Homegrown Hero In Reverse by Hometown Girl Lyn2

In DC we're proud of homegrown musicians who make us proud when they make it in the bigger- Chuck Brown, Henry Rollins, Thievery Corporation.... just to name a diverse few. Lots of people can live here a long time and still not meet the "homegrown" test, but that seems not to be the case with the New Boss, President-in-7 Days, Barack Obama. One trip to Ben's Chili Bowl for a chili half-smoke, and he's a DC Guy already according to the local news stations. I'm cool with that, especially since he chose the half-smoke - a delicacy we can rightfully call our own. Jamie Cramer suggests that if DC ever gets its own quarter, it should feature a half-smoke.

Speaking of Jamie Cramer and Barack Obama, on Sunday night you can celebrate the impending inauguration of the latter by checking out Jamie on bass with Tru Fax and the Insaniacs at the Quarry House. They're with Puptent and Sister Ex in the "Light at the End of the Tunnel" show, which you can still make after you go down to the Lincoln Memorial for the star-studded Inauguration Welcome event featuring Bruce Springsteen. (I shall now call him the Old Boss.)

What better way to celebrate this welcome and historic peaceful transfer of power than rocking out with 3 bands - full of homegrown talent. Puptent promises to have some new songs and a righteous attitude. Having rocked us through a lot of administrations good and bad (mostly bad), Tru Fax is sure to be in fine form-and- if you haven't seen Sister Ex who hit the scene last year- it's about time that you did.

This writer is sure the crowd and three of her favorite bands will be jazzed. She's also glad that the most awesome Sylvia Becker can come to celebrate her birthday that night. As for Michael Hennessey, he won't be celebrating his birthday that night even though it's this week but he will still be dancing. Don't ask questions, just do what Hen says.

Spinning

Political spin is a DC hometown industry, but I’m into a whole different kind of spin and it usually involves a beer and a dance floor. No, not that kind of spin. I'm into lyrics, and this Saturday, September 20 at the Surf Club you can see three bands - Yell County, Pup Tent and Tru Fax and the Insaniacs- all with their own versions of spin on things.

Yell County is named for Joel Maupin’s home county in Arkansas. I might tell an idyllic version of my youthful summers in Danville, Arkansas, my Mom’s hometown, hanging out with hunting dogs and eating fried okra. But Yell County has songs like Conveyor Belt of Death – or at least my take is- what happens if you stay there and work at the chicken plant. That’s definitely a different spin on that story

Puptent has a unique sound, but their lyrics are one-of-a-kind, too. They love to spin love into politics, and history into future visions. Each song has a story and many are serious. One favorite of mine is Safer- an ode to "homeland security" gone awry. "We’ve gone through your garbage, we’ve read all your emails; we know where you’re shopping, you will be safer at last."

Finally you might think Tru Fax and the Insaniacs’ Pictures of You is a catchy love song. Listen closer; it’s also about obsession and I think it’s really kind of creepy. You might hum along with the chorus of Pinned Under a Jet and think it’s an ode to something nice. It’s actually about being pinned under a jet. Not nice. Tru Fax and the Insaniacs’ spin can be ironic, irreverent or political. And of course their hit Washingtron is the ultimate ode to an indigenous species still found inside the Beltway– the yuppies who inspired this song over twenty years ago and who just keep mutating.

See you Saturday – Support Local Bands – Support Surf Club Live!

-brought to you by Lyn2

What's New ?

This Friday is all about new. New Surf Club owner J.B., who rescued this one of a kind place from near demise, is booking great new line-ups, and Friday's is a strong one. It seems like ages, but it was just seven months ago that I happened on 7 Door Sedan's first show. This new band gets stronger every time I see them- so much so that I find it painful to miss a show because then I'd miss a stage in their evolution.
Rambling Shadows has been around longer, (actually risen from the ashes of many DC bands as they put it) but this year with new drummer Tommy Carr, they are playing more shows, sounding trance-alicious. Plus they have a new CD out.
Tru Fax and the Insaniacs are the least new of the bunch which isn't a bad thing. This is the 4th decade in which they have agitated the scene, but this Friday night they'll be joined by a new bass player. Upon stalwart bassist Kenny Bugg's partial retirement, the one and only Jamie Cramer has agreed to try something new, being accustomed to playing lead guitar. The world eagerly awaits his debut.

If you haven't been out in a while, or if you're sick of just hearing about these bands and the Surf Club- then try something new yourself and get over there. The sounds start at 9. Some call it Hyattsville, some call it Bladensburg, and even others call it Hyattsville Beach-but what ever you call it, the drinks are reasonable, and there's pool tables to boot. Old club-new management- check it out.

Lyn2

Saturday Night Chez Baltimore

Friday night shows and the links to this one are one post below. Greenland has been added to the bill at The Quarry House tonight- show starts around 10.

Here's a little history lesson and more dope about Saturday night's show from Martha Hull lead singer extraordinaire of Ottley!:

This gig is the launch of Dollar Bin, which is a new project for Randy Austin, who in addition to many projects over the years, was the guitarist for DC's legendary first punk band to gig -- Overkill. They were contemporaries of the early Slickees, both bands managed by Steve Lorber and booked into the Keg in 1976. He is joined in this venture by Donald Keesing, who was in both a band called the White Zombies, and one called Rain Crow -- you can find both of them on myspace. On bass is Bob Young who currently plays with a wild Irish band called Dogs Among the Bushes, and also played bass in the 80's for Tru Fax and the Insaniacs. Dollar Bin will be up first, followed by Ottley! who are celebrating Ilona's 18th birthday by making this an all ages gig -- and reprising that Alice Cooper anthem with special guests, to boot! Seven Door is returning to the Sidebar, where they went over like gangbusters the first time around, and they have great things to say about this authentic punk bar

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!

Hey Kids It's 10:00. Do you Know Where Your Parents are?

(Bucket and Hayley of Deadbeat)

The NIRS affair took me back in time-back to when you showed up at at somebody's house, and their parents weren't home, and the basement was a party/band room, and a band was playing... no, four bands are playing, and in the case of Tru Fax and The Insaniacs, the DAD of the house is in the band, and in the case of Deadbeats, the daughter of the guy in the next band is in her own band. And so it went on until no one knew or cared what time it was. (Maybe it had something to do with the Ukranian hootch that was going around) Then and now were all mixed up and topping it off -The Beatnik Flies- Diana Quinn-Mark Noone finale extravaganza.

Oh And Josh Arnson (former Insect Surfer)


and Ruth Logsden of Ruthie and the Wranglers were there, too.

(Joe Dolan cracks up Ruth Logsden)


(Diana Quinn and Mark Noone just before they joined the band)

Maybe it was all a dream. Good party though.

Come One and All

This Saturday, September 22, there's a benefit/ hullabaloo for NIRS (Nuclear Information and Resource Service) The party starts at 4 p.m. at Michael and Tanya's house at 3708 Webster St, Brentwood, Md
Expect to eat drink and be merry: there'll be food, beer and wine, and live entertainment including: The Beatnik Flies, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, Dead Beat and Dollar Bin.

NIRS is working to prevent the construction of new nuclear power reactors at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland (on the Chesapeake Bay) and North Anna, Virginia (on Lake Anna) and for that matter, everywhere else.....more on NIRS at www.nirs.org. Bring a checkbook or a credit card or even dear ole cold cash, and give what you can- whatever you think you'd pay to see four bands- plus food, plus refeshing adult beverages. (Not to mention all donations are tax deductible)