Hula Monsters Really Do Swing

HULA HULA HULA
Like hubba hubba hubba, you just can't get enough. Especially when it's just what you need to get that summer jump start a goin' even while spring keeps toying with our outfits. ( t shirts last week- sweatshirts today) But it can be Hawaiian shirts from now on.

One thing's for sure-The Hula Monsters can always be counted on to warm things up, and they will be at JVs this Sunday night at 9 p.m. It's so much better than staying home, watching 60 Minutes and getting depressed about Monday- don'tcha think? Plus JVs is another one of those tiny holdouts against The Man. No Olive Garden Here. Just a tiny good ole days kind of bar where you can get a chili dog and groove on Hawaii.
Surf's up.

Reminder to all My Absentminded /ADD Type Friends

(which is probably everybody including me)

BEATNIK FLIES TONIGHT with The Loggers at Hank Dietle's.
Rockville Pike.
Yee hah.

He Lived on Love Street

I admit it. I was a big fan of The Doors and especially Jim Morrison. I even skipped The Louvre and went to Pere-Lachaise to visit his grave the brief time I was in Paris years ago. (Yes. I admit that, too.) And for people like me, we're lucky to have a guy like Mark Opsasnick who tracked Morrison's every move when the family lived in Alexandria in his book-The Lizard King Was Here. Yep, he was here walking walking amongst us. I wish I'd known that way back when. Of course, I was about two, but what the heck. Anyway Jim and those times may be long gone, but this Sunday, Mark will be live and in person to sign and talk about his book along with two guys that went to high school with Jim Morrison. Music, too. See below for details.

You CAN Do It All

DC is rocking this weekend and for once it's spread out.

Friday night bring back the olden days with Tru Fax and The Insaniacs at The Quarry House. Here is the scoop from Lyn2 which she titled Iconic:

A sign on the wall at Stetson's says "Help Wanted: Bartender, Waitron, ....etc." If you have introduced a word into the English language, then you deserve Iconic status. And that's what Tru Fax and the Insaniacs did with Washingtron, which poked fun at the Reagan-era Me-Generation of the early 1980's in DC. They should add a verse about Blackberries. Check out the vocals of the prolific Diana Quinn and the psychedelic pop rock metal punk garage melange that only David Wells, Kenny Bugg and Michael Mariotte can conjure.
As if that's not enough, at this very same show Puptent is rising again. Back from sabbatical and recently in the studio, they are bringing their diabolical pop not-pop fury with a new vengeance. On the scene since 2005, Puptent is Phil Duarte, Ted Watts and Ben Azzara. These guys have been in more bands than I can name here. All the signs say Puptent intend to be icons of skronk and roll, too. Don't miss this.


And Saturday night- Ladies and Gentlemen- it's The Beatnik Flies- one of the grooviest bands ever. I was listening to their latest CD- Drunk On Incense in the car, and I mistakenly thought I had the radio on so I'm thinking what psychedelic band is this, and how did I miss them the first time around? It's just a case of what's old is new all over again and better than ever.
Plus to round out the evening, their old friends The Loggers will be opening. Add to that a great dose of atmosphere- the show is happening at the historic Hank Dietles Tavern- a tiny but steadfast fixture on The Pike lo these many many years. Things get under way round 9:30.
(That's Dietle's Tavern at 11010 Rockville Pike-across from White Flint Mall)

And last but not least Sunday look for an unusual happening at Perk Up in Alexandria when the meticulous rock 'n' roll historian Mark Opsasnick gives a reading.
More on this on Friday.

Memorial For Michael

It's happening this Sunday March 30th at Nightclub 9:30 from 2-4 p.m. Michael Biel was a fixture at the club for many years as well as a character in his own rite. (with an emphasis on character) He was funny and smart and he loved music.
A long time ago I ran into him at 9:30 club, and he somehow knew I was pregnant- even before I was sure about it. And he told me then and there that everything was going to be all right even though my world seemed very iffy to me at the time. But he was so sure, I pretty much believed him. And then months later I came home to find a Slim Jim wrapped in a traffic flag stuck up on my back porch light. It was meant as a present for my new baby. I still laugh about that, and I still have it-seven years later.

Being the weird new world that it is, I was able to pull up our first email which, like Slim Jims, will probably outlive us all- at least until the universal cybernet collapses.
He wrote:
Do we have contact, Lynda? Over.

Roger that.
I replied.

Over and out, Michael.
Over and out.

Saturday Night Chez Baltimore

Friday night shows and the links to this one are one post below. Greenland has been added to the bill at The Quarry House tonight- show starts around 10.

Here's a little history lesson and more dope about Saturday night's show from Martha Hull lead singer extraordinaire of Ottley!:

This gig is the launch of Dollar Bin, which is a new project for Randy Austin, who in addition to many projects over the years, was the guitarist for DC's legendary first punk band to gig -- Overkill. They were contemporaries of the early Slickees, both bands managed by Steve Lorber and booked into the Keg in 1976. He is joined in this venture by Donald Keesing, who was in both a band called the White Zombies, and one called Rain Crow -- you can find both of them on myspace. On bass is Bob Young who currently plays with a wild Irish band called Dogs Among the Bushes, and also played bass in the 80's for Tru Fax and the Insaniacs. Dollar Bin will be up first, followed by Ottley! who are celebrating Ilona's 18th birthday by making this an all ages gig -- and reprising that Alice Cooper anthem with special guests, to boot! Seven Door is returning to the Sidebar, where they went over like gangbusters the first time around, and they have great things to say about this authentic punk bar

Good Things Come

Intimate is what they used to call tiny clubs. (Now a days I favor hole in the wall.) They are small, perhaps cramped even, but what they lack in space they make up for in attitude. The good kind, not the bad. The kind where the bass player moves over a little so you can get into the bathroom or the heckler in the crowd is your buddy and the drummer's cousin. And this is the place where you find tout these things because the atmosphere is anything but stuffy. So here are a few such dives, I mean intimate places, that i like to frequent and what's going on this weekend. ( I always like to start a weekend early.)
Thursday night Ruthie and The Wranglers are at The Sunset Grille. The Grille is so small you sometimes have to wait in the other room for someone to leave. Mercifully both rooms are equipped with a bar. Once in where the bands play, you can choose a bar stool or sit at one of maybe three tables if memory serves me. You never have to worry about being close enough to the band there- if you were closer you'd be in it. And people still manage to dance.

Then in town there's The Velvet Lounge, Drinks are served downstairs and upstairs is like someone's basement- dark and kind of small with a sound system befitting the 9:30 Club. If the band rocks, the people rock and so does the floor, but that's part of its charm. This Friday catch The Lookies -featuring the Rummager (ex-Velvet Monkeys, Gumball) Rambling Shadows (ex-Velvet Monkeys, Crippled Pilgrims) and 7 Door Sedan (ex-White Boy) My friend, Bill says: I love these 3 bands, they are each quite different, and don't have any following. It's gonna be arty, punky, psychedelic, and all original. And GREAT.

Following the law of PILE IT ON- there's another show Friday that older DC rockers can appreciate, and where young punks can pick up a tip or two at yet another small venue- The Quarry House. You get to know people at The Quarry House because we all smash in there together and steal each other's tater tots. Greenland a young local group with a great older sound and The Howling Mad will be there featuring local rock legends Michael Reidy and Abaad Behram. Look for them between the women's room, several cases of beer and the sound equipment.

And last but certainly not least on Saturday it's Ottley!, 7 Door Sedan and Dollar Bin at The Sidebar in Baltimore. I haven't been there, but according to Glenn of 7 Door Sedan band stickers are holding this place together. More on this show on Friday.

Good bye my friend, Michael Beil

The Waiting Room

The death chain starts slowly
with just a fleeting thought before bed time,
but soon dread awareness sinks in
moving on to something more specific-
like a bird,
or maybe a fish.
An elaborate shoe box ceremony
completes the backyard funeral.

Perhaps a dog or a cat came next
and sobbing now
we bury the body beneath a stone.

A distant relative or
a great aunt follows,
someone you might not actually know
lying there in state.

But then a parent
or a friend -
a child or
an unexplained disaster,
suddenly coming on like a storm.
One by one we watch
as they step off the planet
and leave us
wondering
what was that all about?

Down here in a blue room without walls,
we stand alone together,
left behind to wait
for the next number to be called.

Boyz to Goats

(Rosslyn Mt. Boys @ Columbia Station 1978)

Anyone who has lived here long enough has probably heard of The Rosslyn Mountain Boys-
a very successful and talented country rock sort of group that had its heyday in the seventies.
But now get ready for The Rosslyn Mountain Goats- a whole new old breed of band.
Here's their story from the horse's mouth, Martha Hull:

The RMG thing came about when Bob Berberich's longtime intention to do a low-key country gig coincided with Joe Triplett's sudden urge in the same direction. This coincided with a creativite surge--Joe started writing songs again, one after another... and he wanted to play. After Ottley! played the Quarry House, Bob tagged it as the perfect Depression-era venue for a regular weeknight gig where they could try out new material in an intimate atmosphere, We hammered out a plan for Lonesome Hobo Tuesdays, a no-cover, pay what you can, happy hour all night, with music for working folks, from 8-10 pm.

Local Mountain Boys Peter Bonta and Rico Petruccelli were both up for joining forces again, and I was retained from Bob's original imaginary band, both to help cover harmonies and mix things up a little on the lead vocals. The material will draw from the Roslyn Mountain Boys catalog, Joe's new songs, and new input from all members -- focusing not so much on the RMB "hits" you would hear at a reunion as on recovered gems from way back in their history...and some very cool new shit. Deep roots.

Why Rosslyn Mountain Goats? Because without Tommy Hannum, it ain't RMB...

and it's a goat of a different color, anyway.

These Tuesdays are already attracting other local musicians to come and sit in with the goats on their night off-and we haven't even started yet!

Thank you, Martha.

So there you have it, and man-this sounds too good to be true to me. All that talent, and a cheap date to boot-this Tuesday, March 18th, at The Quarry House. I know it's the day after St. Patrick's Day, but remember that old saying about the hair o' the dog--
maybe it applies to goats, too.

Bye Bye Bernie - One Cool Cat

On Friday, March 14, The Black Cat will say happy birthday and fare well to Bernie Wandel who has been working at the club since before it existed. If you have been to the Black Cat, you have seen Bernie in various stages of dress and undress. Bernie's next calling is as a yoga instructor, and if you think about it there are alot of similarities. Not surprising for the man referred to as "Spiritual Guidance Guru" in the liner notes for Henry Rollins' Hot Animal Machine. In fitting tribute for a guy who has played in too many bands to list here, a bunch of great folks will be playing. The line-up includes The Shirks, Dennis Kane, Puptent, Yell County, Sons of Disobedience, Rambling Shadows and DJ Yellow Fever - all free on the mainstage at 9 pm.

Thank you Bernie for helping make the Black Cat a source of hometown pride.. and rock on.

Lyn2

Get ready for GHz THIS Thursday

The ever humble Scott Giambusso- the G in GHz
photo by Chip Py


I sent out a feeler to see if anything was new with Gigahertz- that Cream cover band I'm always raving about (which is rare for me because cover bands usually leave me hankering for the real thing- if not just leaving.)
And as it turns out- there's plenty to talk about- new songs - both original and not-according to John Zidar:
If you haven't seen us in 2008, we’ve got Presence of the Lord, and a phenomenal version of Layla in which Dan covers all five guitar parts himself at once. Think of Stanley Jordan starring in “My Left Foot”. His toes are funky, but it is amazing to watch.
And Scott Giambusso adds:
We are on a sort of writing spree. Dan has two new tunes, Rainmaker and Flimsy Bernuse,

and I finally got a good rewrite on a tune I started 4 years ago called "When Mars and Moon Collide". But most importantly I bought a new bass, and the band sound has risen to the next level. (so I say!) Anyway we are having a great time tearing apart the fabric of the sound barrier reefer and are all jazzed up about recording a live CD at Bangkok on Thursday.

(Musicianspeak-you gotta love it)

So there you have it. See 'em live-and be a part of it at Bangkok Blues this Thursday night. Set times: 7:30 and 9:30.

When Was the Last Time?

When was it we last urged you to see Prabir and the Substitutes? And you didn't do it, despite your resolution to have more fun on Sunday nights? You might not think it's the easiest night of the week to have fun on, but it beats the heck out of staying home and doing your laundry. And here's the chance to finally check out Richmond's finest, pop/soul/rock demons who are coming our way this Sunday at the Galaxy Hut. That's 2711 Wilson Boulevard, between the Courthouse and Clarendon Metro stops in Arlington, Battleground State, Virginia. See why grown men and wild women have become repeat offenders at these shows. Also check out a great local band Nunchucks, who play "rock and/or roll but never not both" and were last spotted by these correspondents doing a Buzzcocks cover.
Doors at 9, Nunchucks at 9:30, Prabir and the Substitutes at 10.

-brought to you by lyn1 and lyn2-(fusion, man)

Renegades On the Loose

(photo by Beth Rado)

I've always been a sucker for the underdog- (as well as Underdog for that matter) for rebels, and revelers, and it sounds like all of the above can be found this Saturday night when the enlightened democracy of The Maritime Republic of Eastport's Ambassador's (Other) Ball and Mardi Gras Echo occurs.
Whew.
Simply put it's a party featuring Little Red and The Renegades (even the band fits the theme) Plus Grandsons Alan MacEwan and Chris Wattling will be sitting in.
I don't know how they do it, but a twenty five dollar ticket gets you food, beer and the music- plus the proceeds benefit two great organizations: New Orleans Musicians Clinic and Annapolis Musicians Funding Musicians.

For more details and directions, and all you could ever want to know (at least about this event)
hit that long link above, and start planning your road trip to EASTPORT (NOT Annapolis) now.

MARCH

In March the wind blows down the door
and spills my soup
upon the floor.
It laps it up
and roars for more.
Blowing once
blowing twice
blowing chicken soup
with rice.

-Maurice Sendak from Chicken Soup With Rice