Wake Up Rockers of DC

Ready or not it's time to emerge from your holiday cocoon. Resist the couch, people! Here's a quick reminder from the ever dwindling DC ROCKS 2018 calendar that there are kick ass shows EVERY SINGLE NIGHT from now until the End of the Year.
Please go out and support our local swinging scene.

27

Dave Chappell Band @ JV

Thrillbillys @ Takoma VFW

28

XMC /Sister Ex/ Traildraggers @ Villain and Saint

29

Last Train Home / Cravin' Dogs @ Birchmere

Bold Deceivers @ Takoma VFW

30 

Thrillbillys @ Villain and Saint

31

King Soul @ Rock Creek Mansion

The Day I Visited Santa

I am feeling a bit nostalgic what with Christmas right around the corner although "the day I visited Santa" was not a favorite memory. See how my arm is crooked? I didn't want to touch that weird old guy's arm much less sit on his lap, but once I got over my fear of Christmas, life improved.

Driving up Wisconsin Avenue to hit up that one stop shopping mecca we call Rodman's, I pass my grandparents' house on Upton Street. We used to have our Christmas dinner there, back when trees looked like this.

We would eat in the dining room with card tables extending into the living room, and after dinner there might be presents and unfortunate photographs.

Back in my younger days, we roamed the city looking for art, music and a tribe, and we found it all at dc space and 9:30. Christmas parties back then looked like this.

And here's my buddy Art under the mistletoe in 1987.

Back to the present,  I am proud to report that local drummer Ray Brown of Snail Mail  has a sell out show at the 9:30 Club this Friday. You may remember Ray as the bass player in a very young and truly talented punk rock band called The Black Sparks.  

Congratulations, Ray.

For us slightly older folks Justin Jones holds forth at DC9 while The Delarcos are at Dangerous Pies. Both on Friday.

Saturday choose from vintage rockers Lunch with Bob (with Ratso!) at the Takoma VFW or the more electronic slanted rock brought to you by Color Pallette at the Black Cat's Backstage

The Messthetics - a super trio featuring Brendan Canty, Joe Lally (both of Fugazi) and guitar slinger Anthony Pirogue- are also at Black Cat 's Back Stage with their very cool prog rock project on Sunday. The Back Stage and the club's entire first floor including the Red Room bar and Food For Thought will be closing at the end of the month so if you are feeling nostalgic, check out the schedule and make your pilgrimage while you still can.

Jangled Bells

Today is Thursday December 13th. I am saying this out loud as I need to remind myself of all the things I should be doing and need to do between now and you know when besides watching The Great Rupert. (Maybe not such a great movie, but have you ever seen a squirrel do a jig?) A lot of my friends are making lists which I think is a great idea.  Here's mine:

Make a list!

I don't know why I am feeling especially scattered this year although I did make it to the Holiday Market last night. Have you noticed all those white tents looking like Lawrence of Arabia and his entourage have settled in downtown?  Heat lamps, hot things to drink and live music make this shopping experience completely pleasant.

And no need to subject yourself to a shopping mall when the real zoo is open every evening 5-9 p.m. All decked out for the holidays with live music, too.

 Don't forget to buy cigarettes for all the smokers on your list! Is that a duck on his desk?

Speaking of ducks, get yours in a row by patronizing our very local Sullivan's Toys and Art Supplies on Wisconsin Avenue NW. Still in business since 1954, despite all three of my children having worked there at some point.

Which reminds me, Martin's Tavern in Georgetown is a great place to take kids of all ages for a dose of Christmas kitsch. They really go crazy with the decking of halls, and the bartenders are top notch.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Tonight The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours play the Takoma VFW which is an excellent way to take your mind off your list as well as what day of the week it is. Plenty of free parking and cut rate drink prices make this scene a party every time.

Friday The Black Muddy River Band will wake the Dead at El Golfo where, the last time I was there, the $5 cover converts to a free margarita. 

And Saturday night The Thrillbillys will be rocking the New Deal Cafe while the Daryl Davis Band gets the dance groove on at Glen Echo's Spanish Ballroom.  

Rudolph and the Misfit Parade

Remember when this time of year meant hopefully catching "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on TV ? My childhood bestie Joy has a birthday today, and when we were kids, she occasionally had to incorporate the event into her slumber party.

Who knew that when we grew up we would be able to watch the whole dang thing on our phones ?

Well, kids, it's time to tell you. The Island of Misfit Toys is real, and musicians live there, too. Especially players like Eddie Angel of Los Straightjackets (although we in D.C. like to claim him for Switchblade.)

This Thursday you can catch Eddie Angel's Guitar Party opening for  J.D. McPherson at the Black Cat. On Friday Bill Hanke recommends Slash Run for "1960s style garage stompers Ar-Kaics and 60s style lysergic jingle-jangle Beginner's Mynd. Drink the cool-aid, said Ken Kesey. I hate to say 1960s style, but the new generation needs to know." 

Gotta love Bill. God bless the freaks. 

P.S. The answer to last week's quiz? The "new wave" club was Silver Spring Station and the other was L.A. Cafe at 18th and Connecticut NW. 

The End Is in Sight

Dang. December sure got here in a hurry.  I haven't even gotten used to writing 2018 yet. And what a wet dreary November it was. We had over 7 inches of record breaking rain- busting the stats of 1877. Time to get out those sunshine mimicking light bulbs and other seasonal lights.

I'm not sure what was going on in D.C. in 1877, but the December 1977 "contemporary music" listings in the Evening Star included the Rossyln Mountain Boys at Fred and Sullies, Grit at the Italian Gardens, Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band at the Back Room of the Varsity Grill,  Harrison Bond and Goddard at the Far Inn, Skyline at Paul Mall, and Spats at the Psyche Delly.

Charlie McCollum's Rock Notes column also recommended the line up at the Capital Centre which included the Kinks, Earth Wind and Fire, Boz Scaggs, Patti LaBelle, and "for the kiddies" Kiss and Aerosmith.

He also noted that "two new city rock clubs will open in the next month. At least one will feature new wave (i.e. punk rock acts.)"  This was back when New Wave had to be defined.

The clubs opened in January 1978.  Can anybody guess what they were? While you're thinking (and the answer is by no means obvious*) here's a partial list of what's going on this December 2018:

DECEMEBER

1

Caustic Casanova CD release party @ Atlas Brewery

Linwood Taylor @ New Deal

2

Woodgrove/ NRIs @ Black Cat Backstage

Granny and the Boys @ Showtime ( every Sunday thru December 30)

3

Unring the Bell/ Dot Dash/ Cory Shane @ Black Cat

6 

Eddie Angels’ Guitar Party/ JD McPherson @ Black Cat

Thrillbillys @ JV

7 

The Ar-Kaics/ Beginner’s Mynd/Teen Cobra/The It’s Alive @ Slash Run

11

Boat Burning @ Millennium Stage Free

11/12

Eric Felten’s Duke Ellington Nutcracker Suite @ Blues Alley

13

Rhodes Tavern Troubadours  @ Takoma VFW

14 

Black Muddy River @ El Golfo

15

Daryl Davis @ Glen Echo

18 

Fuzzqueen/Time Is Fire/ Company Calls @ Black Cat

20

Thrillbillys @ JV

21

Delarcos @ Dangerous Pies

Snail Mail @ 9:30 Club

23

The Messthetics @ Black Cat

25

Jimi Smooth and Hit Time

27

Dave Chappell @ JV

31

King Soul @ Rock Creek Mansion

*The answer will be in the next DC ROCKS