Thank You Arlo

It used to be so simple. Pilgrim hats and Indian head dresses. We'll bring the turkey; you bring the corn. We used to act out that original potluck at school and put the same characters in wax on our dinner table. America was our cornucopia.
But by high school I found out that a lot of things were left out of my history books. Early on I never thought much about the impact of people who said things like "Whoops, we thought we were in India." Times have changed immeasurably since I was a kid, but we never did burn those candles that still decorate our family's table.


Well, maybe once.

Now, when I think of Thanksgiving, I feel sad and bad on many levels and try to get over that and feel happy and thankful which I am.
I am thankful that Magruder's has such good liquor prices, and I am thankful for the wine I picked up there for Thursday's dinner which is going to make me and a lucky member or two of my family happy.
I am thankful I don't have to make the turkey.
I am happy to make my own cranberry relish which no one else in my family will eat, but that's okay- more for me. There I 'm happy again.

But let's move on.

After Thanksgiving I am usually so exhausted I cannot move even though all I did was drive a few miles and eat too much. It's all I can do to make it to a couch and lie there in lizard like lethargy. It must be all the mental hoopla which comes from consorting with too many family members in one room at one time taking up all the available air. If, however, I did want to get out (which is never out of the question) the place to go on Thursday night would be the Sunset Grille where the Thrillbillys play- even on Thanksgiving.

By Friday I usually have my get up and go back, and there is a lot going on to help dance off that dinner.

The Grandsons are playing at the Barns at Wolf Trap- a most excellent band in a most excellent venue. I love the Barns because it's one of the few places the park service will let you drink. In fact they sell it to you. Did I mention the place is beautiful? And Derek Huston, our favorite McLean-New Orleans son will be flying in to add his "cool cat" horn to the mix.

Hands down this would be the show to go to if there wasn't another excellent band in yet another favorite venue. The Nighthawks are playing the State Theater, a renovated-for-rock movie house, which features everything you need at a rock show- bars for the thirsty, tables for the hungry, a dance floor for the antsy, and a balcony overlooking the hoi polloi for the spectator who needs a break from the action.

With all that going on, it would be irresponsible of me not to say I am happy and thankful to live in D.C. where once upon a time you could always count on hearing "Alice's Restaurant" on our dearly beloved gone away radio station WHFS, and that used to make me very happy, but that's another story.

 

Reliable Rock Cures All

photo by John C Garofolo

Johnny Castle is another great player who has been hanging around this town for a long time. When he is not playing with DC's beloved Nighthawks, you can often find him Thursdays rocking with The Thrillbillys at the tiny Sunset Grille where the distance between the stage and the bar can be measured in (dancing) feet. Head off that deep pre winter end of daylight savings time seasonal depression and dose yourself with the Thrillbillys' cure this Thursday. The tireless Thrillbillys will also be on hand later this month to relieve that post Thanksgiving dare I say despondancy due to turkey/family togetherness overload- back at the Grille November 26.

Dark Night of the Soul

The weather may be weirdly warm in DC right now, but being February you know it's not over yet. Our last snowfall (or should I say snow melt) can be as late as April although that is rare. What isn't rare is that March starts out like the proverbial gentle lamb and ends with my all time least favorite weather-30 degrees and raining. This week the forecast calls for nearly 70 degrees then a wintry mix by Saturday. (which sounds dangerously close to my least favorite weather.)

These dark days call for soul soothing measures like food and music. If you have a hankering for soul food-you could always head over to the Hitching Post in NE DC for fried chicken, greens and macaroni and cheese. If you feel the need for soul/funk/r & b,  DC9's got it this Thursday night featuring Boston based Jesse Dee and DC based Sol and Stacy Brooks.

$8.

And don't forget the Thrillbillys are always ready to shake rattle and roll the Sunset Grille -also on Thursday night if you happen to be on the Virginia side of the river. 

Why Go Anywhere Else?

Friday night. Date night. Get out and see friends night- and a lot of talented friends are playing this Friday night. Two totally different shows at two very different venues- but if you are an ambitious night owl, you can catch them both.

First the venerable Alice Despard, former owner of The Galaxy Hut, is playing at The New Deal Cafe in that all American socialist experiment- Greenbelt, Md.
Alice has pared down her band to The Alice Despard Group. Bare essentials here: she plays guitar with a rich and amazing energy that is all her own. You might want to ease Alice into the folk category, but she has always leaned towards an edgier side and her drummer, Evan Pollack is in total sync with what she has going on. Add to the mix Alice's voice which I could listen to all day even though girl singers are not usually my thing. The opening band, The Lost Patrol starts at 8; Alice goes on around 9:30.

Meanwhile just down the road the honky tonk which was once Chick Hall's but is now Surf Club Live will be feature two true blue road house classics: The Thrillbillys and Ruthie and The Wranglers. (The one and only Johnny Castle)

The Thrillbillys, one of our local super groups, usually play the TINY Sunset Grille in Annandale so this is a great chance to see them in action over on the other side of DC in a much larger venue. (Though they have such a strong fan base that I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunset Grille pilgrims showin' up.)And Ruthie and The Wranglers are no strangers to The Surf Club. They recorded one of their earlier CDs right here on the Surf Club stage. When the band doesn't have you up and dancing, Ruth can bring about a sea change: she has the kind of cry in your beer voice that will make you ask the bartender to leave the bottle.

Things get rolling at Surf Club around 9 or so, but go on fairly late-until 1 or so.

Please support these local bands and venues before they go the way of Starbucks and Hard Rock Cafes-just what this corrupted capital DOESN'T need!

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.

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.