Slippin' Into Darkness

October in Washington DC, and we find ourselves once again on a planet tilting tragically away from the sun. As the trees struggle with the DTs of chlorophyll withdrawal, we humans tend to seek solace in costuming under the cloak of an ever deepening twilight. Disturbing apparitions replace summer flowers while front yards are transformed into theaters of the macabre.

And most scary of all?
Candy.
Big plastic bags o' tiny treats piling up all over the place. Just one won't hurt, right? They're so little after all...NO!
Step away from that mini Mars bar. Drop that bite sized Reese's Cup. Put. Down. The Jujubes.

DC ROCKS' recourse for denying those sugar lovin' soul sucking demons is to lock those seemingly harmless snack sized Snickers in a closet and tell someone stronger than yourself to hide the key until just before dusk on Saturday when the little ghouls will come a begging.

But have mercy on our souls for the flesh is weak. Distract yourselves from that tempting closet door by attending the Halloween Howl  at Bethesda Blues on Friday where you'll find all kinds of monsters making merry melodies ...

On All Hallow's Eve itself,  opportunities abound to get out and "listen to the children of the night."

For starters Roaddog will be howling at El Golfo in Silver Spring.

The Vi-kings spook up spirits of the '60s at Bethesda Blues...

 "The Dead Will Rise" at Villain and Saint with Black Muddy River Band...

And last but not least- just up up the Pike- the Ubangis and the Rock-A-Sonics will be scaring things up at Hank Dietles- an old road house haunt for many a lost soul.

Where in the World is Westover?

It's hard to describe the Westover Market Beer Garden in one sentence. It's a grocery store. And a pub. And a butcher shop. Like JV's, it's a little bit of anarchy in an otherwise innocuous Virginia shopping center. I can't even tell you where it is without cheating and looking at a map, but it's not far from the Virginia side of DC, maybe somewhat to the right of Seven Corners triangulated by Falls Church and Bermuda?? I know that's going to be a challenge for all us right handed Marylanders and DC centered types, but it might be worth the navigation. In summer there are live bands outside. In the winter there's usually a bonfire going, and a party waiting to happen. Oh, and did I mention the crazy ass beer selection? I mean there's barely enough room for the groceries. And there's good food served up to boot.

This Saturday is the last concert of the season featuring The Yachtsmen and Chef Jay's Jumpin' Jupiter. Beware-this is the great outdoors, and the music will start early around 5 p.m. ending at 9.
Get your compasses, your sextant, and your GPS at the ready. On your mark. Get set...Go dogs go.

Eat a Peach

This morning the Allman Bros' "Blue Sky" is blasting on my juke box reminding me to be happy. Just a little while ago, I was fumbling around in that fog of getting out of bed too early with too much to do, but now I've got "early morning sunshine - tell me all I need to know." It was music that got me through those grinding days of high school, the emotional wrenches of loves gone South, and today it will most likely be mopping the kitchen floor. Thank you all you musical types for keeping that torch lit, and don't forget to dig around your musty albums, or cracked CD cases, or scroll through that digitized weirdness we have at our fingertips nowadays and give yourself the present of cranking it up now and then.

This Thursday find that flame still a burning when 7 Door Sedan throws itself a CD release party at Jackie's Sidebar in Silver Spring which, just as an aside, was the end of the Red Line from 1978 until 1990 for all you Metro history buffs. Doors are at 8 and music at 9 opening with Spidercake.
$5 gets you in with the in crowd.

An Octopus's Garden Under Water

A few weeks ago much needed rains swamped our area bringing relief to area gardens, but too much water for the folks at Vinyl Acres up in Frederic.  Although most of the store's inventory was ruined in the resulting flood, the music history here can't be squelched considering the proprietors, Bob Berberich and Martha Hull both hail from deep in the bedrock of DC's music scene.

Fresh out of St John's High School, Bob Berberich hung his high hat with The Hangmen, a group that had DC girls swooning in the 1960s and their hit "What a Girl Can Do" was number one on the local charts.

Bob later played with the Rosslyn Mountain Boys and also with Nils Lofgren in Grin.  Here they are outstanding in their field.

Meanwhile in a remote corner of Bethesda, Martha Hull went to Walter Johnson High and dreamed of being the lead singer for the Slickee Boys. The rest is local rock history as far as that goes, and anyone who ever saw her perform will find it hard to forget how well Martha delivers the song.

 You can help keep this cool little store rocking by donating here or by attending the swinging re-opening party this Saturday. Live music starts at noon and promises to run all day and then some.

Female Humans Rock

Color me slow to catch on, but I didn't comprehend that women could play the guitar until I saw Joan Baez on TV. I was only about seven at the time, and my family wasn't especially musical -tuning so that concert  made a huge impact on me. By the time my fifth grade teacher Ms Wenger came along sporting long hippie hair, mini dresses, and her own guitar, I was sold. (I may have flunked the geography test, but I was gung- ho for my happening classmate, Georgie Mechlin to teach me the chords to "House of the Rising Sun.")

Times have changed. And changed again.

This Thursday it's nothing but female fronted bands including Gina Harlow and the Cutthroats rocking the night at the Tree House Lounge on Florida Avenue.

All You Need Is

The Beatles knocked out this country with a cultural and musical punch that has not been equaled since 1964. All that practice in Hamburg, the artistic touches of Astrid Kirchherr and the brilliance of Brian Epstein and George Martin delivered those lads into a bedlam that American girls were more than happy to provide. But the question wasn't how much do you love the Beatles; the question was which one ?

I was pretty young when the band landed here, but when I was old enough to know better, I went for the one with the temper who was thrown out of art school. Yeah, yeah yeah- it was John Lennon for me.

That bad teddy boy would have been 75 on Friday so this Saturday Ronnie Newmyer has rounded up a host of local talent at the Hamilton to pay tribute to a man we lost too soon. The Hamilton is one of my favorite venues to see a band, and this show promises to deliver a lot of music in the name of love.

Rain Rain (WON"T)Go Away-Event Cancelled

The first Sunday in October usually brings stellar, shades-wearing weather. I know this because I've been going to the Takoma Park Street Festival for twenty plus years now wading happily through food on a stick type vendors, activists, crafts and, best of all, music everywhere.  It's definitely a party for all ages.

Like Godzilla, this free event has taken over most of Old Town, and bands no longer play right on the tarmac, but that's a good thing. Music stages now anchor both ends, plus there's live music going on in the gazebo in the middle.

 Eighteen local bands will be bringing it on with a truckload of talent. It's a great way to see what this area has to offer.

The festival happens rain or shine, but may not be hurricane proof. Hit the link above for updates on the weather situation as well as the band schedules, beer crawl instructions, etc.