GHz Cycles Back

DC ROCKS has always admired the sound of GHZ, a band that can really capture a time gone by when they cover classic bands like Cream and Hendrix, but now they have something new going on. It's their own CD, "Morbid Curiosity," which harkens back to all that great rock-but with solid original tunes that make you THINK you might have missed something from Wishbone Ash or the like.

See for your own bad self this Friday evening when GHz has a CD release party- in real time- at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church.

If Clapton Can Do It

GHz-my favorite psychedelic power trio has an unplugged gig @ LeeLynn's in Ellicott City this Thursday evening-early- from 6:30-9:30. It's sort of a background dinner music thing so if you live on that side of the world please go and give them your support-and if you must heckle, be like the band- use sign language.

Happy Birthday J. Z.

A birthday party is happening for John Zidar of GHz this Thursday night at Bangkok Blues, and John will be doing one of his favorite things- banging on the drums. Fortunately he does this quite well especially when re-enacting some of Ginger Baker's finer moments playing with Clapton back in the day. Add on bionic bassist Scott Giambusso and the ever dazzling Dan Hovey on guitar, and you've got a great band for a party. And to top it all off -there will probably be cake if you need that over the top excuse to get out.

THE FAB FOUR

The Nighthawks. GHz. The Grandsons. The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours.

What do these groups have in common? They are four fantastic DC bands, and they are all playing this Friday night.  Unfortunately they'll be in four different places:

The Nighthawks, one of our longer lasting straight ahead rock and roll bands which has played at many a legendary event will be at The State Theater in Falls Church. The State is one of my favorite places to see a show. There's the old theater balcony seating upstairs - two bars downstairs- a big dance floor/mosh pit and tables and chairs in case you want to have dinner. I especially like being able to roam around as there's no ticketed seating. $13.

 GHz brings back the legends of yesteryear. They'll be at Outta The Way Cafe in Derwood (which really is out of the way) but  you can sit and have a bite to eat and jettison yourself back in time. According to Scott this show will include "Scott and Dan’s explosive psychedelic originals, uniquely orchestrated remakes of some of Cream’s greatest B-sides and classic compositions from Mr. Hendrix and Mr. Morrison. Plus an extra special Cream-block in honor of the 40th anniversary of their farewell concert in 1968." No cover!

The Grandsons playing The Barns of Wolf Trap the day after Thanksgiving has become such an event that they captured the show on a CD last year and the band won a Wammie. It's an all ages dance party with a number of  luminaries sitting in such as Jon Carroll, Derek Huston (all the way form NOLA), and Moe Nelson. The Barns is another good place to see a show- a great open "barn" of a room, good acoustics and a bar with tables in the room right next to it. $16

And last but certainly not least- The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours named after a legendary DC watering hole will be playing Iota. Their shows are becoming harder to find then a cheap strong drink in this town so this might will be a don't miss event if you are a fan. And don't be surprised to find Tom Clifford of King Soul sitting in. Plus Derek Huston and Chris Watling will be joining the fray once the show at Wolf Trap is over. (Truly devoted fans- take note-and carpool!) Pete Kanaras formerly of The Nighthawks will ALSO get in on the act after playing with opening band The Remnants--another talented crew featuring known for its "Southern tinged rock with Annapolis grit." Who knows who else will show up or what will happen at this show, but it's bound to be a whole lot of fun and talent for just $10. 

So forget the madness of the malls-what can you get there for under twenty bucks besides fast food and a headache? Have fun! Boost the economy by supporting our swinging local  music scene!

And continuing the theme for the mandated Thursday night out- across the river from the Quarry House in another galaxy far far away (i.e. Northern Va.) GHz is playing at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Dan Hovey is one of the best guitar players around, and GHz is one of the only cover bands that gets coverage here. If you can't wow 'em, why bother with retreads? Because this band delivers the wow.

Also on Thursday- Dave Kitchen, a versatile guy in his own rite with a great band will be doing his usual gig at the Sunset Grille in Annandale. All the bands and bars we cover here at DC Rocks need your support. PLEASE don't let these small venues and great players disappear with these challenging economic times. Just get out and shop. I mean drink. Be merry- it's Thursday.

A Spoonful of Strange Brew This Friday on U

When my parents got off work in the 1940s, they used to go down to U Street to check out the night life. There was a lot to choose from including theaters, music venues and after hours clubs. The riots which burned through DC in 1968 pretty much put an end to many things. A lot of that area was either destroyed or abandoned. For a while it seemed like Ben's Chili Bowl was a lonely survivor, but one of the good things about living here in Washington is seeing the old town come back- slowly- really slowly- but surely. Now clubs and restaurants dot the corridor again up and down U Street, and I keep hearing about new spots. This week my favorite Cream revisited band- GHz goes urban when they appear Friday night "Upstairs at Almaz" at 1212 U Street NW. John Zidar of GHz sent me the skinny:

The place is directly across from the Lincoln Theatre. Supposed to be great Ethiopian food, and the upstairs has a full stage with sound, full food service, and it’s own bar. The Little Falls Jazz Quartet will play 7-8:30, Doc Volatile from 8:45-10, and we’ll slam it from 10:15 until we’re worn out. (a 90 minute version of "Spoonful" should do it)

All of this for a mere FIVE BUCKS ! A fin. (That's a mere cinquo dinero in Spanglish.)

For those of you hankering for an even more nostalgic sound-that crazy boy group- The Hula Monsters will be rocking a swing dance uptown at the Chevy Chase Ballroom. ( 5207 Wisc. Ave NW -right above Paul's Liquor)

"Spoonful" or "Rock the Hula".
Choose your poison.

He Might Be

the best guitar player you've never heard of- DC's own secret weapon, "armed and dangerous" Dan Hovey. He's the "H" of GHz-a psychedelic tribute band featuring covers of Cream, Hendrix and the like, as well as their own originals. Relive those days with three musicians that can handle just about anything with or without the kid gloves on. GHz will be performing at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church this Thursday night. Show starts round 7:30.

DC-Music Music Everywhere

Tonight Scott Giambusso- bass players to the stars and also the G in GHz- will be doing an acoustic solo thing for the happy hour crustacean crowd set at The Dancing Crab...5:30-8:30.

Tomorrow night 7 Door Sedan and mystery band at the Surf Club
OR
go go go see Chuck Brown at The Kennedy Center- dancing under the stars program.

If You Couldn't Be There...

Be here-
Wednesday-September 10th when Gigahertz the Harp & Fiddle on Cordell Ave. in Bethesda.

Scott says:

Come down and grab some dinner so you'll get a good seat; we’ll play from around 8:30 ‘till 11:30 or so. GHz has been VERY busy the last three months recording and mixing material for our first studio release due out this fall. The new CD will include several of our latest psychedelic originals plus uniquely orchestrated remakes of some of Cream’s greatest B-sides and classic compositions from Mr. Hendrix and Mr. Morrison.

These guys are the bees knees if you have a hankering to travel in the way back machine and get lost somewhere in that broody psychedelic swamp that was the best of the sixties.

Ya Gotta Start Somewhere

Scott Giambusso, bass player and teacher extraordinaire (and the G in GHz) will be hosting an open mic at Mei's Asian Bistro in Arlingtron starting this Thursday. He recently sent this shout out: (Knowing Scott, I think of it as a Tarzan kind of yell ululating through the wilderness of DC.)

The party begins at 7pm and will go until 10 p.m. or till the last singer has sung.
I will provide two mics (for duets) and a guitar and of course my trusty bongos.
(I'm hoping to see an accordion and a couple of trumpets walk in the door just so you will know what you are in for) I would like to recreate the atmosphere of Greg and Ruthie's Half-moon Jamboree and the One Step Down Jam sessions, but I can't do it without your help.

I'm inviting all the singers and players I know to come out and enjoy some of the wonderful talent in the Washington area. I specialize in old jazz standards, but I have a bunch of great rock music in my hip pocket, and I am willing to accompany all the singers if I know the tune. Otherwise you can bring your instruments and do your thing. (This is really about me getting a chance to play my bongos.)

Mei's is a great venue with wonderful acoustics and lots of seating and a big bar.
Did I mention this is a Japanese / Chinese restaurant ? There is a full Sushi Bar for the raw fish aficionados, and Thursday night there is a free sake tasting during happy hour.The Washington music community is sorely lacking in a place to congregate and meet and share our craft with each other. Mei's has a lot of potential to become an entertainment venue.

Scott is a DC native and seasoned musician who just wants world peace and cannot give a straight answer if he can help it. Please come out and support his efforts to start a new scene.

Zoo-ey

Is that Dan Hovey on guitar?

This Thursday, August 7th – Gigahertz wraps up the Sunset Serenades concert series held this summer at the National Zoo near Lion and Tiger Hill.

And THIS is their diabolical plan to shake up DC-"We’ll present a powerful 90-minute set starting at 6:30 in the evening. GHz has been VERY busy the last two months recording material for our first studio release due out this fall. The new CD will include several of our latest psychedelic originals plus new, uniquely orchestrated remakes of some Cream and Hendrix “deep tracks”. Come downtown this Thursday to get a preview of some of the best 21st Century Power Trio music you’ll find anywhere."

Lions, tigers and GHZ. Oh, My!!!!

Outta The Way -The Name of The Cafe Where Ghz Play

It might be out of the way, but people do find this place called Outta The Way Cafe in the wilds of suburban Maryland especially when GHz is playing. Gigahertz consisits of Dan Hovey, Scott Giambusso and John Zidar. Together they're a power trio of musicians with a passion for Cream, Led Zepplin, Hendrix and the like, and the ability (emphasis on ability and then some) to deliver the goods. Original materiel, too. They're playing tomorrow- Saturday night in beautiful downtown Derwood.

Count 'em

(prabir and the boys)

I didn't know it was happening until the middle of the last band's set Sunday night when my faithful companion turned to me and said- you've seen eleven bands this weekend. Eleven bands. In this order: Honkytonk Heart, Reverb Galaxy, Beatnik Flies, Atomic Mosquitos, The Flea Bops, Thrillbillys, The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours, The Grandsons, Ruthie And The Wranglers, Prabir and The Substitutes, and Greenland. I went to JVs out in Falls Church- a tiny dive with a bar and booths. I went to The Surf Club which has yet to change from the honky tonk road house it has always been out on Kenilworth Avenue, and I went to The Black Cat downtown- a staple of the DC rock scene since back in the early nineties. I heard all kinds of music- from seasoned rockers to young punks and except for a $20 benefit none of the shows were over $8, and all of them were good if not excellent.

There's plenty on the calender this weekend starting with GHz Thursday night at Bangkok Blues. John Zidar-drummer and the zee in GHz writes: In case some of you still don’t know, Bangkok Blues was remodeled last year and looks better than ever, with a lighted stage and a great house sound system. The place is now owned by an excellent sound man, Darrell Taylor, and he has turned BB into a great place to see and play music, which is why we have selected this venue to record our first live album! Darrell’s also a great guy who treats musicians well, and we want to support any venue that runs its business the way he does.

The last time I saw GHz there, Mary Ann Redmond-local songstress- sat in for a number or two- no extra charge. That's the great thing about local shows.

(GHz w/Mary Ann Redmond)

Try it. Just see one band.
(At least it's a start.)

And if you go Thursday please say happy birthday to John -the guy banging on the drums.

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.

A White Room's Happening At Bangkok Blues

Yep. It's a school night, but the GHZ show starts early this Thursday, and you can eat dinner while you're there. (bringing a whole new meaning to the words dinner theater) GHZ (Scott Giambusso, Dan Hovey and John Zidar) take you back in time to a hazy period when Eric Clapton was in a band called Cream, and Jimi was the new star on the horizon. Scott says: This is the Get The Rust Off Tour. We have prepared some new material and haven't played out since November so everyone is itching to do some bashing, especially John whose feet never seem to stop twitching. (Mind you this is the bass player talking about the drummer-but they all twitch and bash- in a good way. )


These guys don't play together often, but they 're all consummate musicians- so be sure to catch this version of them which will take you back in time, but will also get you home in time for the evening news. Show starts at 7:30-this Thursday at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church, Virginny.

GHz Last Friday Night

GHz drew a good sized crowd the other night at The Outta the Way Cafe,
playing three sets and getting better with each one.
Chip Py caught these moments:


John Zidar on drums


Dan Hovey


and Scott Giambusso

There's No Place Like DC

I don't know why there's so much good music in this government town, but there is. Is it because of the sixties? I remember when my long haired, lanky, fifth grade teacher, Miss Wenger taught my class to sing the Youngblood song Get Together. We were a hit- swaying with our arms around each other while she played the guitar. That did it. Everyone and I mean everyone asked for a guitar that Christmas. And a bunch of us got one and brought them to school and started playing. I was lucky to get a guitar at all, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. My parents got me somebody's folk reject which I had to carry in a pillow case. (I wanted to rock, but my songbook featured Home on the Range.)

The funny thing is you can't swing a cat around here without hitting a musician - yet relatively few people seem to know this. They're out there paying hundreds of dollars to see the big guns like Bruce and The Police, and a lot of times missing what's right here in our own back yard for $10 or under. Sometimes for NOTHING. This Friday night, for example, you can hear Jimi Hendrix and Cream at Outta the Way Cafe . (I didn't say you'd see 'em- but you can hear 'em.) Our own GHz can practically channel those guys.
So roust yourselves- get out and support our local music scene. Close your eyes and you might not know the difference...but your wallet sure will. And that guy playing on stage? You probably went to high school with him.

Gear UP

Some weekends are stuffed with parties and events, and some are not.
This one's got more going on than a barrel of monkeys-
There's the Taste of Bethesda on Saturday, Oct 6 featuring that great Cream cover band GHZ- 1:45-3:45 on the Cordell Ave stage. Then Saturday evening The Stingrays are playing at the Old Angler's Inn of all places way out there on MacArthur Blvd. in what feels like the sticks, but is only about fifteen minutes outside our own fair city limits. Sounds like a cool show outdoors in the beer garden from 6:30-9:30.
Sunday, Oct 7th is the Takoma Park Street Festival which always has a ton of music. Then again you could veer west and catch The Beatnik Flies at the Capitol Rocks- Guitars Not Guns Benefit in Fort Hunt, VA. Still up for more??
The Music on the Rise people are promising a true retrospective of the 1980s at The State Theater with a showing of Langley Punk films emceed by Mark Noone, as well as a night of rocking down memory lane with the likes of Billy Hancock, Robert Gordon and Eddie Angel. That ballgame kicks off at 6. Tickets are $30, but it's yet another benefit and hey-all of the above venues are free (or give what you can at guitars not guns) so you ought to still have a little folding money left. Don't forget- Monday's a holiday for some of you...

GHZ-Underattended but Over The Top

Everybody who did not show up to the GHZ gig because it rained should just crawl under the covers with regret. You missed an amazing show Friday night. They rocked the joint like it was sold out until 1 a.m., and they were even better than I remembered if that's possible. Dan Hovey is one of the few people I know who can make his guitar sound like a human voice- and he played until his tendons were on fire. Scott Giambusso, an iron solid bass player, gave everyone a strong backbone to play off of, and John Zidar punctuated the air with exclamations points of drumming that you don't see coming, but are just perfect. All three astounded the crowd, and even each other sometimes, and it's a great thing to watch a band this tight- doing what a band needs to do-play together. (It's not as simple as it sounds.)
Anybody who doesn't come see them play in November should have a doctor's note. Make the effort. These guys sure do. I predict GHZ will sell out the Capitol Center one day. It's just a matter of time. Mark my words.


Joe Dolan and John Stone of The Beatnik Flies made it.
(Turn around, John)
So did Kim Kane of The Slickee Boys...
Where were you?

P. S . Here's JOHN ZIDAR"S 2 cents on what Scott wrote above:

"I whimsically beg my daughter Rachel to change her name to Ginger on a regular basis because my other two kids HAPPEN to be named Eric and Jackie. The point of all that should be obvious ….

A small technical correction, I only appear to have 3 rack toms if you’re very, very drunk (SCOTT!!). Before the Ginger Baker fans out there explode with “Ginger only has two rack toms and two floors”, I want to clarify that that is my precise setup. I have made the set more ergonomic by putting the largest drum on the left so I don’t wrench my back playing “Sunshine”….. hey, WAKE UP, I’m laying out some drum shop talk here!!"

The Back Story of GHZ by Scott Giambusso

"One Tuesday in June, I walk in the back room of the Half Moon, and who is on stage working the gig with Dave Kitchen, but my old pal, Dan Hovey whom I don’t think I’d seen since the early 80s. We had played a few gigs about 25 years ago, and he and John Zidar used to come to my basement apartment, and we would attempt to play Chick Corea tunes and other some such jazz . Somehow, after spending years in New York, Dan moved to Kensington, Maryland, one mile away from my home in Wheaton. Back on the DC rock scene, he quickly became the most- in-demand freelance guitar player, and now here he was, playing my local watering hole.
I joined Dave and Dan on the stage, and we proceeded to tear the blues into little pieces. The energy was great and the grooves were strong and Dan’s soloing got better with each chorus. Since we were jamming, we tried to pick tunes we all knew. Just for yuks, I think I suggested "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream. Dan's eyes lit up as he had learned every lick Eric Clapton ever played or even thought of playing. We kicked it off and rocked down the house. What a riot! The next week I called him and suggested we get together for grins and play a bunch of the old Cream tunes and maybe some Hendrix and Led Zepelin.
But who would be the right drummer? Dan immediately knew that John Zidar was the only choice. I did not know that John was a huge fan of Ginger Baker and had studied every beat Baker had ever played. And that was just at age 14. After getting his degree in percussion at Maryland, John Zidar made the rounds in just about every circle in the music biz. John is so into Cream that he has been trying to get his daughter, Rachel, to change her name to Ginger. He is a meticulous player and a total octopus on his immense DW drum kit with the same setup as Baker's with 2 bass drums 24” and 22,” a snare, 3 mounted toms, 3 floor toms, I don’t know how many cymbals and a cowbell. John Zidar was the only drummer that could make Gigahertz a reality."

That's an excerpt from bass player, Scott's GHZ Diary...Thanks, Scott.

See the reality rock the Out of the Way Cafe tonight in dear ole wherever it is, Derwood, MD.
( Get yer google maps fired up.)