in the preview DC rock fans. Also, the new Pelecanos book is kind of wacky -- written from the perspective of a dog who gre up in a public housing project, and later lived with a drunk, and then a drug dealer among others
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 7 March 2024 18:48 (six months ago) link
If you pluck my name from there and enter in blogspot as well, you can find my March 2024 DMV calendar with some gigs by touring acts in various genres plus local bands and djs I am interested in from such genres as Ethiopian music, go-go, Latino genres, rock, r& b, rap, South Asian, old-school and new school African genres. A bit of jazz and experimental but not as comprehensive for jazz as the Capital Bop list
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 7 March 2024 21:52 (six months ago) link
Love your monthly list
― from a prominent family of bassoon players (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 7 March 2024 22:39 (six months ago) link
Thanks.
Typo above, should read - Arushi Mudgal dance and music (her sister is 1 of 2 vocalists for that event)
― curmudgeon, Friday, 8 March 2024 00:30 (six months ago) link
Saw the crappy 9 and 53 Washington Wizards win a basketball game last night @ Capital One & then we stuck around of course for Northeast Groovers and Backyard Band go-go . we had bought 2 tickets for $25 total via a special deal. Huge turnout for the go-go.
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 9 March 2024 16:22 (six months ago) link
https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/03/08/a-dc-indie-rock-musician-is-now-ceo-of-amtrak/
Member of 90s art pop groups Lorelei and Chessie is now head of Amtrak
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 9 March 2024 19:49 (six months ago) link
Me on Michael Reidy of late 70s DC rock band Razz and his provocative visual art for galleries, Razz ads in the Unicorn Times , Razz record sleeves, Washington City Paper , and punk fanzines
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/685208/remembering-michael-reidy-musician-and-visual-artist/
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:51 (six months ago) link
Dear Rhizome community,
An UPDATE, and an INVITATION…
1. We have NO NEWS on when/if we are ever going to actually get kicked out of everyone's favorite house on Maple Street. We're still there, and still going strong.
2. We have YES NEWS on a potential "forever home" for Rhizome, and we want to share it with you.
VERY BRIEFLY: We have an opportunity to purchase a building nearby with the help of a big grant from the DC Arts Commission.
We will be hosting a TOWN HALL on TUESDAY March 26 at 7pm to share information about the building and how YOU can make it happen. (Yes, we need HELP!)
To attend meeting by zoom you need to register on their google doc. Look for a link in their social media or on their website
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 March 2024 16:05 (five months ago) link
Very interested to see what Rhizome figures out. Hopefully they end up in a great spot and can keep things rolling along.
― grandavis, Friday, 22 March 2024 16:33 (five months ago) link
The Urban Verbs nostalgia talk at Palisades yesterday/Sunday was the same time as the WPFW jazz dj, poet, archivist , writer Reuben Jackson memorial poetry tribute service at Josephine Butler Center, so I chose the latter. Very emotional and touching. Poets read Jackson poems and then read their own work about Jackson. Plus they showed an Ellie Walton 6 minute video interview with Jackson. Some of those Jackson poets hit hard .
― curmudgeon, Monday, 25 March 2024 15:36 (five months ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/686524/washington-women-in-jazz-festival-city-lights-for-march-28-to-april-3/
Some of these events are a bity pricey, but once a year DC's Washington Women in Jazz fest happens with a range of styles
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 28 March 2024 14:48 (five months ago) link
Leonsis just did a make nice tweet to Ron Moten of Dont Mute DC, while simultaneously I am seeing this:
Axios -What we're watching: Another Leonsis lament, noisy street buskers, are also included in the terms. Monumental proposes creating an 'Entertainment District' around the arena with rules against vending, loitering, and noise
― curmudgeon, Friday, 29 March 2024 16:55 (five months ago) link
January W Post article on the buskers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/18/ted-leonsis-street-musician-noise-gallery-place/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 29 March 2024 17:22 (five months ago) link
https://www.capitalbop.com/rhizome-dc-community-investment/
Rhizome is gonna try to buy a building on Alaska Ave off of Georgia Ave in DC. They got a $350,000 grant from DC Arts , and the hard part is going to be raising 400, 000 more via loans and donations. I think if they raise 200 grand , they then get a bit more time before having to come up with remaining 200 grand
I listened to the Zoom. New location is not near a Metro station, just near Metro bus routes. They seem more optimistic about raising the bucks than I would be
― curmudgeon, Friday, 29 March 2024 22:25 (five months ago) link
I’d be willing to donate, but the document I saw is that they are going to crowdsource loans of a minimum of $2,500.
― Slorg is not on the Slerf Team, you idiot, you moron (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 30 March 2024 00:17 (five months ago) link
They are supposed to based on my listening to the zoom have a separate donation link to a go fund me . But yeah for the loan they want more - 2500 . Which they say they will pay back in 10 to 15 years
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 30 March 2024 01:00 (five months ago) link
https://givebutter.com/rhizomedc
Link for Rhizome donations
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 30 March 2024 23:39 (five months ago) link
Thanks! If they haven’t used their email list yet to blast the link, they should.
― Slorg is not on the Slerf Team, you idiot, you moron (Boring, Maryland), Sunday, 31 March 2024 01:58 (five months ago) link
https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/03/29/rhizome-dcs-diy-mecca-is-trying-to-buy-a-permanent-home/
Washingtonian with more details re current rhizome landlord; and some stuff re the move
― curmudgeon, Monday, 1 April 2024 19:29 (five months ago) link
My April concert calendar is posted, and my City Paper preview of the DC history conference is also online . The conference has presentations on big serious items with race, class, and gender aspects as well as looks at the beginning of the 930 Club on F Street; go-go and politics; U street and Howard Theatre history; a guy who painted pics of Rock Creek Park in the 1800s. If I was in town this weekend I would go to see Digable Planets and Sun Ra for free at Franklin Park
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/687813/curtis-sittenfeld-district-dreamers-film-fest-city-lights-for-april-4-to-10/
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 4 April 2024 14:44 (five months ago) link
April 12 deadline to submit for consideration to Amanda M for Fort Reno summer concerts
https://www.fortreno.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
― curmudgeon, Monday, 8 April 2024 14:28 (five months ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/listings/items/orquesta-akokan-april-10/
My City Paper Spring Arts preview of Wed April 10 Orquesta Akokan at Hamilton live
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 April 2024 00:34 (five months ago) link
My City Paper preview of Sunday April 14 gig by Ethiopian music band Qwanqwa is included in the link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/689557/new-worlds-atmosphere-and-more-city-lights-for-april-11-17/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 April 2024 21:22 (five months ago) link
DC punk band Ekko Astral got an 8.0 from Pitchfork
reunited Dc punk bands Scream and Soulside are about to tour UK
DC's Mark Cisneros is touring Australia as part of Kid Congo's band . Mick Harvey from Bad Seeds and others is playing bass on this tour
Dreamcast Moe ep getting lots of attention
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 April 2024 20:45 (five months ago) link
https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/iota-club-cafe-arlington-va/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHXmKZ1kaMQL3PoyqmPRqvh0JKWSD14S_vEoiTTOYCOqSYrw8VccerBDvUg_aem_AWd4xFbAjbQaDnFY_iW0rsAwpyfWE-bm7fygp0FBHUZqJ8uTddzCPkvxRK4EAxvZfEo
Folks who loved Americana music and more club Iota in Arlington that was open from 1994 to 2017 reminisce
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 14:36 (four months ago) link
Rhizome still has a way to go to raise the money they need to buy their own place
https://www.rhizomedc.org/future
― curmudgeon, Friday, 26 April 2024 20:21 (four months ago) link
They look close, 235k out of a goal of 250. I have some more though. I wish I could go more often Takoma is kind of a haul from my end of the DMV.
― Are you addicted to struggling with your horse? (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 27 April 2024 17:35 (four months ago) link
I *gave* more.
Nice.
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 28 April 2024 15:18 (four months ago) link
An update by Rhizome:
N UPDATE!
As of this morning, we have the funds necessary to proceed with the purchase of 7733 Alaska Ave NW as a permanent home for Rhizome. The outpouring of support has been so inspiring! We have raised over $250,000 in donations and loans from community members in one month. If you haven't contributed, and you'd still like to and have the means, don't worry, you are not too late to help! We still need $150k more over the next 4-5 months, in combined donations, loans, and grants, to pay for new HVAC, roof, accessible bathrooms, and other needed renovations. You can find out more and make a contribution HERE. What an amazing community!!!!
― Are you addicted to struggling with your horse? (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 1 May 2024 13:21 (four months ago) link
Great news!
― Heez, Wednesday, 1 May 2024 13:50 (four months ago) link
Yay
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 4 May 2024 15:01 (four months ago) link
Smithsonian Folkways mourns the passing of blues musician and harmonica player Phil Wiggins (1954-2024). He died peacefully at his home on Tuesday morning, one day before his 70th birthday. Wiggins was a Folkways recording artist, teacher, NEA National Heritage Fellow, and frequent performer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival along with his longtime musical partner John Cephas. He was known throughout the international blues community and his hometown of Washington, D.C., for his wit, humor, and powerful playing.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 10 May 2024 20:08 (four months ago) link
https://festival.si.edu/blog/phil-wiggins-tribute?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1wLNxCW_203-Hyg2G-4lhtVsqu4CkXUp-Q067hnO0hnPtDoJUtqDOSCxI_aem_ASiUT8_jnH4FaxSCXJlS1HWG0GlolhXChq1GBfoppbE3_tdnDgafR4RpItyaPdkpRyE2K_wnsXkrYF3i8wkg7qCF
Another farewell to Phil Wiggins. Plus Washington Post had an obit also
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 16 May 2024 20:45 (four months ago) link
https://wapo.st/4aqHN5M
Chris Richards in Washington Post on Rhizome and his fave shows and the money raised for it and why it’s his fave dc place for music
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 16 May 2024 20:48 (four months ago) link
Lots going on... Updated my concert calendar
Also--
The Runaway is just going to be a bar and rarely have music the owner just decided (after the earlier talk it was going to close down it stayed open after getting a break on rent from the landlord. Her booking agent for Runaway and Slash Run recently quit)
― curmudgeon, Friday, 17 May 2024 16:44 (four months ago) link
Ended up in the overflow room at the Motown in DC panel event at the Anacostia Arts Center. Kinda interesting still.
Saturday night went to a Tropical Dome Dj event at Marx Cafe with a Colombian headliner DJ w a vocalist. They were preceded by DJs from Crown Vic , Charles from Leon City Sounds, DJ Neeko
Sunday saw the Slickee Boys history talk with various band members and their former manager circa 1981 talking to NBC’s Mark Segraves about the band at the Palisades church community center hub. Then they reunited downstairs for a 5 song reunion gig! Fun stuff
― curmudgeon, Monday, 20 May 2024 18:21 (four months ago) link
Sunday morning I found out the Sun Ra Arkestra was playing that night at the Birchmere in Virginia, and that they are doing shows celebrating Marshall Allen's 100th birthday this week. He wasn't able to be there but it was still a great show, and they'll be at Keystone Korner in Baltimore on Wednesday if anyone feels like making the trip.
― Chris L, Monday, 20 May 2024 20:43 (four months ago) link
I was at the Birchmere last night too, hello neighbor lol
― Are you addicted to struggling with your horse? (Boring, Maryland), Monday, 20 May 2024 21:46 (four months ago) link
I hope Allen is ok. He was with the Arkestra when I saw them open for Solange at the Kennedy Center some years back. I was away when they played at Franklin Park some months back. Toyed with going last night but just did the late afternoon Slickee Boys thing.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 01:26 (four months ago) link
My contact said that Allen from Sun Ra's Arkestra got worn out at a Saturday gig in North Carolina, so he rested on Sunday and therefore missed Birchmere gig. Saw DJ Baby Alcatraz's IG story video from the Birchmere gig and it still looked good. Seeing them march through the crowd reminded me of when I saw 'em do that at the old F Street 930 Club and a bunch of folks from audience followed them like it was a conga line or a New Orleans jazz parade. Alas, Birchmere makes everyone sit and watch politely.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 16:10 (four months ago) link
Allen seemed strong and well the 3 times (!) I got to see them last year. even came out on a cold February night to smoke up right next to me. amazing.
― bulb after bulb, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 16:41 (four months ago) link
DC writer and DJ John Murph talked to longtime DC rapper, poet & more Kokayi for Downbeat
https://downbeat.com/news/detail/kokayi-taps-the-musical-power-of-language?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
― curmudgeon, Friday, 24 May 2024 21:42 (three months ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/listings/items/the-queen-of-go-gos-50th-birthday-celebration-june-1/
My preview of Ms Kim go-go birthday party in Bethesda Saturday
― curmudgeon, Friday, 31 May 2024 15:52 (three months ago) link
My preview of Brazilian guitar masters tonight and tomorrow night. The Saturday one with samba and bossa guy Joao Bosco is more interesting to me
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/719378/brazilian-guitar-masters-bill-evans-and-more-city-lights-for-may-30-through-june-5/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 31 May 2024 15:55 (three months ago) link