Make 2009 Count -Rock the Year Out All Week Long

Holidays tend to throw every one off schedule, but the week between Christmas and New Year's has always been a good one for goofing off, and if your New Year's resolution was to go out and have more fun this year- there's STILL time to make that happen right now starting with the Rosslyn Mountain Boys reunion Monday night at JVs in Falls Church.

The Rosslyn Mountain Boys used to be a household name around these parts many moons ago. You could see them live all over town or hear their songs on the radio. (WHFS, of course)
Nowadays the "boys" have gotten involved in other projects, but every blue moon or so they get back together and boy, do they rock. The last time I saw them it was great fun since these shows reunite the fans as well.

And on Tuesday night another don't miss reunion will be taking place at IOTA when The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours get back together with original member-guitar slayer, Dave Chappell. True Troubadour appearances are far and few between since they lost drummer Jack O' Dell to Bill Kirchen so this will be an extra special event. Plus Troubadours are opening for one of my new favorite bands- King Soul - an eight piece uber talented crew including two Troubadours- Jake Flack and Mark Noone- as well as extravagantly effervescent front man Tom Clifford whose personal mission is to make sure that everyone in the room has a blast.

So let's review-Monday and Tuesday you rock; Wednesday you rest. Thursday you do what you gotta do to say good bye to 2009. Then it's back to our regularly scheduled programming. If we don't see you out and about-happy 2010 from DC ROCKS.

A New Grinch

Friends,
 
I thought you'd be interested in this mail from the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post on the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger.
 
I remember when Bill Kirchen said "It's hard to make music in the money business."
 
Harry Rado
Little Red & the Renegades
Wash., DC
 
And from DC ROCKS: Here is a portion of the email for brevity's sake:


There’s a train wreck about to happen and consumer groups say YOU will be the victim if the two most powerful corporate interests in the live concert business get their way. But you can help stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The government needs to hear from music fans now. Tell the Department of Justice that you’re against these monopolies amassing illegal power over consumers, before it’s too late. antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it’ll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread takeover of the concert industry, concert ticket prices have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues will be affected, and your costs could rise further and faster.

Something New - Prabir and Goldrush Monday-CANCELLED!

Last week we mourned the end of an era when Prabir and the Substitutes played their last show. As you recall, we noted we would be following these guys in their future projects, and the time is already here. Prabir's new one, Goldrush, will be at Galaxy Hut Monday night December 21 with local favorites the  Nunchucks. They call themselves the best band you never heard of, but DC ROCKS readers have heard them more than once being smarter than the average bear type rockers.

Lynn 2

(12-21 update:please note this show was cancelled due to SNOW.)

Snowbound with Slickee Boys

Thank you local film maker Jeff Krulik for bringing your camera to the  Slickee Boys show at Black Cat last summer. The bad news is this is the closest thing to a Slickees show anybody is going to get this year so check out Jeff's clip and put in your two cents on the 50 Year Olds Slam Dancing  concept. 

The only other recourse is to mark your calendars for December 29th at Iota when Slickee Boy Mark Noone will appear in the line up of both the Rhodes Tavern Troubadours Reunion Event (including Dave Chappell) and King Soul- eight fairly white boys doing solid Memphis stax.  

Makes Me Want to Shout

All the talent in this town past and present really does make me want to holler. There's a definite buzz around about Sunday night's "Still Screaming" show at the Black Cat - a reunion of the original lineup of the infamous Scream, joined by our own Rustbuckit and Dykstra from Lancaster PA.

Scream was a huge presence on the DC scene in the 80s and hasn't played together in about 15 years. But they're not just bringing a nostalgia trip. They've just recorded a 7 inch with Lee "Scratch" Perry and plan to play both old and new material. There's more in this AV Club interview with Peter Stahl.

As if that's not enough, Rustbuckit has been added to the show. As DC ROCKS readers know, these are the guys who are redefining "golden years,"and Boyd is threatening to include dancing girls in the band this time. An idle threat? You'll only know if you show up. I don't know Dykstra from Lancaster PA, but suspect there are no laggards on this bill. It sold out the Black Cat's Backstage quickly and has been moved to the Mainstage. Expect a capacity crowd and bring an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots.

A note about our hometown's reaction to snow. While it can be annoying at times, it's also a good way to get ourselves a bit of a holiday and to slow down. By Sunday if you can get to a Metro you can get to the Black Cat on the Green Line.

Thanks to special DC ROCKS consultant Tom "DJ Tommy B" Berard for help on this post.

Lyn2

The Kids are Alright

THIS SHOW HAS BEEN POSTPONED. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEW DATE!

Photo courtesy of Tom Berard, who just happened to see
The Black Sparks in May and said "they rock!"

I'm going to the Bach to Rock band competition on Saturday at 9:30 Club to see my friend Ray Brown in two bands. Ray is in the 6th grade, and I've been watching him learn to play guitar for over 3 years. He's been honing his appreciation for rock and roll since he was about two years old. It probably started earlier. Ray will be playing bass in both the Bobblehead Boys and Black Sparks, scheduled to go on between 1:30 and 4 pm. That's right-this is a daytime show and features dozens of bands and well over a hundred young performers. There will be a wide variety of sounds; Black Sparks is a punk band and Bobblehead Boys do "family-friendly" covers according to Ray. A note for those in holiday mode: the coffee bar will be open!

We at DC ROCKS are proud that DC is truly an all-ages show.

Lyn2

Old Home Week

The unstoppable Bill Kirchen  calls this area home, but only when he's not out on the road terrorizing the rest of the country with his guitar. Bill has been around since those hazy days of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, but he's still got the kind of energy that you see in kids and wish you could bottle. Catch Bill's Honky Tonk Holiday Show this Friday at Jammin Java in Virginia. $20

Also DC's own Eric Brace and his band Last Train Home- which has replanted itself in Nashville- will be faithfully back for their holiday shows at Iota all weekend long- Friday and Saturday nights as well as the Sunday matinee which is always a madhouse meet and greet for kids of all ages. $12

And if you need a quick break from the holiday madness- check out Eric's new song "Tranquility Base."

Some Enchanted Evening

Travel with me back to the summer of 2006. It's a Friday evening in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and the lovely Mina Stanard and this writer are free as birds so we wander into the mecca of extreme brewing - Dogfish Head Pub- and sample the wares. Some bands are going to play, and since we have nabbed a seat at the bar, we decide to check them out. Hoots and Hellmouth out of Westchester, PA are a delight but we wonder if we want to stick around for the next band. Our decision is made when Mark Noone calls from the road; he's on his way to the beach and will join us. We might as well check out the second band since there are beers and specialty liquors we haven't tried yet. Mark arrives about one minute before the next band is to go on. Enter Prabir and the Substitutes. They sound intriguing. Then they sound really, really good. It took at least three minutes for all of us to fall head over heels smitten with their sounds. It was seven minutes before Mark threatened to kill the bass player so he could be in the band. (I think this was Adam at the time, and we stopped him.) ( And the very next night Lyn1 heard the CD that Mark snared at the show and was equally bowled over.)

Thus began a three year adventure wherein this young band from Richmond developed a healthy fan base in DC, including a bunch of people old enough to be their parents. (I'm just saying.) During the course of this epic journey, the band played a sold out 9:30 Club show with The Silver Beats, which led a tour with the Japanese Beatles cover band. They played at the annual Slickee Boys reunion at the Surf Club as well as numerous other venues and collected adoring fans from all around the Ground Zero music scene. One night at the Quarry House when the dancing got hot, I thought all the women were going to take off their shirts. Best of all, while the line-up changed a bit over the years, this fantastic powerpopbeatlesesquegarage band was made up of some of the nicest and most talented folks ever. Did I mention that they could ALL sing? It's going to be a little more boring around here, but at least I'll get my washing done.

Lyn2

Alas, Prabir and The Subs will be no more after their gig in Richmond this Saturday night. We will be watching for all your new projects. All at DC Rocks want to take this moment to say thank you for brightening the scene. Look for Prabir's (aka Lyn3) latest project to unfold at The Galaxy Hut later this month.

Lyn1 and Lyn2 for DC ROCKS

I Think It's About Food, or Maybe Wildlife?

There's a show at Chief Ike's at 1725 Columbia Road NW this Thursday night,
December 10, that I will go to because:

1. A guy I know is in one of the bands - Brown Chicken Brown Cow.

2. I looked up the origin of the apparently well-known phrase "Brown Chicken Brown Cow" and found things both interesting and disturbing, so now I am curious.

3. I asked him what the band was like and he said: "Peanut butter on toast with jam. Standard melted messy loud goodness." So then I thought food was involved.

4. The other bands are called Drunk Buddies and Savage Badger Vags. I have had some drunk buddies at various times and badgers are scary and peculiar animals.

Break out of your box and check it out.

Lyn2

REUNION ALERT NUMBER 2

It's "been awhile," but Washington's one and only Rosslyn Mountain Boys will be getting it together on December 28th at JVs. (Better get there on Dec 27th because this place will be packed in a heart beat!)

Troubadours Reunion Rock Alert

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours will be at IOTA DECEMBER 29 with all four original members including local guitar guru, Dave Chappell. You could think of it as DC's version of the Beatles getting back together. One show only. Don't miss it!

Even Reston Rocks

Chip Py got his start in rock photography right here in the trenches of DC ROCKS, and I have to say he has got it down. (check out the poster above) And David Kitchen is as good as Chip Py makes him look so by all means get out and see him this Friday night.  He'll be playing at the M & S Grill somewhere in the wilds of Reston. There's no cover charge, and it's a new CD release party to boot.

By the by- from the horse's mouth- David says:

"I'll have some incredible players with me Friday night: Ariel Francis- bass, Larry Ferguson- drums, Dan Hovey- guitar, Mookie Siegel - keyboards. Yikes! I'm pinching myself."