Death and Taxes

Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. Ben Franklin said it, and by George, he was right. Again. But for those of you that can get to the post office by Tuesday evening, and want a diversion- go see The Rosslyn Mountain Goats when they return to The Quarry House.

I went to the first show and was not disappointed. Don't expect to hear their old Mt. Boys' songs, but do expect great musicians (Joe Triplett, Bob Berberich, Peter"Tex Luigi"Bonta, Rico Petruccelli, and Martha Hull) playing a variety of music from traditional roots country to rock. (Last time this included Joe Triplett delivering a murder ballad which was so passionate he left the room slightly stunned. Someone finally broke the silence saying-Well, that was down right scary- which is exactly as it should be.)
And when Martha Hull takes the mike, the band is forced to rock harder and louder just to keep up with her. Martha tends to wander out towards the crowd which may startle the waitress, but that's the great thing about an intimate joint like The Quarry House. I don't know how long this will go on, but there is no cover. The band passes the hat in a low key way. PLUS happy hour prices all night. No wonder they call it Lonesome Hobo Brother, can you spare a dime Tuesdays. They go on at 8 so all you working stiffs can get home early, too.

You can get a LOT for your hard earned dough here which is more than can be said about those tax dollars we send flying off who knows where every year.

DC Rocks Inspires A Song

We sometimes attempt to amuse here at DC Rocks, but Lyn2 has BECOME a muse.
She received the message below from Phil Duarte after she wrote her description of Pup Tent at The Quarry House last week:

We've had this song we've jammed on for about a year and haven't done live because I thought it needed something else. Last night I started singing that part of your piece on DC Rocks, and it finished the song. The song will be called That's What We Are. "Pop/not pop, that's what we are," repeat ad infinitum until we end. So you are now the inspiration of a new Pup Tent number that with two more new tunes should be in the set by the time of the 9353 show. So there!

Feel the love.

Thanks, Phil.

Good Things Come

Intimate is what they used to call tiny clubs. (Now a days I favor hole in the wall.) They are small, perhaps cramped even, but what they lack in space they make up for in attitude. The good kind, not the bad. The kind where the bass player moves over a little so you can get into the bathroom or the heckler in the crowd is your buddy and the drummer's cousin. And this is the place where you find tout these things because the atmosphere is anything but stuffy. So here are a few such dives, I mean intimate places, that i like to frequent and what's going on this weekend. ( I always like to start a weekend early.)
Thursday night Ruthie and The Wranglers are at The Sunset Grille. The Grille is so small you sometimes have to wait in the other room for someone to leave. Mercifully both rooms are equipped with a bar. Once in where the bands play, you can choose a bar stool or sit at one of maybe three tables if memory serves me. You never have to worry about being close enough to the band there- if you were closer you'd be in it. And people still manage to dance.

Then in town there's The Velvet Lounge, Drinks are served downstairs and upstairs is like someone's basement- dark and kind of small with a sound system befitting the 9:30 Club. If the band rocks, the people rock and so does the floor, but that's part of its charm. This Friday catch The Lookies -featuring the Rummager (ex-Velvet Monkeys, Gumball) Rambling Shadows (ex-Velvet Monkeys, Crippled Pilgrims) and 7 Door Sedan (ex-White Boy) My friend, Bill says: I love these 3 bands, they are each quite different, and don't have any following. It's gonna be arty, punky, psychedelic, and all original. And GREAT.

Following the law of PILE IT ON- there's another show Friday that older DC rockers can appreciate, and where young punks can pick up a tip or two at yet another small venue- The Quarry House. You get to know people at The Quarry House because we all smash in there together and steal each other's tater tots. Greenland a young local group with a great older sound and The Howling Mad will be there featuring local rock legends Michael Reidy and Abaad Behram. Look for them between the women's room, several cases of beer and the sound equipment.

And last but certainly not least on Saturday it's Ottley!, 7 Door Sedan and Dollar Bin at The Sidebar in Baltimore. I haven't been there, but according to Glenn of 7 Door Sedan band stickers are holding this place together. More on this show on Friday.

Boyz to Goats

(Rosslyn Mt. Boys @ Columbia Station 1978)

Anyone who has lived here long enough has probably heard of The Rosslyn Mountain Boys-
a very successful and talented country rock sort of group that had its heyday in the seventies.
But now get ready for The Rosslyn Mountain Goats- a whole new old breed of band.
Here's their story from the horse's mouth, Martha Hull:

The RMG thing came about when Bob Berberich's longtime intention to do a low-key country gig coincided with Joe Triplett's sudden urge in the same direction. This coincided with a creativite surge--Joe started writing songs again, one after another... and he wanted to play. After Ottley! played the Quarry House, Bob tagged it as the perfect Depression-era venue for a regular weeknight gig where they could try out new material in an intimate atmosphere, We hammered out a plan for Lonesome Hobo Tuesdays, a no-cover, pay what you can, happy hour all night, with music for working folks, from 8-10 pm.

Local Mountain Boys Peter Bonta and Rico Petruccelli were both up for joining forces again, and I was retained from Bob's original imaginary band, both to help cover harmonies and mix things up a little on the lead vocals. The material will draw from the Roslyn Mountain Boys catalog, Joe's new songs, and new input from all members -- focusing not so much on the RMB "hits" you would hear at a reunion as on recovered gems from way back in their history...and some very cool new shit. Deep roots.

Why Rosslyn Mountain Goats? Because without Tommy Hannum, it ain't RMB...

and it's a goat of a different color, anyway.

These Tuesdays are already attracting other local musicians to come and sit in with the goats on their night off-and we haven't even started yet!

Thank you, Martha.

So there you have it, and man-this sounds too good to be true to me. All that talent, and a cheap date to boot-this Tuesday, March 18th, at The Quarry House. I know it's the day after St. Patrick's Day, but remember that old saying about the hair o' the dog--
maybe it applies to goats, too.

Last Weekend

(Jake Flack Rhodes Tavern Troubadours)


Well, a it took a while for us all to recover from the shows this past weekend, and we didn't even make it to all of them, of course, but here's what we've got (besides moi) -pictures from Chip Py and a report from roving reporter, Lyn2 who called in from the train to NYC this morning:
Saturday night The Quarry House had a huge unidentifiable crowd. Ottley was first with new material that Martha Hull delivered in her usual powerful way- occasionally wading into the audience for added effect. 7 Door Sedan is really getting its new act together, improving exponentially each time she sees them. And their new song by Ken Moss was a hit. Rambling Shadows was extremely loud and worth the ear damage. "They were jamming on that hypnotic psychedelic thing." Our reporter was married to a drummer for 21 years, and can't figure out exactly why, but she could watch Tommy Carr play the drums all day.
Everybody kept using the word psychedelic about all the bands, but each had a very different sound -a new sound- a 21st century thing. Maybe their roots lie in the past, but it's not a rehash going on- it's a renaissance. Thank you, Jackie at The Quarry House for helping this scene get out there.


Meanwhile in another bar in another part of town-
The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours had everyone dancing Friday night at The Surf Club. It was nice to see them play in a place where there was room to swing more than a cat. Despite their lack of live gigs, the guys were going strong. (Catch them one more time with the kids this Saturday at The Avalon Theater in D.C.)


(birthday boy- i wrestled him for his camera)

Friday was also the kick off to Chip Py's birthday weekend although he stayed on the job-from the Surf Club right through Saturday night at The Velvet Lounge where Haley's Band ( that's it- that's what we're calling it now) got the place full to bursting.


Joe Jack Talcum had the stage to himself as he performed Dead Milkmen songs and other tunes to a dedicated crew who could and did fill in if Joe forgot the words. Punk Rock Girl was probably a highlight-definitely a floor shaker, but in general it was a fun and witty performance.


Finally (and we do mean finally at 12:30) The Hula Monsters crammed on the tiny stage and got the Faithful but Weary Attendees dancing with their drummer, Ben Holmes (a.k.a. Big Beat) leading the charge. Hulas at The Velvet Lounge.
Not a sight you're gonna see every day, maybe never again, but they played as if they were at The Royal Hawaiian. You had to have been there.


(Mark Noone)

Thanks again to Chip for these great, sometimes ethereal shots-click on them to get the full effect.

Way WAY Too Much Goin' On

The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours named themselves after one of D.C.'s oldest watering holes which used to hold down the corner of 15th and F NW. Sadly, perhaps even criminally, it was torn down in 1984 to make room for "progress" despite efforts to save it. All three of the guys in this band are as original as that place. They all sing and write their own songs which is a lot of talent for one band. Unfortunately for The Troubadours, Jack O' Dell is touring with Bill Kirchen so their live performances have been cut way back. That's why their gig at Chick Hall's Surf Club is a unique happening in a unique place which is also on its way out- probably in a matter of weeks.

It's a weekend chock full of choices, and here's just some of them. There's the venerable Hula Monsters appearing at The Velvet Lounge's Tenth Anniversary Party Saturday night to consider. (Really- just consider that alone for a moment...Hawaiian Swing appearing on the same bill as... x Dead Milkman, Jack Talcum. That alone is worth a trip downtown.) Also appearing are the Ex-Husband Invisible Deadbeats (the band that Can't Make UP Its Mind on what to call Itself.) All of these bands actually have a common denominator which starts with a P which I will reveal on FRIDAY. Go ahead and place your bets now.
There's The Buddy Holly Tribute Show with too many bands to mention Saturday night at Chick Hall's.
And here's the skinny on another scene happening at The Quarry House- from my guest blogger and alter ego, Lyn2: (complete with footnote)

SIGN OF THE TIMES
I finally figured it out. The re-emergence of so many local musicians and bands had me puzzled. Then I noticed: an economic house of cards collapsing, war without end, climate confusion - the inconvenient truths abound these days. What better response to this than our old shamans tuning in to the cosmos? Be it distraction or cure-you can get a good dose this weekend at The Quarry House- an old-time tavern amidst the chain store glitz that has become Silver Spring. This is the kick off weekend for a series of Geezer Punk shows. You don't have to be a geezer or a punk to go. They have good food and an impressive beer selection. Here's what else you will get:

Friday January 25

The Stoats - Okay, I know virtually nothing about this band, but they come highly recommended from Baltimore with connections to The Mumps and Iggy Pop's band so how can you go wrong? They go on at 10.

Tru Fax and the Insaniacs don't play often but they play hard. The line-up includes the incomparable Diana Quinn, mad-scientist David Wells, Kenny Bugg (who may win the area's prize for being in the most bands at one time) and Deaf Drummer Michael Mariotte (name that song) father of the two coolest teenagers around. They'll serve up an extra-long portion of their special pop/punk/garage/new wave/rocking TRUthiness at 11.


Saturday January 26
Ottley starts at 9 so get there at 8.
- Martha Hull - a grrrrl power role model for wise and wild women far and wide. Bob Berberich - who's provided the beat for bands that define my lifetime exposure to rock and roll. Marshall Keith - who taught the guitar to play. Ottley is a hypnotic velvet tsunami.. Don't believe me? Check out I Wanna Be You on their Myspace page; it's why Humphrey Osmond coined the term "psychedelic." *

Rambling Shadows turn up the volume on the psychedelic experience and then some. Phil Duarte had one of their songs stuck in his head for two weeks. If a song is powerful enough to stick around in there I think you want to hear it live. Also Jay Moglia was featured in a pretty funny Daily Show piece last week so now he's a t.v. star, too.

7 Door Sedan -This band brings together talent from a remarkably diverse collection of local bands (White Boy, Acrylix, Vampyre Bunnies just to name a few) for this season's newest and hottest force on the scene. Your reporter has a 100% attendance rate at their two shows to date and is going back for more. 7 Door Sedan's glam/psychedelic/rock and soul thing will wow you and you will go back too.

* "A psychedelic experience is characterized by the perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly ordinary fetters."

(Thank you, Lyn2)

So there you have it- more music than you can shake a drum stick at, and no excuse to stay home.

P.S. Don't forget GHZ TONIGHT!

The Quarry Rocks

The Quarry House is a refuge of sorts. As Silver Spring gets newer bigger venues, new shops- new everything it seems-The Quarry House remains virtually unchanged. And we like it that way. You can make friends easily, but chances are you will probably run into somebody at a show that you knew ten years ago. And the music there is top rate. Last weekend was The Thrillbillys' debut on this side of the river, and they were one commanding crew.


The place was packed with loyal Virginianites as well as Maryland/ DC music lovers, and they got what they came for- a great show with outstanding musicians. Chip Py was there to catch these pictures. Lots of great acts coming up there soon. Stay tuned.


Johnny Castle And Dave Kitchen

Thrills , Dogs and Teeth for A Song

(© John C. Garofalo).
This weekend coming up there's at least two bands of note on one night. The Thrillbillys- who are usually stationed in Virginia at the Sunset Grill, are crossing the river to play at The Quarry House in Silver Spring Saturday night. The guys in Thrillbilly have longer resumes than Donald Trump. I'm not kidding. Johnny Castle alone has a paragraph's worth in Capitol Rock. (By the time he's finished, he'll have his own book.)

Then there's The Cravin' Dogs another unique talented crew who have been around these parts a good twenty years now. Their Live At The Black Cat recording is finally being released as a CD. As an added bonus- Jon Carroll, one of the most amazing musicians in the area, will be sitting in. They'll be at The Barns of Wolf Trap this Saturday night as well.

Two totally different bands, two totally different venues. Either way you're seeing good music for under twenty bucks at Wolf Trap, and under ten at The Quarry House. Not to mention Chopteeth on Friday at Rock and Roll Hotel for ten.
As I said in the last post-you just can't beat local music as the best value for your entertainment dollar in this town.

Thirty Years and Back Again

prabir and the subs with the silver beats back stage

The Silver Beats sold out the 9:30 Club last Friday night turning the space into a roaring arena. But Prabir and The Substitutes rose to the occasion knocking out all of us who knew them, and grabbing the attention of everyone else with their charm and good looks.
(Oh, and they rocked the house down.)
The next night, back at 9:30, there was a smaller but still respectable crowd- older rock and rollers-some with youngins in tow. It was hard to believe that all six Thirty Years Over DC bands weren't the newest thing or haven't been playing together forever-as everybody was vibrant - each delivering a strong set. According to Mark Noone, show-biz guy-"Killer drummers were everywhere." A straw poll showed it hard to pick a favorite, but I thought Howling Mad put on their best show that I've seen. Michael Reidy was irrepressible as usual- making fun of the club's new panini sandwich. And Ottley might have to be the Who's who of DC's bands-all three are such veterans. Martha Hull's voice is still as bewitching as ever.
One of my favorite old time moments came when Dan Palenski (former Slickee Boy) sat in with Ottley and delivered his signature cover of I'm 18 while Boyd Farrell (Black Market Baby, Rustbuckit) was front and center in the audience singing along.
The evening ended with 9353, and I thought they were particularly mesmerizing and powerful. I don't know where I was, but I missed them at 9:30 last summer.


9353 /photo: Kathleen Hellington

If you missed this show, Ottley and The Rambling Shadows, plus other bands from way back when will be at The Quarry House later this month. Keep an eye on their schedule.

P.S. Thanks to Lisa and the 9:30 Club for making this particular show possible and for recognizing the importance of getting us together for the heck of it, and not for a funeral.
Hail hail rock and roll-
and life.

Post Halloween

The Fall Out:
Washed my hair for over an hour and still can't get the black out.
Forgot to put away the lime jello skull.
Burned the candles at both ends.
Served candy corn for breakfast.

The Cure:
Drink heavily, preferably at The Quarry House tonight
with The Troubadours and Derek Huston.

Or stay home and wash my hair


.

Lots of Music Last Weekend

The Hula Monsters played a great hour as promised on Friday out in the park. If you missed it, you can catch them again this Friday at 6:30 pm outside the municipal building in Hyattsville.

And I caught a bit of The Cutaways at the Quarry House which was a lot of fun though
I probably shouldn't have gone for somebody's left over tater tots that late at night.

Go down under at The Quarry House

Dan Hovey's playing tonight with The Cutaways in one of my favorite dives, The Quarry House in Siver Spring. ( a downstairs dive at that- on the corner of Bonifant and Georgia Ave)
A hellatious beer list and tater tots on the menu.
If you saw my early rave about Dan, you'll know he's worth seeing.

The Big Cool Down

It's a balmy 97 degrees-and The Grandsons are playing on Lion Hill at the Zoo tonight.
A great band at a great price! ( absolutely free)

If your personal creed doesn't allow you to go out until after sundown, The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours are playing at The Quarry House in SIlver Spring from about 9 until midnight- 7 bucks- not including tater tots. (That's still a great deal at about $2.30 per muscian.) Plus it may be their last public gig for the foreseeable future.

Rare Wild Life ALert!

So When the Troubadours play The Quarry House tonight, it may be their only public appearance this month! Bring a buck to put in the tip jar, request a song, and they become a human juke box. It's a hoot.

The Quarry House Holds ON

I've had some odd jobs in my life, but one of them was painting the steps that lead down to the Quarry House in Silver Spring which is still a hold out from the infringing new and improved Silver Sprung. I met friends in a bar last week in the newer section and after parking on the fourth floor and squeezing into a freight sized elevator with a gazillion people, we unloaded into the now infamous, formerly forbidden, photography zone- otherwise known as the new pedestrian mall. (I have to stop here and thank Chip Py for squawking about this no photo thing, and actually doing something about it.) Anyway a band was playing, and lots of new chain stores have happily attracted throngs. Not exactly my cup of tea. So I'm glad that Jackie bought the Quarry House and left it relatively unscathed so far. A basement bar- it can only be described as a hole in the wall with tater tots and now an extensive (and can be expensive) beer list, but it's still a dive, and I like it like that. The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours are playing tomorrow night. Check it out.