Song of the Month Refuses to Die

October's song "The Brain That Refused to Die" is DC's own spooky little number brought to you by the Slickee Boys. This song may live on as a digital download, or perhaps it's buried somewhere in your old vinyl collection, but these days, air play is rare. Still there's a good chance Weasel will play it on Halloween this Friday. (Yes, the stalwart home grown deejay of 'HFS days also refuses to die and still has a radio show going on WTMD.)

Mark Noone, Slickees' front man, often credits Weasel with helping to launch the band's career by giving their songs a boost on the radio. "Brain" was born circa 1980, and soon there after live concerts would not feel complete without guitarist Kim Kane donning the ritualistic mask during their set. (as if his signature fu manchu and long black braid weren't enough)

Although the group has disbanded, the Slickee tribe wove quite a spell in its day, infecting everyone with their raucous energy and creativity throughout the 1980s and reunion gigs up until 2011. This rough footage of the Slickee Boys performing "Brain" at University of Maryland's Colony Ballroom in 1984, will give you some idea of what went on in this crazy fun band whose colorful costumes were as much a part of the show as their music.

 A must on any Halloween sound track.
Keep it alive...

Don't Boo Hoo

I like Autumn.

Yes, I know, I know, it's the end of days, the dimming of the light, and all that sad seasonal disorder disease, but the spectacular fall weather that we've been having here in Washington DC has me jazzed. I love the fluctuating temperatures, the mix of clouds and bodacious blue skies and definitely the random craziness of Halloween.

Speaking of which, come Thursday, David Kitchen's band will be presiding over a Halloween Eve Bash. at JVs Restaurant in Falls Church. This tiny place will be celebrating 67 years next month and expanding its size soon, so hope its "ageless charm" remains in tact. JVs has always been a crazy place to see a rock show, and I imagine Thursday's event will be particularly barmy. What I do know is the band will rock your socks off. Stop by and wish David a happy birthday- he's asking for it.

A Hell Bent Double Feature

This Saturday night where in the world could you see two movies for a mere $5?

Why Greenbelt's Utopia Film Festival, of course, which will be featuring a retrospective of the still alive and kicking local film meister- Jeff Krulik. "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" is a gem of a time capsule hearkening back to the glory days of our pre-apocalyptic youth by focusing on a 1986  Judas Priest tail gate party at the now decimated Capital Centre.

And don't worry if you are or are not a fan of Led Zeppelin the band. The film "Did Led Zeppelin Play Here?" explores our local music scene on a far deeper level than the question poses- exploring the extraordinary rich variety of big name acts that played places like the Alexandria Roller Rink and the Wheaton Youth Center. In between films Jeff Krulik himself will be hanging around to answer everything inquiring minds want to know.

Missing: One Local Hero

Duke Ellington School of the Arts is having a very rough year. First off the school building is under going a major renovation, and the school is now operating in a swing space downtown. But even more traumatic than the move, principal, John Payne, died suddenly on October 9th. We knew Father Payne as the prefect of discipline while my son was going to Ellington, and we got to meet him early on while Kit was still at Hardy Middle School.  (I think he was in sixth grade the day he and a friend decided it'd be fun to light a pumpkin on fire in a trash can at their bus stop - right near the big green chair.) That was before we even knew Kit would end up at high school there.

Kit who is now 21 writes:

"Sometimes you can't help taking people for granted, without realizing it. Father Payne is one of those people that I took for granted because he was such strong force in my life I never even considered that one day he would not be there. Whether I was in trouble or he was simply reaching out, John Payne was always there for me and had my best interests at heart, and I was in trouble a lot. He will be missed by everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him, and I can not think of a single word that can describe the hole he leaves behind in this world. He was the type of person whose spirit words can not capture. i will always remember him and be thankful for every day I knew him."

Father Payne had a huge impact on our community. I mentioned him in a piece I wrote last year as being a local hero, and then yesterday saw a posting by my good friend Bobby Lee Birdsong echoing that very sentiment. Bobby was writing about tuning a piano at the National Shrine for Father Payne's mass today:

"I had a rather reverberant early Sunday eve just now, tuning a Steinway L grand piano at the National Shrine, empty of all but a few visitors. Sadly, this is for a funeral mass to be held tomorrow morning for Father John Payne, the beloved principal of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, who died unexpectedly last week at age 53, and who dedicated his life to God (a priest in the Augustinian Order), and to arts education. A truly awesome individual who bettered the lives and souls of thousands of DC art kids, and a true local hero. RIP Father Payne."

 (In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to the Ellington Fund, 2001 10th St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 or online at http://www.ellingtonschool.org/ellington-fund/donate-now/, indicate gift in memory of Father Payne)

DC Rocks at the Movies

Most movies set in and around Washington are centered around federal dramas, not our own local scene. I might make an exception for "The Exorcist" because it was allegedly based on a Maryland boy who went to the then Jesuit run Georgetown Hospital for his exorcism. The movie was big news when it first opened here in 1973, but I wouldn't get up my courage to see it see it for years, though I could always point out those steep eerie steps near Key Bridge.

Oh, and "All the Presidents Men" came very close to home for me- not for the Washington Post angle so much as because one of the major players, E. Howard Hunt, lived next door to my family during the Watergate era. I remember my mom took him a casserole when he got out of jail, and he brought back the pan.

And who could forget "The Happy Hooker  Goes to Washington?" Well, me for one, but I''ll bet it played at the Key in Georgetown where the midnight showing of "Rocky Horror" reigned for years.

But I digress.

Hankering for a movie about DC natives and topics? Check out the Decade of Docs in Our City Film Festival. This event includes films that examine issues like our lack of voting rights and  our rapidly changing neighborhoods, Ballou's marching band program, the era of Cool Disco Dan, graffiti bandit, and The Bayou, a long gone night club with a great musical pedigree.

Conveniently Yours

Daytime, night time, Saturday, too…
(Anybody remember that catchy little bit o' advertising?)

This weekend Takoma Park, Md might have the corner on live music starting Saturday night with King Soul at the Takoma VFW. If you are tired of spending too much for a night out, let me tell you, the price of a cocktail at this place is as old school as this great little joint.
Then if you get home early enough, and still have yer get up and go the next day, why not take the whole family to the Takoma Park Street Festival  on Sunday.  All of old town will be closed to traffic with 3 stages-one at either end and one in the middle. It's back to bands- over 15 acts - all day long from 11 a.m. 'til round 5 pm. Free.

Hang with Your Hometown

An unusual gig is coming up this Friday at the Birchmere - a sort of Western themed musical called Hangtown Dancehall - spearheaded by ex- pat Washingtonian Eric Brace and Karl Straub. This one of a kind project involves a cavalcade of local musicians and features another formerly local player Kelly Willis as well.  Since Eric used to write  the "Nightwatch" colum for the Washington Post, I thought I'd let him tell you how this collaboration came about. His story includes a lot of old local stuff which I'm always a sucker for:

"I first encountered Karl Straub in the early '90s at Alice Despard's little club Roratonga Rodeo. Alice had opened Roratonga Rodeo in Clarendon in, perhaps, 1991, wayyyyy before Clarendon was cool. Before the Whole Foods!  I was in two bands then: One was called The Beggars, and I was playing bass in Kevin Johnson & the Linemen. Both bands played at the Roratonga Rodeo, and it became a hang out even when I wasn't playing. I'd park in the crumbling lot of the empty Sears (where the Barnes & Noble is now) and spend hours at Roratonga's little bar. (Alice transformed it into Galaxy Hut a few years later.) 

And the Rodeo was where I first saw Karl's band -The Graverobbers- which immediately became my favorite group in town. They also had a Sunday night residency at IOTA when that opened in '93, back when it was 1/3 the size it is now. I loved the band's bash-it-out garage rock, loved Karl's singing and guitar playing, but especially his songwriting -- surreal lyrics floating over spectacular melodies and chord progressions.

Karl was also one of my inspirations for starting my band Last Train Home, partly because there were songs of his I always wanted to sing like "Tonight" and "It Doesn't Matter." 

But I always wanted to be in a band and collaborate more with Karl. We would have long conversations about songwriting, guitar playing and a myriad of things like Ernst Lubtisch's pre-Hollywood musicals.

The Gold Rush was always in my head. Being a kid in Northern California, I always imagined digging up a big old gold nugget. As an adult I read up on the history of that time, and was hit by how many great songs could be written about it. As I started crafting a story line to hold the music together, I remembered Karl's thoughts on movie scores, and I asked him if he would be up for composing an overture to the whole thing. (He had recently gotten a degree in composition from Howard University.)

He said he'd get right on it. 

That never happened.

But he did become part of the whole process. He co-wrote much of "Hangtown Dancehall" with me as well as some of my favorite moments all by his lonesome including "Smile and a Little Skin" and "Hangtown Fry." 

For more details, here's a review of the show from Steve Kiviat  or just come and see for yourself.  It's sure to be a hometown kind of thing with lots of reunions going on both on stage and in the audience.

Going Back

DC ROCKS' Song of the Month is "Goin' Back"- a must for all you DC music fans to add to your playlists.  Although the song credits go to Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the only version I really like is by DC 's own Nils Lofgren.

Nils might be nationally known as a guitar slinger (and acrobat) for  Bruce Springsteen, but around here everyone likes to tell stories that swirl around his roots in Bethesda, his early escapades with Neil Young and of course, his band Grin. It seems like countless fans of a certain age either know him or his brother, or heard the band practicing in a garage somewhere. Grin even played Fort Reno way back when. But it was just after Grin and way before Springsteen that Nils came out with a solo album which included "Going Back."The Byrds did it. Carole King did it. Freddie Mercury did it for Pete's sake. Phil Collins has a beautiful version, but to me Nils is the only one that lifts this song out of its sugar glazed gauze and puts it on solid ground.

His version lacks sentimentality which is hard to do with a song so deeply steeped in nostalgia. I don't know if it's the up beat or the piano, but in the end, this song defies its title and is as much about moving forward as it is about going back.  I think Nils Lofgren is the one that delivers that message with joy. Play it if you can.

Get Out

September weather can be dang near perfect in DC so now is a good time for a walk-about. This Saturday check out my favorite food and music frenzy- the H Street Festival which is a huge yet still eclectic celebration of a neighborhood. Make sure you get a piece of one of those  Dangerously Delicious Pies. (the most deadly being the Baltimore Bomb)  These hefty slices of heaven are brought to you by a musician who honed his baking skills while touring and managed to bake his way off the floor by the cat box to a couch. Now he has his own shops- two in DC and one in Baltimore.

Also in the mix are multiple stages, sometimes every block, and all kinds of activities and bands including MH and his Orchestra, Little Red and the Renegades and Vintage 18.

Dive In

Wednesday's Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU was right up DC ROCKS' alley. The discussion was all about dive bars and included Jackie Greenbaum who rescued The Quarry House from extinction and kept the atmosphere in tact right down to a low hanging but now defunct heating pipe.

 Even though I knew almost all the bars mentioned, I learned a lot from this show. I knew JVs was old, but didn't know it was born in the oldest strip mall in the DC area. I knew Quarry House goes way back but didn't know it might have been a speakeasy, and that there is no heat. I'm not sure why I 'm drawn to the darker side of sticky floors and creepy bathrooms with bad locks, but at least I know I'm not alone. This show also turned me onto a rather outrageously perfect punk rock explanation called Burn Down the Brixton by Jack On Fire- a band I can't wait to see.

Curious? Quarry House has live music every Saturday night with The Rock-a-Sonics coming up this week. JVs somehow churns out shows almost every evening- often twice on the weekends. Already have a favorite hang out? You can use the link above to chime in on Kojo's  dive bar survey.

Two not mentioned on the show that are a couple of my favorites (though relative new comers) are The Galaxy Hut which has a capacity of about 60 people, and a formidable beer list, plus  The Big Hunt. With it's furry chandeliers and dark strange atmosphere, I have to put this one on the list.

Why?

Why did all my cucumbers come in one week? Why do celebrities die in threes? And why are so many  bands playing Saturday and not Friday?

Ruthie and the Wranglers are back at Gypsy Sally's, one of the better places to see a show these days if you are looking for a decent size space and dance floor, but also cramming in this Saturday night we've got The Vi-kings at Clyde's, Little Red and the Renegades at Quarry House, and Beat Hotel at Harp and Fiddle.

And for all you day owls: Bumper Jacksons and more will be at the Atlas Brewery Anniversary Party Saturday afternoon.

Where Are They Now ? Part 1 Northwest Cowboy

Labor Day. Those two words describe a holiday meant to honor workers, but Labor Day also portends the end of summer, back to the grind and back to school. But what happens AFTER graduation? My daughter and her friends graduated from Wilson in 2011, and DC ROCKS will be digging around to see where they are now.

First up is Will Mitchell, who like many students, spent his high school years somewhat confused.  He knew "something was wrong" with the way the world worked, but didn't know what exactly. Then, after changing his major multiple times at Penn State, a stint on a cattle farm in Maryland helped Mitchell find his focus.

Sustainability.

Mitchell then graduated in four years with a double major in Geography and Energy Business and Finance, plus a minor in Environmental Inquiry(!) One smart cookie, he took that diploma right back to Glen Mary Farm where he teamed up with owner JD Schmidt to grow grass in just the right way for beef cattle. Soon after Mitchell started his own venture- the Tenleytown Meat Company. Check it out!

Unlike most farm to table vendors, there's an economic twist here. Beef and lamb are sold in bulk for two reasons: to keep prices down and to give the farmer some economic stability. (The web site shows a only fairly small amount of freezer real estate needs to be devoted to an order, but if you are really short on space, consider sharing a purchase with a neighbor.)

Plus cattle are not just grass fed, but completely grass finished- something not easy to find- even at Whole Foods- partly because there is no legal definition of how long an animal has to be in the pasture to qualify as "grass fed."

Finally in keeping with that sustainability theme, orders are delivered by a very cool custom fitted bicycle. (pun intended) Mitchell hopes his model will "influence other businesses to incorporate bicycles into their plans for growth and evolution."

By the by, when Mitchell is not wrapped up in business, he is back at his alma mater, coaching the boy's novice crew team.  (Just can't hide that Tiger Pride.)

Will Mitchell- DC ROCKS salutes you!

A Trio of Talent

I first saw The Walking Sticks at a tug of war between Annapolis and Eastport, but that's another story. I think this young band is worth keeping an eye on. Catch them at a somewhat rare DC based event at the 9:30 Club this Saturday with M.H. and His Orchestra and Black Masala. This "illumination" is being put on by the Brindley Brothers- the guys who brought you Jammin Java- and it looks to be an imaginative, crazy and creative show.

Ticket prices are $15 which I think is the economic equivalent of days long gone at the old 9:30 where you could see 3 bands for 3 bucks and still live to tell about it.

Door at 8 p.m.

Something Is Brewing in DC

Hard to be crabby with DC Brau flowing

Ladies and gentlemen; beer lovers everywhere. The craft beer craze has taken over the Capital-spawning brew pubs and IPAs- all running amok. This month alone, Bardo's started brewing their own,  and Mt Ranier is all abuzz about the new Brookland Pint which just opened near there.  Beer Week kicked off last night with a DC Brau crab fest at the Quarterdeck, and plenty of events coming up through this Sunday.

Yes, beer week.

Who knew DC would become this kind of town.

Bob Tupper presiding @ Folk Club

For me, it started when I spotted Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale- a brew that caught my eye because Bob Tupper was my history teacher in high school. (as well as my beloved Folk Club advisor)
I knew that he and his wife Ellie were into beer because when I painted their house as a college student, I saw their phenomenal beer can collection. At the time I thought it was just kind of weird. I didn't realize they were dead serious about hops until I was lucky enough to catch one of Tupper's beer seminars at the Brickskeller before that scene fell apart. The Tuppers, however, are still drinking and still brewing- and their latest effort will be in partnership with Lost Rhino. Read all about them in the City Paper's "Beer" issue.

As we speak I am sitting at a table at Boundary Stone in Bloomington, where a battle of the beers is going on: DC Brau vs Three Stars. The scoring is tight, but so far DC Brau is leading by a star. It's a challenge to keep up with all the local brews coming out, but the gauntlet has happily been thrown. Come out to one of these events and judge for yourself.  (Please xcuse any typos)

 DC Brau @ Bardo's with Sense of Humor completely in tact

Summer Soundz

Friday Night. The work week is over; Congress has gone home, and an August evening in Washington is something for us homies to savor in this half empty town. If you are looking for something to do,  Troublefunk and the Junkyard Band at the historic Howard Theater has got to get my vote for the penultimate Washington experience. For the nostalgic amongst you who are not into go-go,  the name Catfish Hodge should ring a bell. You can find him live and still kicking at JVs in Falls Church.

And last but not least, Luke Brindley is having a CD release party at his own home base, Jammin Java over in Vienna. I got a sneak preview of the album. Think mason jars and mandolins- a down home folk club kind of thing going on here for those of you in a more mellow frame of mind.

Get Lucid and Get Dancing

A bunch of bands, a summer night in Washington. Get ready for the full moon and dance for the greater good at this fundraiser for the District Alliance for Safe Housing at DC9  this Saturday.

Bethesda Brings It Back

Remember Bethesda Cinema and Drafthouse ? It was like going to a frat to watch a movie- a lot of fun but a little sticky. Now the place is all cleaned up for grown ups, but the Vi-kings show will take you back to the days of old Bethesda- the days before the high rises when you went up to the roof of the little parking lot behind Shakey's Pizza on East West Highway for the view. Before the Bethesda Metro station and way before Bethesda made the Top 10 Snobbiest Small City list.

At least they saved the theater.

Dispatch from "Away"

I mentioned last time that most of DC is down at the shore these next few weeks, but August is when the town truly feels empty. Where has everyone else gone? Up North, also known as "the Land of the Enemy" according to my friend Paul, who was "born on a mountain top in Tennessee," but has lived near Bangor, Maine for over twenty years now. In that time he has discovered that if you (and your grandparents) were not born here, you are "from away"

I have to confess, DC Rocks is reporting from "away" right now, but looking forward to returning to DC in hopes of trying the long awaited, newly minted beer from Bardo-the now fully functioning brew pub on Bladensburg Road. (Some of you might remember the proprietor, Bill Stewart whose earlier incarnations included BBQ Iguana, Roratunga Rodeo and Bardo Rodeo)

Bardo has been open for about a year now, but has had set backs due to permitting and licensing issues.  Brewing as we speak, Stewart will be bringing back a lot of the old recipes he used in Virginia including the Marion Barry lambic.  Check the web site before you go; Bardo's own is due to be ready in the next few weeks, but the exact date is still uncertain. Surrounded by razor wire and chain link, Bardo is a little outpost, frequented by bikers (not the motorized type) and unlike many new places in town- has a completely unvarnished and eclectic appeal. Welcome back to DC, Bill.

All Hail Holly's

Beach season is peaking now, and it seems like half of DC is roaming the boardwalks of Bethany and Rehobeth while the other half is down in Ocean City getting a body part tattooed or pierced. Traffic can be the stuff of nightmares- especially if an accident happens near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  I have no solution for this problem, but there is a balm, also known as a chocolate milk shake at Holly's.

When my parents were young and short on funds, there was no Bay Bridge, only a ferry. They would load the kids, towels, bathing suits and lunch into the car and make the 4 hour trip to the shore for the day.

For the day.

Ocean City 1950

Whatever method they used to cross over to the Eastern Shore, my dad liked to stop at Holly's Restaurant for a chocolate milk shake. Holly's has been around since the 1950s, and the inside feels as if time stood still with wooden booths, tile floors and a counter top flanked by chrome and vinyl stools. There's even an old water fowl gun hanging over the kitchen door - right near the picture of the original owners- the Ewing family- not far from the antique weight machine and stoves.

You can still stop in for a bite at Holly's- although it takes a bit of tactical planning and engineering to get off Route 50 now, but it's well worth it - especially if you like endangered species like family run restaurants. If you are lucky, the iconic soft shell sandwich will be available. It's like eating a crunchy delicious spider on white bread. (and if that description turns you off, well... the more for me) Places like this are disappearing at an alarming rate, and I am truly sorry to say, Holly's is no exception. The property has been sold.

(Think Royal Farms by next year. Ugh. )

Good bye old milk shake machine. Good bye wooden booths and the weight machine near the bath rooms. Good bye Maryland crab soup, fried chicken and soft shell sandwiches.  Farewell to home made ice cream. Get that milk shake while you can.

Good Things in Small places

photo by Geoffrey Baker

This week's good things include Dave Chappell at JVs on Thursday and 7 Door Sedan and friends at the Treehouse Lounge on Friday

Not to mention Alma Tropicalia and Black Masala at Comet Ping Pong also on Friday. 

Just to name a few…so much to do.