Diversions: DC Rocks' Holiday Survival Plans

It's in the air already- that sense of impending holiday gloom. The leaves fading, the days darkening, and if you haven't hit the grocery store yet this week- forget about it!
Big dinners and family reunions can bring on the best of times and the worst-to borrow from Mr Dickens-so we are here to help with alternative escape plans.

Guests overflowing? Drop 'em off downtown at the mall in the afternoon with a little map to the Rock and Roll Hotel for Wednesday night. They can't sleep there, but there'll be a WHOLE lot of dancing going on with Chopteeth at the helm. And they'll come home too tired to talk about how well their twins are doing at Yale.

Also on Wednesday you could sneak out (after your mother in law is in bed) to the Quarry House to catch those incredibly grooving cats in Gigahertz and those misplaced seamen The Yachtsmen. Both bands come with mega talented players; one harkens back to the out pouring of talent from the late Sixties, and the other flies in the face of reason: original rock disguised as Thurston Howell.

Some people call it Thanksgiving, but those in the know call this Thursday Thrillbilly Karaoke Night down at the Sunset Grille. Let professional rockers erase all those memories of Uncle Bob in his cups, unbuttoning his shirt and singing Elvis off key.

But wait there's more- Friday night- Rhodes Tavern Troubadours at Iota with special guests sitting in. Stay tuned for details on that tomorrow.

Hang in there. We'll get through this together.

Your Sunday To Do List

LATE-BREAKING CHANGE: Dot Dash has had to cancel for Sunday because their drummer, the legendary Danny Ingram, is down with pneumonia. We wish him best wishes and remind you that The Jet Age will go on as planned.

Last week we reviewed Sunday activities you should skip in order to enjoy local music. This Sunday you can up your procrastination ante because there are two shows to see. They will energize different receptors in your music brain and you can do those chores next weekend.

Black Muddy River Band
5pm - 89m
New Deal Cafe; 113 Center Way; Greenbelt MD

This talented trio does acoustic tribute to the Grateful Dead with surprises thrown in. It's a perfect act for the New Deal Cafe in historic Old Greenbelt.

Dot Dash and The Jet Age
9 pm
Black Cat Back Stage; 1811 14th Street NW

These two bands will fulfill your recommended daily high-energy pop/rock allowance and then some.

Lyn2

Caustic Casanova Will Translate at Velvet Lounge

DC ROCKS couldn't say it better than this announcement from Caustic Casanova:
   

In the words of the mighty Peelander-Z, quoted in a National Japanese press release just one week ago:

                               

"私達はあらゆる振動You'より懸命に揺する; あっている".

That roughly translates to 'CC and P-Z in DC? Go to the show, it's EZ!!!'

With anticipatory excitement like that, you're going to want to read this closely:

If you want to have what will surely be the best Wednesday of your life, you need to be at the Velvet Lounge THIS Wednesday, TOMORROW, at 7:30 pm to see Geisha Lightning, Tsushimamire, Caustic Casanova and Peelander-Z!!!!

It promises to be an extremely fun/hard rocking/weird show - not to mention yours truly (Caustic Casanova) will be playing new material, old favorites, and a few surprises.

See you there!  Doors at 7:30, Caustic Casanova goes on at 9.

 

Sunday Afternoon - What Not to Do

Things you could do a Sunday afternoon: laundry, yard work, housecleaning, tv, paying bills, fixing plumbing. What you should do Sunday November 14: Matinee at the Quarry House! It's Sister Ex, Sleeper Agent and Solar Powered Sun-Destroyer. Tell me you have something better to do on a Sunday afternoon!

King Soul Rules @ Jackie's This Saturday

On King Soul what Lyn2 has to say is- "You have not had fun until you have had it with King Soul. Period."

$8 cover includes live music and little Tommy Clifford as your Soul driven deejay.

Don't Chute the Messenger

Here is another local band to check out: Chute will be playing this Saturday night at the Austin Grill in Rockville. They describe themselves as "an alternative rock band," and God knows Rockville could benefit from exposure to almost anything billed as non- main stream.

Artisphere: It's a Whole New World

 Over the weekend DC ROCKS got the chance to check out the Artisphere- Rosslyn's reincarnation of what once was the Newseum. This place is huge, and the art spaces are many: three theaters, three galleries and a ball room. Events just this month include Shakespeare, Salsa Tuesdays, Dance Wednesdays, and 11:01 Saturday Nights which feature eclectic live music.

This Wednesday while the rest of the world might be languishing in front of the teevee, you could be at a real Cajun dance in the ball room with the Red Stick Ramblers from Louisiana. There's a dance lesson at 7:30, and the band plays from 8:30-11:30. $15

Just a Friday in DC by Lynn Thorp

I never tire of the simple charms the hometown has to offer. Late in the afternoon on Friday, I delivered 1000 letters from people in Michigan to President Obama, encouraging him to keep pushing for stronger vehicle standards. After dropping my box off with a capable and polite young White House employee who looked like he hasn't slept in 22 months, I snapped this picture from the south steps of the Old Executive Office Building (Eisenhower Executive Office Building since 1999.) The OEOB (really now the EEOB) is apparently the best example of French Second Empire architecture in the U.S.

Next, I stopped at Swing's coffee shop at 1702 G Street. Swing's has brewed coffee in DC since 1916. Their legendary shop on E Street closed in 1986, but they somehow survived the Coffee Dark Years and opened the G Street shop in 1994. Their coffee is served and sold in various places around town. On G Street, they make a latte worthy of the best Italian counters in San Francisco, and one of the few properly made ones of which I am aware around here!

Said latte was consumed on a park bench in Lafayette Park, where you could feel the relative calm of the White House complex given that POTUS was wheels up to India. Across from me in the park was the most interesting street character downtown - a guy who walks around wearing barely there cut-off denim shorts and a walking stick. This tall dark, buff and blondish/grey dreadlocked man may be a street person, or maybe he just likes dressing like Tom Hanks in Castaway.

Such a Friday afternoon in our Nation's Capital made me wonder why I don't do it more often, since my office is a mere 2 blocks from Lafayette Park. Try it yourself sometime.

A Happening at the Artisphere Saturday

Do you remember this Place?

I didn't know what to expect when I went to Jeff Krulik's Ambassador Theater symposium, but I had an amazing time learning, meeting cool  people, and three years later, I'm still talking about it!

Jeff Krulik, local film and scene maker, is doing it again this Saturday from 3-5 p.m. with a gathering which will focus on the  rock n roll memories of Northern Virginia. The forum is being held at a cool new place to check out-the Artisphere (formally the Newseum)which right across Key Bridge and only two blocks from the Rosslyn Metro for all you Virginia phobes.

Here is the scoop:

"Did you see Alice Cooper perform among the lunch tables at NOVA Community College? Did you see Van Morrison or Chuck Berry at The Ark in Alexandria? Did you dance to Sonny and The Shadows or the IGA Heroes at the Elks Club? Share your stories with those who helped launch the rock music industry. 
Invited panelists include 
Bud Becker who booked bands and dances as Domestic Sounds, and helped run the concerts at The Alexandria Roller Rink.
Teddy Bodnar who ran American Star Recording in McLean and the weekly dances at the nearby Elks Club.
Michael Oberman, 'Music Makers' columnist for The Washington Star, manager of Claude Jones 
Mike Schreibman, New Era Follies/New Era Concerts, Emergency, WAMA

If you were in the Battle of the Bands, or at these concerts (The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin at Alexandria Roller Rink), or heard stories from your older brothers and sisters, you won't want to miss it. Part panel discussion, part slide show, part band and scene reunion, it promises to be a fun and nostalgic trip."

This EVENT ( and it will be just that) is free and open to the public.

He's Back Home

Back in the nineties, Last Train Home was practically the house act at Iota. Those shows were always so popular and so much fun that the band would play the whole weekend- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Since then front man, Eric Brace has moved the band to Nashville, and LTH shows are much rarer now. Die hard fans sorely miss that band, but Eric has teamed up with Peter Cooper and has a new thing going on that is well worth checking out.  I saw them play in Chevy Chase last year, and I have to say these two know exactly what they are doing with their rock solid harmonies and songs. Here's the scoop on their show this Friday night at Jammin Java with Dan Navarro:  

"At 7 p.m. Friday there will be an "In The Round" performance, with Eric, Peter, and Dan all on stage together, taking turns singing songs and talking about them and their lives in music. This will be a two-hour show, with no breaks.
Then at 9:30, Eric and Peter will take the stage as a duo, augmented by the beautiful trumpet playing of Kevin Cordt (whom most of you will recognize from Eric's band Last Train Home). They will play a full hour set, and they'll be followed by Dan Navarro, playing a full set of his tunes. He will be joined by other musicians as well. Somewhere in there, Dan will join Eric and Peter (or vice versa) to sing a bunch of songs they all know and love.

Eric and Peter are celebrating the release a new CD.  "Master Sessions"  a collaboration with two of their musical heroes: Lloyd Green, a Grammy-nominated member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame who played on more than 100 #1 country hits and with non-country greats like the Byrds and Paul McCartney, and Mike Auldridge, an IBMA Lifetime Achievement Award winner who played dobro with the pioneering progessive bluegrass band, DC's own Seldom Scene."

Come on out Friday and welcome Eric home.

Support Your SIster

Go Local DC

Here's a totally DC ROCKS type show- a bunch of long playing musicians rocking a small venue. If you are NOT a fan of corporate style rock music (what we used to call the "top forty") or chain style restaurants and bars then please support these kind of shows.

Jim Kennedy writes about his band The Colliders which is playing Nicaro on Georgia Avenue in the heart of Silver Spring this Friday:

"The Colliders are three guys who have played all kinds of music and are finally getting to do what we love.  The repertoire is mostly rockabilly, honky-tonk, a little blues-some originals, some lesser-known great tunes, and always surprises.  This is a band with a big beat, more rocka than billy, and The Colliders are picking up a good following in Montgomery County after two years of playing the local joints." 

Also, November 5th is my sixtieth birthday!  At twenty I was playing moody extended jams in Tucson; at thirty I was playing outlaw country music in California (good party that year, I came this close to going to jail); at forty I was playing Southern rock in North Carolina; at fifty I was conducting research and raising kids with the occasional street-party gig for fun; and here as I hit sixty I'm having a blast doing what I always wanted to do, playing good old three-minute, three-chord rock and roll."

Because DC ROCKS is such a local rag (well, it would be if we weren't all on line now) We just want to go ahead and say Happy Birthday, Jim! And if you go to the show make sure you tell 'em DC ROCKS sent you.

Be Loud

Zombie On

Color School and Yachtsmen at Asylum: Just What the Doctor Ordered by Lyn2

The legendary Dr. Joe Sasfy opened his show on the now defunct WGTB with a prescription for rock therapy. You can get your dose this Thursday night at Asylum with Color School and The Yachtsmen. Here's what will be included: two great bands for $5; six uber-talented musicians who know their stuff and original songs that tromp their way through many influences, but never fail to rock. Also note that Adams Morgan's parking torture and mayhem procedures are NOT in effect on week nights for those who avoid them. Asylum's a cozy spot with food and a nice beer selection. The show is at 9 p.m.

If you're curious about WTGB- it was the radio station that nurtured, if not created, the crazy quilt that was the DC music scene in the 1970s. Listen to archived 24-hour segments on WGAY each Wednesday. How cool is that.

Zombies United

photo by Mark Hall

Even Zombies, perhaps especially zombies need a night out now and then to break up that eternity thing. So bring out your dead this Saturday evening and join the fourth annual Zombie Walk in Silver Spring.

It's Free

Most DC natives will readily admit that we are notorious for NOT taking advantage of all the free amazing things to do here-like the nightly shows on  Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, and the whole dang mall with all those museums and monuments just hanging around waiting for you to get down there.

For example, have you been meaning to take the kids to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit?
Like since last July?

This Saturday sounds like the perfect day to go as it's Family Day at the American Museum of Art which means there will be a bunch of activities including a live and rocking swing dance by the fountain featuring our friends Natty Beaux. Noon-3.

Attention All Musical Cats -Fight at Jammin Java

The folks at Jammin Java asked DC ROCKS to pass this announcement along:

"Jammin’ Java presents the fourth Mid-Atlantic Band Battle. Everyone
had such a killer time at the first three battles that we’re doing it again! We are searching for the best bands of any genre
from up-and-down the East Coast to prove that they have what it takes to win $2500 CASH and other prizes! Here's how it works:


1. Apply here to compete in the Battle.
Only 24 bands will be accepted.
The application deadline is Saturday, November 20th.


2. Compete in one of four preliminary rounds on January 10, 11, 12,
and 13. Six bands compete per night. One winner per night moves on to the finals.


3. The winning four bands will compete in the finals on Friday, February 18th.


4. Win the Battle and you get $2500 CASH plus studio time at Cue Recording Studios with producer Jim Ebert, and your own headlining show at Jammin’ Java!
The top four bands receive gift certificates from Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center


This is a great opportunity for some MAJOR CASH for your band as well as tons of exposure to many industry professionals.
It's also a great way for us at Jammin’ Java to check out your band in consideration for future shows.
Whether you are acoustic, rock, latin, bluegrass, funk, folk, electronic, reggae,
hip-hop, or anything else,
we want you!"

DC Rocks

The text below showed up in my email today, and the message pretty much poetically encapsulates what DC ROCKS is all about:what makes this town unique. In this case it's great players, deep atmosphere and very little out of pocket:

"Dan Hovey returns to JV's this Thursday Oct. 21st at 9:00pm.

Robbie Magruder is on drums.

Mac Cridlin is on bass

You're sitting in a booth, or at the the bar. 

 Or dancing.

The band sounds great.

You're having fun."

Virginia Rocks Tonight

Sorry for the last minute post, but two great shows are going on in Virgina tonight: straight ahead jive-Jumpin Jupiter is at tiny JVs and so beyond Cream covers GHz will be at Bangkok Blues. (Close enogh to catch a set of both!)

If you subscribe to DC ROCKS, chances are you will be getting this posting a day or so "late." That's up to our third party subscription service. Consider becoming a fan of DC ROCKS on facebook for the latest updates. Social network, baby. It's a Zuckerberg world.

Band O' Mania

Three days of music- no holds barred at the Quarry House in Silver Spring this weekend!

Madness In the Parking Lot

DC ROCKS congratulates our friend, Jeff Krulik. His crazy Capital Centre film "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" made it into the book Reefer Movie Madness and also into  a top ten list in USA TODAY.

You may have never seen Jeff, but he's the guy with a camera securely fastened to one eye. He has been a faithful chronicler of the DC rock scene for many years including this clip of one of the last Slickee Boys'shows at the Black Cat- a little movie all unto itself.

Next month Jeff is hosting a panel on the historical rock scene of Northern Virginia which promises to be quite the event. If the Alexandria Roller Rink rings a bell for you, or if you want to learn more, put aside Saturday afternoon, November 6. Watch this space for details coming up soon.

Sunday Get in the Car With Sister

Dance Dance Revolution by Lyn2

Fort Reno 2010

Be part of history and shake your whatever Saturday night at the Black Cat. Our own up and coming sensation Ra Ra Rasputin will celebrate their debut CD. If you missed them at Ft. Reno this summer where they had everyone from babies on up dancing under the stars, now is your chance. We were wowed. This review from TGRI (True Genius Requires Insanity) spells them out better than DC ROCKS can.

Ra Ra will be sharing the bill with Casper Bangs and the Jaguar Club on the Main Stage. Black Cat dance parties sometimes sell out, and this is a big one, so getting tickets early or showing up around 9 is not a bad idea.

$10
All ages venue!

A Two Step Program

Blob's Park is still alive. It was, ironically, saved from development by the recession, but the folks there still need your support to keep it going. One easy way to do this is to learn how to two step. Local dance guru Ben Pajac gives us the low down:

"In the tradition of the Texas hill country where honky tonk and German beer gardens go hand-in-hand, The Oklahoma Twisters will be featured at Honky Tonk Night this Friday, October 8 at Maryland's hidden (and I mean hidden) treasure, Blob's Park. The 2nd Friday of each month will feature the best of local and nationally-known bands including Arty Hill and the Long Gone Daddys.(November 12)

Furthermore, there will be a painless and free dance lesson before the shows (and perhaps at break, depending on demand) by the old Twist and Shout instructors Ben and Debbie.

Insider's tip: Max keeps a hidden cold-vault behind the bar which holds a selection of fine schnapps and, just as importantly, chilled shot glasses (kept at 12 degrees F).

Dance lesson is at 7:30 p.m. Band starts at 8. Chilled schnapps - anytime."

Admission-just $10.

Surf's Up This Thursday, Cher

Loyal readers may remember the turmoil of a rare remaining honky tonk's demise- Chick Hall's Surf Club. It closed. It was sold. It didn't close. It almost became a CVS, but wait- then new owner James Byrum stepped in and tried to keep it all going with live bands. But "Surf Club Live" had to succumb to a new identity, and show casing local bands didn't pay the bills.

No matter what this room was built for live music, and James is trying to make that scene happen again- for now only on the occasional Thursday night. This Thursday dust off your cowboy boots for a good old fashioned Cajun Zydeco dance with Cypress Trio. Please come out and be a part of it.
Support the place- support the music- support the Cause.
Live music rocks.

$10 at the door. $5 minimum. Free billiards. 8-10:30 p.m.
Brought to you by Dancing By the Bayou.

Coming up- another dance hall struggles to stay alive-
Blob's Park this Friday.

Soul on Sunday

This Sunday is fraught with choices what with the Takoma Park Street Festival  and St  Bernadette's Fall Festival  happening on the same day. Both are good choices, but St Bernadette's has something Takoma Park doesn't have: pony rides!
They will also have food, games, beer and live entertainment. 
And best of all (besides the pony thing) if you didn't have time to get to church, King Soul will be there to help you feel all spiritual again. You can catch their groove from 1-4. Ambitious types can hit both Takoma and Silver Spring for a full day of free entertainment. Takoma runs 10-5. St Bernadette's 1-6.
St. Bernadette's is located at 80 University Blvd. E. just outside the Beltway in Silver Spring .

Do It In the Road by Lyn2

Photo Courtesy of Robert Egger's Love On the Road Project

Just as french fries with malt vinegar taste better at the beach, music sounds better when heard and danced to in the street. You can do that Sunday at the Takoma Park Street Festival from 10-5. The whole commercial area is blocked off for music, crafts sellers, food and folks. There are 3 music stages, and a wide array of genres. Boogie where the cars usually roam and support local vendors!

Crafty Bastards Saturday

Space Worm

Crafty Bastards Arts and Craft Fair features alternatives to mass production. It's happening this Saturday from 10-5 in Adam's Morgan. Boy, when they say one of a kind they mean it.

Mother May I Do It Again?

 



















Attention DC Rockers-
Did you see either of these shows?

If not this Saturday may be your last and only chance to see two vintage DC bands in reunion mode. If you did- then you get to do it again.

Mother May I and Hyaa! will both be at IOTA October 2 playing a concert for the benefit of the children of Rob LeBourdais from Mother May I.(Please don't pull out your old 80s garb or hairstyles for this one because we don't want to see them!) But we do want to see you. Come out and support a good cause, and the musicians that are making this scene happen...again.

A $15 donation gets you in to witness DC rock history come alive.

(And thank you Alice Despard for your help with this post.)

Loggers Hail Local Hardware

Politicians and their lackeys come and go in this town, and most never even scratch the surface of local Washington. On the flip side families that have lived here for generations have never stepped foot in the Capitol- especially nowadays with all the terrorcrats barring the way to the peoples' own real estate.

But here's a story from Stock Wilson of the Loggers which has nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with the history of our own Capitol Hill:

"Capitol Hill's oldest hardware store Frager's is celebrating its 90th anniversary next Saturday October 2nd with a rooftop performance by DC's Loggers from noon until 3. In the 80s I had a beat-up town house on Capitol Hill from which I was working sound for the Oxymorons, playing bass for the Slim Jims and fronting the Megatones. Our roadies all worked at Frager's!

"The original Loggers that formed on the Hill were Vince and Antoine Sanfuentes and myself. Piers Hackley has replaced Antoine and founding Mump, ex-Iggy Pop guitarist Rob duPrey joined the band in 2008. Although the Loggers are considered a roadhouse cover band in the DC tradition, our sets are heavily peppered with original material. Come join us for our Let It Be moment!"

TGIM by Lyn2

Thank the goddesses it's Monday. You can stop worrying about all those lofty weekend aspirations, put in a good day's work and go to Galaxy Hut to see Yell County and Musicband. I can tell you that Yell County rocks hard and smart. As for Musicband, you wonder why no one named themselves that before. Check them out. Galaxy Hut is a great little place at 2711 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington. Near Clarendon Metro and they've got good simple food and an eclectic beer selection.

Last Clue for Sunday

Magical Mystery Tour SUNDAY

There's a great show coming up this Sunday night involving two really, really good local bands. The only problem is this event takes place in a very small place so it won't take much to fill this room. If you can figure out what and where by the pix, then you can come.

Stay tuned for one more hint tomorrow.

p.s dear subscribers- if you can't see the pictures in your email,
hit the link to DC ROCKS itself.

Saturday Night: Cure for Brain Fade?

We have three bands coming up at Comet Ping Pong this Saturday night

Sleeper Agent, X-MC and the Yachtsmen. Perhaps all, or more likely none of these names will ring a bell. We supposedly start losing brain cells a few at a time starting in our twenties. Yet, as our short term memory worsens, supposedly our long term memories become more deeply engraved... like my kindergarten teacher- Claire Kleess. How could I ever forget her? I got to be on her show!

If you have not heard of the bands above the names below might come back to you:
Holy Rollers, Grand Mal, Law of Fives, Ruthie and the Wranglers, Mother May I, Wanktones, Earth Eighteen, Hula Monsters, Adam West, Negative Approach, Cravin' Dogs, Meatmen, Government Issue, Dizzy Dizzy, Hyaa! and Slickee Boys.

And if you still aren't getting anywhere- go anyway. Comet Ping Pong is a very cool venue with wood fired pizzas, a big bar and a room in the back for ping pong or live music. Bands will fire up around 10, and there'll be a lot of people there to remind you about those good ole brain cell shedding days.

Cover- only $5

Coming up- mark your calendars for Hyaa's Reunion Benefit at Iota next week.

Not a Night Owl?

I know- the kidsthejobthe house...you just can't get out much anymore, but there's still day light left in this season and nice weather coming up, and fall things to do.

You can get a jumpstart this Saturday when Jumpin Jupiter kicks of Clarendon Day at 11 AM at the Carfreediet stage. (What the heck? I didn't make that up though I kind of wish I had.) All activities including two stages and lots of stuff going on take place right up there by the Clarendon Metro. Bands will be playing all day including King Teddy and Honor BY August.

(I don't know if Jay Jenc will be awake that early, but if not you can also catch Jumpin Jupiter at the Mobtown Greaseball Event Saturday night at the Dundalk Moose Lodge. A slightly different cup of tea.)

Wednesday is for Wonderland by Lyn2

Let Color School teach you a lesson this Wednesday at Wonderland in Columbia Heights. Color School's dreamy power pop sound is a lesson plan designed by Jerry Herg, Charles Steck and Bill Kalish. the band's named for a 1950's - 60's art movement that happened right here in DC, and this has me curious.
Mobius Strip tells me that the future has an anthem, so I'm curious about that, too. The third act is David Scoli. The music starts at 9 and ends around midnight-no cover. Wonderland has music upstairs, a nice bar downstairs, a great patio, really good beer choices and yummy food.

And a good place to go back to school.

Both Sides Now by Lyn2

I've got a dilemma on Saturday night - two sides of the DC scene on display and I'm supposed to choose. In town at the Black Cat my young friend Ray and the Black Sparks are joining Gist on the Backstage. In Bethesda, friends we've known a bit longer - the Vi-Kings- will show off their decades of talent and experience at Parker's Classic American.

The Vi-Kings are Joe Dolan, Stock Wilson, Bill Euler, Matt Maury, Rob Howe and Rob Fisher. What started as a junior-high reunion has turned into a band chock full of talent that plays their favorites of 60's rock - Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds.

The Black Sparks have been taking the area by storm and wowed the Ft. Reno crowd with their over-the-top performance this summer. Ranging in age from 10-12, this band is one to watch. Gist is known for their rock solid, emphasis on "rock," and have been on my list for a few years.

I hope you'll have as hard a time choosing one of these shows as I will.

Local Rockers Do It at Iota

Friday night, if for whatever reason you don't go down to see Tommy Keene at the 9:30 Club, (Mr. "Places That Are Gone" guy whose song made me cry at the 9:30 anniversary show) then head over to Iota where WAMA award winner David Kitchen is the opening act. David put out a killer CD last year, but rarely plays his own stuff.

And on Saturday night, DC's own Songwriting Guy- Karl Straub will be the opener at Iota as well. Karl's been around many a moon with many a tune often covered by other artists.

Iota, a tiny venue in Clarendon, often has bands worth checking out, and this weekend is no exception. But be aware- the club is undergoing renovations, and the cafe side is closed though food is still being served in the bar.

Dancing Off A Stay of Execution

Blob's Park was the brain child of Max Blob- a German immigrant who started the  business on his family's farm in 1933 bringing the atmosphere of a real German beer garden to Maryland. It was shut down in 2007 after being sold to developers, but a slow economy and Max Eggerl, great nephew of Max Blob, saved the day. Max has leased back  the place until the bulldozers return.

Here's what Slickee Boy Mark Noone has to say:

"Blob’s used to be a fantasy land looming on the outskirts of Baltimore. It was where my parents and their friends would go to drink beer, eat wieners, and polka. My late friend John Hyde went there one evening with his wife and kept talking about the atmosphere for weeks. It is a great place, the kind of place only found in Baltimore; well, Jessup really. The dance hall is surrounded by 40 acres of rolling terrain. There's a cement pavilion where I have played many times, but you will never forget the dance hall. 


This Friday at 8 p.m., DC’s premier western swing band, The Oklahoma Twisters, will be playing their collective ass off in the dance hall; its kind of like BBQ brisket --meets wiener schnitzel with beer and dancing. One should go there at least once in a life time to experience the place and act like my parents’ friends did in the fifties and sixties."

South, North, East, West- Sometimes DC's The Best

A lot of musicians leave this town to find sanctuary in places like Nashville and California, but luckily some grow tired of other places and come back to Washington again.

This Thursday look for an amazing line up at IOTA featuring native Jonathan Mudd and his new band- all DC rockers past and present- Parthenon Huxley from Don Dixon and ELO II, Cal Everett from 4 Out of 5 Doctors and Tom Conner from Simple Man.

The Billy Coulter Band will get things started EARLY at 8:30 - This is another band full of DC talent including John Penovich, Arch Alcantara and Doug Tull. Billy says "come on out if you like local bands playing the kind of music that made 'HFS great listening: mixing roots rock with power pop into one cohesive sound."

$12 cover

Gotta Love a Homophone

Natty Boh may be a moniker for a working man's Baltimorean brew, but when it comes to bands Natty Beaux is: 


"A fun-lovin', finger-snappin', hoppin' and boppin' combo featuring musicians from Billy Coulter Band, The Junkyard Saints, Alexandria Kleztet and Western Bop. Folks just can't sit still when they hear 'em play toe-tappin' numbers from Louis Prima, Ray Charles, Louis Jordan, Bobby Darin, Elvis, Gene Vincent, Nat King Cole, Jerry Lee Lewis and more."

If that sounds like your cup of tea- take yourself down to the Bumper Car Pavilion dance and hear Natty Beaux live at Glen Echo Park this Saturday night. For the left footed amongst you- dance lesson from 8-9; the band swings from 9- midnight. $13