Move the Party Indoors

What's with the unusually cool and wet weather?  Because the world is all about me, I will tell you.
First off, I love rainy weather. Give me cloudy and gray over hot sunshine any day of the summer and a lot of the spring. But this Sunday is Easter, and the long, gaily festooned table I envisioned out in the yard is in deep jeopardy. (For those a bit bewildered- this man will explain.) (Warning: not for vegetarians)

I will wait and hope the weather wags are wrong, but meanwhile if you need an indoor event, there's a lot of brass going on with Slavic Soul Party at IOTA Friday playing with  DC's own Black Masala and Big Mama Shakes.

I am not going to mention King Soul at Hank Dietle's Saturday because that is just going to be insane. Hopefully it won't rain on that parade.

He's Got My Vote

Check out DC raised Owen Danoff. He's got it. Here's his TV audition of "Don't Think Twice" which pretty much bowled me over....

Inferno

This Friday night Dave Chappell and Dan Hovey will be at JVs doing their "Lord of the Strings" thing. Since these guys are both such hot guitar players, I thought it would be funny to look up exactly where the nearest fire station is to the venue. Google maps at the ready with the option to "search nearby," I type in "JVs Restaurant."
 Should be a cinch, right?

First attempt: "fire station." I get a pub in Silver Spring, Maryland. ( JVs is in VIRGINIA, mind you, but that's okay, I just need to think a little bit harder.

This time I try "rescue squad." Up pops the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. A fine outfit indeed, but still in Maryland. Closer to what I had in mind though.

Shaking off thoughts of hunky guys in fire gear, I check out the drop down menu for the word " "fire." I get:

fire station

fireplace store

fire hydrant

fireworks

firearms

I know its early, but which one would you pick?

Call me obvious but I thought I'd go for the hydrant and call it a day.

I get DC Water.

No matter where the people are who will save you from the flames sparking out from Dan and Dave's nimble fingers, I highly recommend this show. I am not a fan of the endless noodle, but these guys' guitar porn is for anyone who has an appreciation for music featuring soul over technique- although in this case you get both.  I can't even find a picture of the two of them in one shot, but enough with the google.

Joining Dan and Dave are Jan Zukowski and Pete Ragusa. (think Nighthawks)
You won't even care that your hair is on fire.

Slim- We Hardly Knew Ye

photo by Robert Friedman

Here's a quick reminder about the Root Boy themed DC Music Salon tonight at Shaw Library (which some might have missed because I snuck it into a posting last week about Kevin MacDonald.)

And while we are sneaking things in, I'm reminded to remind you, dear readers, that those of you who get DC ROCKS via email, can't "see" what is on the constantly shifting sands of the DC ROCKS' calendar unless you hit the link (or hyper-link?) and "go there." Or fly there?

Never the less once you are "there," you can see the sidebar where all the gigs are that I wish I had time to time write about to - like the Harry Bells at Boundary Stone or The Thrillbillys' last minute gig tomorrow night opening for The Waco Brothers at IOTA.  Oh, and don't forget the Vi-Kings rare cross-river bending gig at JVs this Saturday night. Plenty to put on YOUR calendar.

Art Rock Revisited

True confession.  I missed the Kevin MacDonald art opening /happening at the Katzen Art Center last weekend because I had no idea it was happening. Contrary to what some people might think, I often have my head completely tucked under one wing if not in the sand.

The good news is, though we missed the party, the exhibit will be up through the end of May, and other events will happen here including an artist talk and concert. Do you remember Chris Murray's Govinda Gallery? He specialized in a sphere where art and famous musicians collide, and this show reminds me of that albeit the local version. Like musicians, we have an astounding stockpile of artists in this town, and sometimes they are the same person. This show is a must for all you old rockers and nostalgia hounds who remember the days when artists nestled between the peep shows downtown in places like the Lansburgh Building and the Atlantic which also housed the old 9:30 Club.

The companion show Teenage Twisted Plot gives a clever nod to MacDonald's involvement in music, and features many of his friends from a variety of bands including Urban Verbs, Root Boy Slim, Tiny Desk Unit, Razz and Slickees Boys.

And speaking of Root Boy- DC SALON is putting on a discussion/film preview at the Shaw Library next Wednesday April 13 titled, appropriately enough, "Boogie Til You Puke." But the subtitle? "The Forgotten Legend of Root Boy Slim?" Say it's not so.

Just Announced Slickee Boy Reunion