Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

The only electronic night i have ever been to is called Matter and it is held at the Blue Room on 18th street. I am not sure if it still exists, as i havent seen it listed for a while. The Djs played a lot of techno, including all the requisite hip german stuff, but whenever i went, there were 20 people there, and everything was being played at lounge volumes. it was a bit sad really, though the bar has a good beer selection.

SALT (listed first, because it's my night, dammit)
synthfunk, indiepop, dancehall, grime, electropunk, hip hop, industrial, hits
DJ's Sad and Lonely
1st Wednesday monthly
Cafe Saint-Ex

<>
indiedisco and beyond
DJ Will Eastman
generally 3rd Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Confusion
disco, new wave, funk, postpunk, hiphop
DJ's Serpico, William Alberque, Cullen Stalin, Sad
generally 4th Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Yellow Fever
reggae, groove, soul, hip-hop, dub
DJ's Yellow Fever
Tuesdays biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

Spilt Milk
rock, disco, funk, mod, punk, soul
Tuesdays biweekly
Red

Blowoff
indie house?
DJ's Bob Mould and Richard Morel
Saturdays
9:30 Club

Taking the Piss
jingle-jangle indie pop & psychedelic
occasional Fridays
Marx Cafe

We Fought the Big One
UK post punk, shoegaze, guitar pop, indie dance
DJ's Brandon Grover and Rick Taylor
1st Friday monthly
Marx Cafe

The Wag
60's garage soul & trash
DJ Mark Zimin
1st Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

The Mousetrap
brit pop, indie
DJ Mark Zimin
generally 2nd Saturday monthly
the Black Cat

Cold
coldwave, darkwave
2nd Sunday monthly
the Blue Room

Atmosphere
post punk, UK indie, dream pop
3rd Sunday monthly
the Blue Room

The Melting Pot
everything, 1964-1980
DJ Neville Chamberlain
Thursday biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

UH-HUH!
rock and roll
DJ Johnny
Sundays
Cafe Saint-Ex

Groove
soul, mod, garage
DJ Beat Neat-O
Thursdays biweekly
Cafe Saint-Ex

I'll work on a whole separate list of the club/hip hop/EDM events...

24 Hour Access: 24 Hour Psycho

February 28, 2004 at 5:30 p.m.
A first for the Hirshhorn---the Museum will open the Douglas Gordon exhibition for twenty-four consecutive hours. 24 Hour Psycho (1993), the artist's video installation that stretches the Hitchcock classic into a twenty-four-hour experience, is the inspiration for this all-night happening. Launch the leap year with this unique, drop-in event, which will also include music, gallery discussions, and a "Meet the Artist" interview with Douglas Gordon conducted by Hirshhorn Director of Art and Programs and Chief Curator Kerry Brougher on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Ring Auditorium. "24 Hour Access: 24 Hour Psycho" is made possible through the generosity of Aaron and Barbara Levine.

http://hirshhorn.si.edu

The following music (presented by Signal 66) will be played:
5:30 ˆ 7:00pm DJ Sandwich Man
7:00 ˆ 8:00pm Band Chessie
8:00 ˆ 8:30pm DJ Debut
8:30 ˆ 9:15pm Band The Hipnotix
9:15 ˆ 9:45pm DJ Beat Neat-o of Groove
9:45 ˆ 10:30pm Band Rose
10:30 ˆ 11:00pm DJ Neville Chamberlain
11:00 ˆ 11:45pm Band The Phobes
11:45 ˆ 12:15am DJ Neville Chamberlain
12:15 ˆ 1:00am Band Sounds of Kaleidoscope
1:00 ˆ 1:30am DJ Happy Family
1:30 ˆ 2:15am Band Sons of Disobedience
2:15 ˆ 2:45am DJ Neville Chamberlain (tentative)
2:45 ˆ 3:30am Band Gully Jimson

Habib Koite from Mali at the National Geographic Grosvenor
Hall--Habib's got a nice live cd out--He trys to meld styles from
different parts of Mali, and while he's not a big fave of mine he's
definately not bad

Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Ache at the K. Ctr. Eisenhower Theater--A
wonderful percussionist, bandleader, and sideman (not to mention a
college professor) who is very charismatic and entertaining with his band

Los Hombres Calientes from New Orleans at the Clarice Smith Center-An
interesting bunch from New Orleans who blend that city's jazz with
flavors from throughout the Caribbean. I believe WPFW's Jim Byers is
hosting and leading a chat with them as well.

Muzsikas at the Freer-Hungarian vocal combo
________________________________________________________________

Sat. 2-14

Sanchez and Richie Stephens at the Crossroads-Jamaican lovers rock for
Valentines Day
_________________________________________________
Sun. 2-15

Haj Youness, Casablanca, Moroccan oud player and the Voice of Wisdom
Orchestra at 2 p.m. at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center
Lecture Hall

La India and Sonora Caruseles at the Washington Hilton, 1919
Connecticut Ave. NW salsa
__________________________________
Tues. 2-17

Peru Negro at the Kenn. Ctr- Excellent Afro-Peruvian veteran combo--if
you like Eva Aylon or Susanna Baca this outfit's blend of soaring
melodies, strumming, and funky drumming (on instruments including
wooden boxes and donkey jawbones) will be up your alley
__________________________________
Other cool stuff:2-11-Super Furry Animals
from Wales at 930;2-12( & 2-13) jazz singer Jane Monheit at the
Birchmere; 2-13-Atmosphere at 930;2-14 Black Dice at Ottobar;Jazz
singer Dee Dee Bridgewater at K. Ctr.;Carmaig De Forest at Roots Cafe;

To get on my DC African/Latin/World whatever events ocassional e-mail thing, contact me at ritmika@hotmail.com The above comes from that...

Which reminds me...any news regarding a new location for the Metro Cafe?

dc-improv-announce-owner@yahoogroups.com

salsanews@aol.com

the blow_up@hotmail.com

bw_zydeco@yahoo.com

Dizzee's supposedly coming back for a bigger tour in the summer, but I'm not sure if he'll hit DC or not. I don't know of anything regarding Dear or Mayer, but if they came I imagine it would be at 5ive, unless it was a one-off somewhere else.

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 did my first Washington City Paper preview city light in a few weeks. I wrote about the 3 popup Carter Barron gigs starting tonight using a temporary stage.

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/790347/music-returns-to-carter-barron-amphitheater-and-its-time-for-the-time-warp-city-lights-for-aug-20-26/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAT0H4RwZG9mBWZkaWQWUM09sYVPrademywQjYjwGQO59Q4HKmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR51EDVWKhPQo2oxDutGLdrKpShNd4kbSCN-29elSkXVnWWIUEy2bGhNu3QZBg_aem_c8Gl4ymBdpJruIcwPLbNBg

Not a clean link but it should work

Chuck Brown family has issued a statement criticizing DC Recreation Department handling of Chuck Brown Day that is Sat Aug 22 at Fort DuPont Park. They say dc gov is not complying with a contract but don’t offer specifics. I did see that bands weren’t announced until August 8 . Not sure what else they are unhappy with

Ok Fortas Chamber Series also has a season, if you call three performances a season.

I can’t go because it conflicts with the Sugar concert at the 9:30 Club but Davoné Tines is doing his “Mass No. 1” which is a mass that incorporates works Julius Eastman, Caroline Shaw, and Tyshawn Sorey among others.

Tines’ concert at the Sixth and I synagogue last January was a stunning performance of works from all periods of American history in a thought-provoking performance of who is and who is not judged to be “American” and was my gig of the year so far.

Oh thanks for that . Didn’t know about that but seeing names Eastman and Sorey has me curious. Plus I see a November gig will have a group playing both Henry Threadgill and Janet Jackson!

Oh, I think the Sugar gig is at Anthem

https://www.fortaschambermusic.org/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaAT1ek5wZG9mAmZkaWQWUM683L4i1IrOt7b8i4XI4BTqdytui2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp8rEebb96BIpuvKt04PNgN2in0ACSrGgxGbOxc1vo779wp4CPZ1aiA5iHpWO_aem_FU9bUYAYdeWxxCA8VhWbQg#concerts

NY Times is reporting that Trump lawyers for the Kennedy Center have alleged in documents that the buidling will have to be demolished if Trump's renovation plan (with planned marble floors and his name on the plaza and the walls) is not accepted.

Washington Post is reporting that they got access to documents showing that after Trump instituted changes at Kennedy Center that ticket sales and other donations and funding dried up, and that Trump administration allegations that his supporters made massive donations is not true

This is my shocked face.

yeah well the board chairman Trump fired was one of the top donors to the institution. and obviously Trump has not ponied up any of his now-billions

as I said before I don’t give s shit about the building, but the National Symphony absolutely needs to disengage itself from the Center and become independent.

You may only care about the classical music orchestra but I care about the building because of all the great events in multiple genres I have seen in the concert halls there, the Millenium Stage, outdoors there, at the reach etc. Artists in multiple genres got paid well performing there, and the place attracted big crowds of people who won't go to Rhizome or to the Go-go Museum in SE.

I am fine with the building sitting empty to the end of Trump's term although I do feel bad for the union employees who haven't been fired yet. Yasmin Williams thinks people should go to see acts for free at the Millennium Stage at the Reach as a way to not give up the place to Trump and Maga, but I'm not so sure that can or will happen.

yeah in the past there were some great Millennium Stage performances: I’ve seen Moor Mother with Roscoe Mitchell, Suzanne Ciani, and Tanya Tagaq to name a few.

There was an emergency court hearing today regarding the Kennedy Center. The Judge is taking the issues discussed under advisement and will then rule. The Justice Department insists that the Kennedy Center Trump board wants work to start September 8 installing marble floors and doing other renovations as well inscribing his name on the venue’s facade “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” If the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million, another inscription would be added reading: “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

The DOJ, in an official brief on why they can rename the plaza after Trump: "Nobody had any idea what the [REACH site name at the Kennedy Center] even meant."

The Kennedy Center, to news organizations, when REACH was being built: "The name has been explained as Renew, Experience, Activate, Create and Honor the legacy of Kennedy."

from an Aaron Reichlin-Melnick bluesky post.

Didn't know this honestly, but of course the DOJ lawyers never bothered to google the history of the name either

Trumpy Justice Department now saying they'll wait a month till October 9th before starting on their idiotic plans for Kennedy Center. Hopefully Judge will rule against them before then

The Smithsonian had been seeking to build a Latino Museum somewhere near the mall but with Trump and Republicans in charge they can’t get approval, so they’re going to put it in the mostly empty Arts & Industries building that the Smithsonian already controls. I saw in an article on some arts website a link to a right wing Washington Examiner op Ed about it. The right winger was mad about this loophole and contending that of course there was no need for a Latino museum. He did express relief that at least a Mexican brutalist museum wasn’t being built! Lol

The Smithsonian had been seeking to build a Latino Museum somewhere near the mall but with Trump and Republicans in charge they can’t get approval, so they’re going to put it in the mostly empty Arts & Industries building that the Smithsonian already controls. I saw in an article on some arts website a link to a right wing Washington Examiner op Ed about it. The right winger was mad about this loophole and contending that of course there was no need for a Latino museum. He did express relief that at least a Mexican brutalist museum wasn’t being built! Lol

My September Steve K blogspot concert calendar is posted

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/791043/fort-dupont-park-concert-series-wont-happen-in-2026/

My article which also mentions other NPS parks in dc

NPS money is being used for Trump's gross projects but there's nothing left to do a concert series at Fort Dupont Park (whose series started in 1972)

Sept. 4th & 5th at 7pm at Mount Vernon Place
United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20001

MASS. Struggle. Beauty. Rebellion.
Leonard Bernstein crafted MASS as the inaugural performance of the Kennedy Center on September 8, 1971. It reflects the authentic struggle and beauty of the human soul, screaming and singing for its liberation.

This production is a response to the defunding of the National Endowment of the Arts, and the overhaul of the Kennedy Center. We have come together to stand in affirmation of the spirit that gave life to the Kennedy Center.

​

As allies in the arts, we are excited to announce this collaborative staging, honoring the anniversary of its premier and affirming our commitment to making the music that inspires us.

​

This Shall Be Our Reply.

https://www.mass2026.com/

Uh oh, Lonnie Bunch decided to retire at 73 from running the Smithsonian

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/791164/melanie-c-crankin-power-and-resilience-in-washington-d-c-s-go-go-culture-book-launch-and-steph-phest-city-lights-for-sept-10-16/

I previewed for Washington City Paper the Saturday Sept 12 book talk for the new book Crankin! Power and Resilience in Washington, DC’s Go-Go Culture that is at Politics & Prose Union Market location 6:30pm that night . After that but not mentioned above is that the writers are going to the Art All Night MLK Library Block Party where Chuck Brown Band, Ms Kim Michelle Experience and others will be performing. The book authors will be signing books at both spots. There are a bunch of Art all Night events everywhere

I went to the Crankin book release event at Politics & Prose which was very interesting although not hugely well attended. Then I went up to the art all night MLk block party and it was packed . A huge line down 9th street that wrapped around on F Street. I just ended up watching from across the street the video screen view of the Ms Kim Experience doing a nice set. Saw on Instagram a huge crowd in se dc for TOB doing a set including their popular cover of “Ghetto Love Story ( I just want to dance)”.

Trump trying to blackmail now on Kennedy Center by insisting that if one of the 9 different versions of “The John F Kennedy Center renovated by Donald Trump” isn’t put up on the facade that the building will deteriorate and the Kennedy Center will have to declare bankruptcy . Board member Democrat Beatty’s lawyers are calling this out as nonsense.

I think there’s an emergency court hearing tomorrow.

Or maybe just a Kennedy Center board meeting where his cult members on the board will advocate for this above report written by other Trump cult members

Judge says no again to proposals to put Trump's name on the facade.

Kennedy Center Board votes again to shut down main building for 2 years

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/15/trump-kennedy-center-renovations

https://actionnetwork.org/events/hands-around-the-kennedy-center?source=direct_link&&link_id=1&can_id=bc5c3e23032cbb91f7fc5065171c97fc&email_referrer=email_3401981&email_subject=link-correction-friday-at-the-kennedy-center-our-biggest-action-yet-__&

Hands around the Kennedy Center protest Friday September 18

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/791540/fall-arts-guide-2026/

I have 7 music events previews in the Washington City Paper 2026 Fall Arts special. I pitched to my editor countless events in multiple genres and she decided which ones she wanted. So you can read my previews of SE DC's funky Cruddy Crankerz (w/ TOB) Saturday Sept 19 at Fort Dupont Park (The NPS may not be doing gigs there but the Crankerz are); plus rap duo Armand Hammer on Sept. 27 @ Union Stage; rapper Open Mike Eagle & producer/keyboardist Kenny Segal @ Songbyrd October 13; Latin artsy indie pop supergroup Helado Tropical on Oct. 23 @ Black Cat; rapper Vince Staples on October 29 @ Fillmore Silver Spring; Afro-Peruvian singing legend Eva Ayllon w/ Peruvian salsa singer Daniella Darcourt on Nov. 1 @ the Howard Theatre; and country musicians Ashley Monroe w/ Charlie Worsham Nov. 4 @ the Birchmere .

More fall events

Sept. 16 on -AFI Latin American Film Fest
Sept. 17- Samir Langus (Moroccan gnawa blues melded with funk) , Light Beams (dc postpunk dance) @ Takoma Station (A Secret Planet produced show)
Sept 23- Cabaret Voltaire @ Howard Theatre (reunited early 1980s artsy postpunk dancey band)
L’rain @ dc 9 (critic fave Black experimental pop & neo-psych r&b)
Sept 25- K8A (Kaethe Hostetter) , Andy Betezema @ Rhizome ( American violinist Kaethe who lived in Ethiopia & played in bands there for 12 years has a solo project here in US now using violin, tape looping, & electronics)
Sept. 26-Glitterer, Posicio Unida, Somebody’s Daughter 4-7 pm free @ Sylvan Theater near Washington Monument (dc alt rock & punk)
Sept 27- Sonu Nigam @ Eaglebank (India bollywood playback singer)
Armand Hammer @ Union Stage (billy woods & another guy doing clever wordy underground rap)
Nicholas Payton “Supreme Blue” @ Blues Alley (New Orleans jazz star's hybrid tribute to Coltrane's Love Supreme & Mile Davis Kind of Blue)
Sept. 28- Rocketship, Lightheaded @ Pearl St Warehouse (acclaimed twee pop)
October 2 - Global Sounds on the Hill Featuring Mexican and Tejano Fiddle with Belen Escobedo @ Hill Center DC
October 9--3BallMty @ Fillmore (Mexican group pronounced tribal monty melded pop & trad sounds)
Oct. 13- Kelela @ Fillmore (artsy r&b)
Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal @ Songbyrd (underground wordy rap)
Chanel Beads @ Black Cat (young critic fave hyperpop shoegaze influenced indie rock )
Oct. 14- Sugar, J. Robbins @ Anthem (Sugar are the reunited 90s punk pop Bob Mould led band)
Burmese Harp movie at Freer Asian Art
Oct. 16- Guachinangos, Chicha Morada –Cumbia with a Mexican Jarocho flavor, Guachinangos features members from diverse cultural backgrounds. The band fuses Mexican son jarocho with Colombian cumbia and other Latin American rhythms, NY based w/ Chicha Morada opening @ Songbyrd
Oct 17- Blind Boys of Alabama gospel style tribute to Stevie Wonder's 1970s r&b classic Songs in the Key of Live @ Montgomery College
Oct 21- The Damned, Flamin Groovies, Courettes @ 930 Club (77 Brit punks The Damned, 1974 garage rockin Groovies, 21st Century Courettes )
Arcangel @ Eaglebank Arena
JPeg Mafia @ Echostage
Oct. 22 - Inner Spaces w/ Amir ElSaffer and Lorenzo Bianchi: Where traditional Arabic Maqam meets modern Sonic Innovation @ Hill Center ( Iraqi-American vocalist, trumpeter & santur/Persian hammered dulcimer player ElSaffer & electronics musician Bianchi are Inner Spaces)
Oct 23- Helado Tropical, the debut collaborative album from Helado Negro and Reyna Tropical, @ Black Cat (great new collaboration with male & female vocals melding pop & alternative & indie Latin sounds)
Oct 24- Peni Candra Rini with Shahzad Ismaily & Andy McGraw / Alex Koi x Kirin McElwain
@ Rhizome (powerful artsy Indonesian singer & South Asian jazzy musician Ismaily & richmond, va musicians)
Oct 29- Vince Staples @ Fillmore (rap)
Afro-Cuban Allstars @ Strathmore (classic salsa and latin jazzy sounds)
Oct 30- Heavens to Betsy @ Black Cat (Corin Tucker from Sleater Kinney’s 1st band w/ drummer Tracy Sawyer reunited )
Nov 1- Eva Allyon & Daniella Darcourt @ Howard Theatre (Afro-Peruvian legendary singer )
Nov. 4- Ashley Monroe and Charlie Worsham @ Birchmere (clever critics friendly country w/ a bit of pop to it also)
Nov. 5- Tul8te @ Fillmore (Egyptian singer/rapper)
Nov 7-Devin the Dude @ Black Cat (wacky old rapper)
Nov. 8- William Basinski @ Bette @ Bertha (critic fave avante-garde ambient composer who uses loops from his old decaying tapes)
Nov. 9- The Tubs & Slippers @ Songbyrd (Brit folk meets punk headliners)
Nov 10- Deerhoof, That This, Jackie Cougar & the Vampyres from Africa @ Black Cat (Deerhoof are bay area artsy punk vets w/ dc openers)
Nov 15- Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Fruko, and Carmelo Torres present Madre Cumbia @ Union Stage (cumbia)
Nov 16- Greg Freeman, Robber Robber @ Atlantis (rock)
Jalen Ngonda @ 930 (Daptone label retro r& b)
Nov. 19- The Saami Brothers Qawwali 7pm @ Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St NW (unique Pakistani music singers & musicians)
Nov 20-Caroline @ Howard Theatre (Critic fave Brit alt rock)
Nov. 28- Manhattans feat. Gerald Alston @ Birchmere (old school soul)

what the heck is bette @bertha?

It's a newish compound for mostly techno but ocassionally other genres build on what I think was once the BET cable television space (but they deserted DC). Oops and I spelled it wrong its Behrta (apparently named after some German techno club) and it apparently has 2 smaller rooms Bette and Bananas. Or so I have read, I haven't been there

Oops again- it's Berhta

https://www.berhtaclub.com/

Grouper is at the Lincoln Theatre tomorrow night

Yea, that's one of many good options this weekend. Alas, I have a conflict Saturday night and won't be seeing any music that night.

I wrote up this Saturday choice for Washington City Paper-

In 2012, Southeast’s Lady Moet the Beast and D.C. Ty the Monster began performing together with a band and called themselves the Cruddy Crankerz. Moet previously sang in 1990s go-go group Petworth, and Ty had a background in rapping and producing. In 2023, after receiving a grant from the city, they began booking the Cruddy Chronicles Summer Concert Series, free gigs with large rosters of lesser known rap, R&B, and go-go bands willing to play for free at Fort Dupont Park, Anacostia Park, and the Sylvan Theater near the Washington Monument. These shows brought them some much-deserved attention. In subsequent summers, the Cruddy Crankerz continued booking concerts across the city—although Moet, aka Chanel Cowan, tells City Paper they have been denied grants from 2024 on and are currently working as Uber Eats delivery bike riders to pay for the shows. Billing themselves as “crud rock,” their 2023 album, The Cruddy Corner, and their 2024 Return of the Savages release both cleverly blended 1970s era Funkadelic rhythms with soul, blues, and 21st-century rap and jazz touches. Their 2026 album, Banned from the Go-Go, adds more go-go rhythms to the mix. “Big Girls Don’t Cry They Bounce Back” blends go-go and R&B with a clever mix of spoken and sung vocals. Moet also taunts popular go-go bands that rely on covers when she chants that the Crankerz are just doing “original music.” The National Park Service might not be hosting concerts at Fort Dupont Park this year, but the Crankerz are and they’ll be joined on this eight-hour bill by one of D.C.’s top bouncebeat go-go bands TOB, experimental rapper and producer Black Moses, go-go band A Level Up, rapper Bobby Drake, and others. The Cruddy Crankerz play at 7 p.m., but the concert starts at 2 p.m. on Sept. 19 at Fort Dupont Park. cruddycrankerz.com. Free.

I went to the Kennedy Center protest

i would have but my wife and I had a trivia night with some friends.

A good turnout - mostly older white folks who were also at No Kings protests and such, but a scattering of folks from other demographics

yeah my wife and I do our best to bring down the average age at classical concerts lol

https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/on-the-other-side-and-far-away?r=2ck8a&utm_medium=ios

Chris Richards wrote a little about the Grouper show at Lincoln Theatre and a record of theirs

The militarized capital, with National Guard troops and increasingly armed checkpoints and a PARADE with TANKS is such 20th century dictator cosplay.

Oops meant for other thread

Saturday is Fiesta dc, punk bands at sylvan theatre outside stage near Washington Monument, EU at MLK library, Proper Utensils go-go band at African American Museum 10th anniversary; cumbia fest in Mt Pleasant, Takoma Park folk fest , and more

Tonight the wife and I went to Rhizome where we saw K8A (Kaethe Hostetter) , Andy Betezema @ Rhizome ( K8A is violinist who played in bands in Ethiopia; now a solo project using violin, tape looping; Ethiopian Betezema plays & loops Ethiopian music. The little house that is Rhizome was crowded and included in the audience Brendan Canty and Joe Lally from Fugazi/Messthetics; Joe’s wife Antonia who is a photographer ; Brendan’s daughter Mabel of band Birthday Girl DC; Cheick Hamala Diabate locally based Malian musician; Rob Coltun musician and owner of Bossa ; members of an Ethiopian band called Zedicus ….

It was a good show

Rain could mess with these outdoor events

I went to a Howard Wuelfing talk Saturday about the anthology of his punk and postpunk zines Descenes and Discords at the Westover library in Arlington. Then I went to Sylvan Theatre near Washington Monument for the punk show . It was raining hard and windy and they were having tech issues while I was there . I gave up and of course shortly after I was driving away the rain let up a bit and the show continued.

Sunday I saw some salsa bands at Fiesta DC. On way back to Judiciary Square Metro I had to unfortunately walk through a big circle of DEA and apparently ICE guys weirdly having some sort of meeting on the public sidewalk. They wouldn’t really move and I had to kind of slide between them after saying “I can walk through here on this sidewalk, can’t I.” Hopefully they weren’t making plans to go grab Latinos at Fiesta DC.

Sunday night I saw rap duo Armand Hammer who I had previewed for Washington City Paper. When I was about to leave, singer Munit Mesfin who was there for the show , told me that the Roots had been added to the Smithsonian African American History Museum celebration at the Anthem. That Sunday evening show was free with a registration. They let a buddy of mine and I register and we walked in to a half empty Anthem and saw the Roots play a set from like 11:10 to 11:55!

Trump Kennedy Center “also dipped into the endowment for the Washington National Opera, a pot of donated money that is usually meant to go untouched. Charities generally only use the returns from its investment.”

From new Washington Post article on how egocentric grifter Trump killed the finances of Kennedy Center

quelle surprise

https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/kennedy-center-steinway-pianos/

paywalled article apparently says Kennedy Center's Trump mgmt is selling off its Steinway pianos.

Finally posted the Steve global music and more October blogspot dot com concert calendar