All Souls Gather Saturday

Like the tide over the years, Chick Hall's Surf Club has been up, and Surf Club has been down. In its country music hay day amazing things happened there including the likes of Patsy Cline and Lefty Frizzell, not to mention Chick Hall himself, one of DC's secret music legends. When JB Byrum took over the club several years ago, he did his best to keep the Surf Club music scene alive and well, despite the ups and downs of the economy and lack of community support. 
This Saturday - show JB the love- come out to the last live show booked at Surf Club for the foreseeable future. (If I were a music fan with nostalgic leanings and a craving for grits and similar groceries, I would definitely make the effort to be there.)
 King Soul is playing, and on the eve of the eve of All Hallow's Eve, Tom Clifford and his very capable band can take care of all your soulful needs.

Surreal Is the New Real

Parties down at the water's edge take on a reality of their own...and this one on Friday night featuring Color School (not the art movement but a band)  looks like it will take on a life of its own.

Ghoul's Night Out

Every year I hear some confusion over the event known as All Hallow's Eve or Halloween. The origins of this celebration are murky, but some stories include a Celtic festival marking Summer's end. Flash forward a few hundred years, and we've got the Christian twist which turned things Saint-ward. Still later traditions included wandering from door to door begging for food in exchange for prayers for all those lost souls.

What I know is Halloween is Monday. Trick-or-treaters go out on Monday, and adults better go out over the weekend in order to spiritually prepare themselves for the upcoming sugar fired effects of over active young beggars. This Friday Strathmore Arts Center is hosting a mixed media event including three bands and poster art called Rock Paper Zombies.  I love this description:

"Just like the hip party you would host—if you lived in a mansion with an art gallery, a cool band and a bartender."

Doors at 8 for Happy Hour specials. (Happy Hour, by the way, was invented to combat the effects of small children and/or beastly co workers on the adult nervous system. Use it wisely and with abandon.)

Virginia Is For The Lost

JVs is a tiny little joint stranded out there in Falls Church near Seven Corners, Virginia. Seven Corners, by the way, should be on the DC area's list of top ten traffic horrors. I also nominate the obvious - the Springfield Mixing bowl, but also- how about trying to merge onto and cross over I-395 from Maine Avenue to the D Street Exit? Scares me every time.

Why would DC Rocks send our readers to this godforsaken suburban outpost?  (Wait-would using godforsaken and suburban in one sentence be the same as a double negative?)

Here's three reasons:

Because the music you will stumble upon there is just that good.
Because they just don't MAKE places like JV's anymore,
and because what do you have to lose besides yourself in Virginia?

Okay 2 out of 3.

There are 2 shows worth checking out at JVs this weekend the first being guitar guru, Dan Hovey and Mary Ann Redmond on Friday night. On  Sunday starting at 5 look for an old fashioned country jamboree running all night and hosted by the legendary Hall Brothers (former proprietors of Chick Hall's Surf Club.) No telling who will show up, but guaranteed the music will be well worth the trip- on both nights.

Be sure to bring your GPS.

This Crew Has Gotta Swing

Vi-Kings Do Rock a Party

The Vi-kings don't like to think of themselves as putting on a concert so much as creating a Happening. A lot of talent is packed into this band including percussion legend, Bob Berberich. This from Stock Wilson pretty much sums things up. Hope it works for you: "The Vi-kings are the breeze that blew through Liverpool, Surrey and Richmond. Out of the Haight, down Sunset Boulevard, up the Mississippi and along south Michigan Avenue, it blew down Beacon Street, across Washington Park and into... Chevy Chase."

Yes, the Happening happensat the Chevy Chase Women's Club. (7931 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD) Friday 7:30- 12  Doors open at 7 p.m. with limited tickets available. $20

Gotta Love the Title: "Anti-Mosquito Activist Tells City to Put a Sock in It"

Just when I despair of DC radio being the most boring thing on the planet, along comes my neighbor and local hero, Doug Dupin who has taken the role of David in this summer's battle of Man Vs. Mosquito. On WAMU this morning,  he provokes a DC official into talking about dirty socks.

d.c.space still on our mind(s)

The corner of Seventh and E Streets, Northwest D.C. It's a Starbucks now; it was Clara Barton's office long ago. In the middle of all of that it was d.c. space where all kinds of art and music took place from 1977 until 1991. If this means anything to you, or if you would like to get a glimpse into how cool this little place once was-the DC Music Salon is hosting a retrospective this Wednesday at the Watha T. Daniel- Shaw Library. A discussion, a presentation and a happening featuring people who were there, live footage, music and more. 7- 9 p.m.

The Basement People

photo by chip py

Quarry House types (and you know who you are) or if you ever wanted to be one -there's a great show this Saturday night featuring the David Kitchen band. As usual DC Rocks promotes a lot of music for very little money in a not to be replicated, genuine throw back dive.

Save Where Poe Slept

Quite a few towns like to claim the relatively short and somewhat tragic lifespan of Edgar Allan Poe.  There's a square in his honor in Boston. (though he once called his birth place a "provincial frogpondium") His dorm room is well preserved on the lawn at the University of Virginia. (even though he had to drop out for lack of funds) There's a museum in Richmond where Poe grew up with the people who almost adopted him. And there's The Poe House in Baltimore where Poe met and married his young cousin. Mr. Poe died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849, and his death is still a bit of a mystery which  I suspect is just how he would like it.

Baltimore, I have to admit is a way cooler city in many respects than this humble burg, but the city has cut funding to this very romantic site. This Friday- 162 years to the day after his demise, The Velvet Lounge on U Street NW is hosting a benefit to save the Poe House with a raffle and live music including DC ROCKS' fave- Nunchucks. The event kicks off at 9:30 p.m.
Only $8 admission.

A sculpture of E. A. Poe by Paul Spaulding landed in NW DC

They'll Be Dancing in the Streets

Where are all these people going? Right where they were last year- watching music in the middle of the street in the middle of Takoma Park which makes this none other than the Takoma Park Street Festival. Bands band bands.  Food food food.  Farmer's Market and festive stuff. Live music scheduled from 11- 5 on three different stages- all this Sunday. Free.

Guitar Wonks' Alert

Friday Is Top Heavy

Today is Wednesday. Hump day- gotta get through to the other side day for the majority of working stiffs. For many musicians though, it's actually the weekend. A Sunday night kind of thing since a lot of bands start their weekends on Thursday. Here in Washington where the weather has been and continues to be partly sunny partly cloudy chance of thunderstorms for what seems like years now, it could be any day -same weather.

You could make things different. Go and see a live show. There are a lot of choices this week. Thursday night The Thrillbillys will command the Sunset Grille as usual.  Friday night  Baked and Wired in Georgetown is hosting an unplugged show with Peter Maybarduk.  Energetic types might want to go downtown to the Rock n Roll Hotel to catch The Great Unknowns who are doing  a benefit show for American veterans. And last but not least, you dancing animals should head over to Surf Club Live for a double header featuring The Grandsons and Curly Taylor and Zydeco Trouble. All of these shows are less than $20, but a little money goes a long way in the music world around here.

A Truly Honky Tonk Girl for One of DC's Last True Honky Tonk's

Good Things in Small Packages

The Sunset Grille in Annandale could not be a weirder, funkier, more down to earth kind of bar if it tried. (Yes, it's in Virginia, but it's a straight shot off that necessary evil- The Beltway.)
Music there ranges from pretty good to over the top outstanding, and the cover is never a big deal. Never a bad view-The Grille might be eight people deep from bar to stage- the picture above ,of the night Eddie Angel of Los Straightjackets showed up, was taken from the bar with a phone.

This THURSDAY go see David Kitchen and you will see what we mean.


Here's what's happening from Mr Kitchen:

"Come to The Sunset Grille, my home away from home where this Thursday night I will be bringing in my buddies to play the flat out rock and roll, double shuffling country numbers and funky old soul tunes that will have you dancing for sure. Dan Hovey on guitar, Jon Combs on bass and Robbie Magruder on drums. "

Thursday is the New Friday by Lynn Thorp

Whether you are in DC or one of our readers to the North or South, there's something for you to do this Thursday night.

At the Ottobar in Baltimore, DC's own Dear Season (Nathan Strejcek, Phil Duarte and Sean Randolph) will join Glen Matlock and the Philistines and two other bands. (Rock History Quiz: Do you know who Glen Matlock is?)

At DC9, you can catch 7 Door Sedan, Sister Ex and Marshall Keith. Doors at 8:30, bands at 9 pm in that order.

And at JV's out in Virginia-it's Dan Hovey. A lotta music.

You can't go wrong here folks. Support local music and your friends!

Thursdays Can Be Thrilling

Our Man About Town

George Pelecanos writes prolifically and profoundly, and sets his books in and around his hometown- our own Washington D.C. A big music fan, George writes about the real streets and sounds of Washington and that rarely includes Pennsylvania Avenue- especially now that the Powers That Be have seen fit to close the roads around the White House which cripples crosstown traffic. (How ironic that with all the latest 9/11 hoopla, there is talk of terrorists taking advantage of our horrible evacuation routes!)

But I digress.

George Pelecanos- will be reading from his new book, The Cut at Politics and Prose this Monday at 7 p.m. This independent bookstore has outlasted the Borders mega chain and holds down the fort near the corner of Connecticut and Nebraska.

Remembering Kazz

DC ROCKS readers may want to know about the plans to honor Kazz Montgomery, a legendary figure in our music and entertainment scene and a bright light in the lives of many in our community. Here's the info:

Saturday, September 10, 2011
GREENE FUNERAL HOME
814 Franklin Street, Alexandria VA 22314
(703) 549 - 0089

The viewing will be from 10am - 11am
The funeral service will be from 11am - 1pm

Any flowers or cards, etc. that you may wish to send may be delivered to:
GEORGIA BROWN'S RESTAURANT; 950 15th Street NW; Washington DC 20005
PHONE : (202) 393-4499

Goodbye Summer and Good Riddance

Perhaps the only good thing about the end of summer is the first freeze will knock out that incredibly pesky pest- the Mosquito. Besides feeding bats, I can't think of a single reason these blood suckers are here on the planet except to ruin the great outdoors for the rest of us.

Everybody complains, but few really do something about the invasion. My local hero, Doug Dupin is on the mission. He participated in DC's West Nile monitoring  program and was disappointed that the Tiger Mosquito, clearly our worst offender, was eluding capture. Doug went the extra mile , however, and developed the perfect lure-which involves smelly foot wear.  A giant step forward for civilization in the War of Bug vs Man. Read more about here at The Palisades Museum of Prehistory.