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.

Old 9:30 Flyer / New Gigs

(Either get out your bifocals or click on the poster to read it.)

Maybe you can't find "Three Bands for Three Bucks" anymore, but you can still see the SLICKEE BOYS this Friday at Black Cat and TROUBLEFUNK at 9:30 Club Saturday night. The more things change...

Slickee Boys Are Back in Town Just in Time

The old 9:30 Club used to advertise itself as "a place in time." Now it's a place that exists only in our minds. The long dark hall- the three seats by the back bar door- the tiny cubicle where Susan Mumford was usually posted to sell tickets. The front and back bars where Stewart Schmalbach could be counted on to hold down one end or the other. All gone. Only the facade of the Atlantic Building remains there now.

You can't go back to the old 9:30, but you can see The Slickee Boys again- alive and very much still kicking THIS FRIDAY night at THE BLACK CAT- another cool old DC bar with history.

In DC It's the Go Go Way or the Highway

Check it out Chuck Brown Street!!!!!!!!
This Saturday at 4 p.m. Washington will officially recognize our one and only Godfather of Go-go at 7th and T by naming part of Seventh Street "Chuck Brown Way!" Mr. Brown will be on hand to meet and greet. What a great way to cool off this weekend-by basking in the coolness of this hometown hero.
And you can also see the Man himself Saturday night in concert at one of Washington's, yes, I will call it this-one of Washington's institutions THE ONE and ONLY 9:30 Club. A tradition. A time in place, a place in time. Go Go-go . Go!

A DC Boy

Anyone who knows Mark Noone (and that will include a LOT of DC natives) knows that he is a man of many, many talents and often driven towards perfection. You might know him as the lead singer of The Slickee Boys or a mainstay in the Hula Monsters. He's been in bands around here making music all his life, and may very well hold the world's record for the most performances ever at the 9:30 Club. He also has the gift of gab, and a phenomenol memory. Washington is his home town. Click here to find out what Mark was talking about on the playground at Lafayette Elementary-in 1964. He's still talking about it today.

Go Chuck Go (Say What?)

They say it's your birthday, and there's gonna be a party party over here and a party over there at the 9:30 Club- and no local celebrity deserves celebrating more than our very own DC legend-Chuck Brown. You might have caught a glimpse of him on the DC Lottery ad, but if you've ever seen him live you know he's a man that works hard at making people feel good. He might only do three songs, but the show lasts an hour and a half; he doesn't stop playing, and he never stops smiling. That said, he's performing at his own party this Saturday night with Chopteeth- another energized band who vies for the bottomless song category.

Happy Birthday, Mr Brown, and thanks for keeping this town in that go-go swing.

DC Rocks Turns ONE

I began writing DC ROCKS a year ago today. I started this whole thing in an effort to get away from my family. I love my family, but overgrown teenager that I am, I needed another place to go. I didn't know what I wanted to write about, but I wanted it to be about something else -something besides the DC/family stories that I was working on. My first posting was mostly about junking, but almost immediately local music and musicians began to creep into the format. Still I had no idea what a Godzilla of a theme this would turn out to be. Next thing I knew though the Fort Reno concerts were starting up so I wrote about that- then the Beatnik Flies had their first reunion concert, and I wrote about that. Soon music was filling the page.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've always been a music fan. I got a guitar when I was ten. I sneaked into bars like Mr. Henry's to see bands. I thrived in college group houses where stereos were as necessary as air, and where The Back Room at The Varsity Grill was in staggering distance. Then came the 9:30 Club and dc Space. (I hung out there so much I once married a bartender, but that's a different story.)

Music has always been the landscape wherever I lived, and though I've scorned DC in the past, I am amazed now more than ever at the wealth of all kinds of talent here. I'm not an expert- in fact I pretty much rank myself as an advanced beginner in almost everything I've tried to do. But there are no rules here. I get to make this up as I go along, and it's been really fun to fall into it head first.

I want to thank everyone- my readers and friends for reading, encouraging and putting up with me.

You all make DC Rock.

Urban Verbs Planting the Flag

This week when I talked with Roddy Franz, lead singer of The Urban Verbs , he mentioned the phrase "planting the flag" more than once. He was referring to grabbing this band from the mire of obscurity and getting it back on the DC map where it belongs. (Although I kept picturing astronauts on the moon, I know what he means.)

When Roddy returned to DC a few years ago, he was not happy to see The Verbs being overlooked in film and books about DC music. He feels their band was a precursor to the somewhat significant DC punk scene when they formed in 1978 and practiced in that gloomy basement of The Atlantis- later the 9:30 Club on F Street. (if you ever went downstairs at the old club- you know it's not a place you wanted to spend a whole lot of time unless you were getting stoned)

Back in the day, I don't remember another group around here sounding quite like the Urban Verbs. Roddy's haunting voice combined with the rich sounds of Robert Goldstein on guitar and Robin Rose's synthesizer drove their songs. Every day life situations about subways and love affairs and friendships gone awry became mysterious and lyrical in their hands.
The Verbs were not without notoriety in their own time. They were the first local band to play New York's legendary CBGBs which resulted in Brian Eno (Yes, Brian Eno!) writing them a two page fan letter. Roddy feels their music was both immediate and personal, and better experienced live. But the recordings of The Urban Verbs somehow managed to sidestep that dated eighties sound; their music still stands up. Many thought they were ahead of their time- and many still feel that way. Their sneak preview at Comet Pizza a couple of weeks ago managed to catch The Washington Post's attention and caught a rave.

Now Roddy is on a mission to see that this band is not forgotten, and Seth Hurwitz, owner of the 9:30 Club is supporting that cause by giving them a gig this Saturday night- back at the place where-if not geographically at least spiritually- the band was born. They will be performing mostly older materiel, but will also have three new songs to unveil. And Roddy's son, Max will be on drums. It's an early show- doors open at 6. Martin Royle (Roddy says think Jonathan Richman- only better) will be opening, and The Verbs hit it at 8 p.m. sharp so I'm told.

Something strange is the theme of the evening. It should be something to behold.

They're Coming

It's been some time since The Urban Verbs played around here. In fact the last time I saw them they were one of the bands closing down the original 9:30 Club on F Street in 1995. So I am very happy to report their return to the scene this Saturday night. When lead singer, Roddy Franz returned to DC a few years ago, he was dismayed to find hardly a footnote of their significant impact here, but here's what my trusty correspondent, Lyn2 remembers:

So the thing about the Urban Verbs is that I was not someone who saw them all the time, but I did see them. Everyone I know had the first record and somehow the sound defined a period for me, despite there being many other great sounds at the time in local music. I never got the record on disc, but last summer when I got a turntable I popped it on. I knew every word and every note like I had been hearing it every day, even though I hadn't heard it much at all for over twenty years. Favorite lyric? "I get n-n-n-n-nervous whenever you're n-n-n-n-near me." Just recently when Roddy posted the Eno version of Next Question, I could barely work for the rest of the day. It blew me away because it sounded so right.

If you are pining for The Verbs or just curious and have a screwed up turntable or other such technical difficulties, check out their myspace page ( see link above) or Wounded Bird Records which has re issued their albums on CD. Look for another story this week as I had a long talk about the show with Roddy earlier today. I am one of many that thought this band was ahead of its time. (way ahead)

And, as an aside, something weird is going on with the titles to my post. They only appear if your cursor waves over them like a magic wand. If anyone knows how to break this spell-please email me. (This blog is managed by Luddite Inc. a division of The Knownothing Party)

NB: The Rosslyn Mountain Goats play The Quarry House TONIGHT.

Thirty Years and Back Again

prabir and the subs with the silver beats back stage

The Silver Beats sold out the 9:30 Club last Friday night turning the space into a roaring arena. But Prabir and The Substitutes rose to the occasion knocking out all of us who knew them, and grabbing the attention of everyone else with their charm and good looks.
(Oh, and they rocked the house down.)
The next night, back at 9:30, there was a smaller but still respectable crowd- older rock and rollers-some with youngins in tow. It was hard to believe that all six Thirty Years Over DC bands weren't the newest thing or haven't been playing together forever-as everybody was vibrant - each delivering a strong set. According to Mark Noone, show-biz guy-"Killer drummers were everywhere." A straw poll showed it hard to pick a favorite, but I thought Howling Mad put on their best show that I've seen. Michael Reidy was irrepressible as usual- making fun of the club's new panini sandwich. And Ottley might have to be the Who's who of DC's bands-all three are such veterans. Martha Hull's voice is still as bewitching as ever.
One of my favorite old time moments came when Dan Palenski (former Slickee Boy) sat in with Ottley and delivered his signature cover of I'm 18 while Boyd Farrell (Black Market Baby, Rustbuckit) was front and center in the audience singing along.
The evening ended with 9353, and I thought they were particularly mesmerizing and powerful. I don't know where I was, but I missed them at 9:30 last summer.


9353 /photo: Kathleen Hellington

If you missed this show, Ottley and The Rambling Shadows, plus other bands from way back when will be at The Quarry House later this month. Keep an eye on their schedule.

P.S. Thanks to Lisa and the 9:30 Club for making this particular show possible and for recognizing the importance of getting us together for the heck of it, and not for a funeral.
Hail hail rock and roll-
and life.

Party Party Weekend @ The 9:30 Club

Yes. It's Prabir and The Substitutes on Friday night AND a big rock show Saturday night BOTH at the The 9:30 Club, but what can you do? It happens. One is the future, one's from the past. And speaking of the past....


Mark Holmes, d.j./artist from the olden days at the 9:30 Club made schedules an art form. You can see an assortment of these framed in the basement of the new club where ghosts reside at the original back bar. (I sure have a boat load of memories there. My best friend once passed out and hit his chin on that bar twice in one night. Not to mention... well, don't get me started.) The 9:30 Club used to advertise itself as a place in time, and this Saturday night we can all get in that way back machine thanks to Marshall Keith (Slickee Boys, Ottley) who had a light bulb moment last summer at the DC Space benefit for Tom T:
I really liked the idea of a bunch of acts doing short sets. It kinda reminded me of those shows in the 60s where there would be a back up band, and then 10 acts would do 2 or 3 songs each. So Marshall grabbed the right person that very night, made his pitch, and now the idea is coming to life.
To all of us who were hanging out or playing in bands at the beginning of the DC new wave/punk scene, the 9:30 club is like Grandma's house. Makes me all warm & fuzzy.

Boyd Farrell (Black Market Baby, Rustbuckit) has a slightly different take on the old 9:30: The putrid smell of old beer and puke..I had to wash my clothes twice after spending just 5 minutes there.

Anyway.

Marshall especially wanted to get The New Standard on the bill since they missed playing the gig last summer. The New Standard emerged from a band called The Penetrators which formed in 1977 and played at The Atlantis- The 9:30 Club's first incarnation. In 1979 they opened for The Cramps at the LBJ Club - a gig listed in some music histories as DC's first true punk event according to George Dively, a founding member. In 1980 The Penetrators broke up, and George went on to reform the band as The New Standard with Mash LeGrande and Matt Makaio. As a three-piece 'power pop trio', we took quite a few people by surprise, playing songs at breakneck speed with complex chord changes and 'beatnik poetry' lyric.
The group has been on and off again over the years, but like a lot of these bands- they're seasoned musicians ready to throw it out there again. The 9:30 Club gig January 12 is an excellent opportunity for open-minded indie/alt music aficionados to revisit or discover one of DC's least-known 'great original bands'.

And the cover is $12- what a deal at just two bucks a band!!! (And don't worry the smell is gone- smoke free even)

Here's the low down from Marshall:

30 years over DC- The Resurgence: Limp records veterans in great new bands. We're doing condensed 30 minute sets so you hear la creme de la creme de la creme only. Former members of Razz, Penetrators, Slickee Boys, Black Market Baby, Velvet Monkees, Trenchmouth, White Boy, Crippled Pilgrims and more- Headlining the whole shBang is 9353. (our comrades from a couple of years later)
Doors open at 7:30.

8-8:30 The New Standard
8:45-9:15 Rustbuckit
9:30-10 Rambling Shadows
10:15-10:45 The Howling Mad
11-11:30 Ottley
11:45-12:15 9353

Click on the card below to read it and get a blast from the past-
Be sure to check out Sun 13

artwork by Mark Holmes 1981

Everybody's Waiting For Prabir

Prabir and the Substitutes- that young Richmond band I've been raving about- that both wild women and grown men have been swooning over- is hitting this town once more. All Music Guide just gave their new album Share a great review. And like a good restaurant, they've never disappointed every time I've seen them. They'll be at at the 9:30 Club this Friday night, January 11th, when they open for the Japanese Beatles tribute band The Silver Beats. Their similarity to the Beatles got them this gig, but Prabir's music is original and definitely has a sound and joyous fury of its own. Go see for yourself this Friday.


Chip Py-my rock photographer extraordinaire-got the shots for this posting during their gig at The Black Cat last week.

Got Nick?

The Nick Lowe tribute show this weekend (which includes almost our entire population of local musicians and then some) is sold out. I hear the powers that be sold it as a seated show which can be a drag according to the powers that don't be that wish they could dance. It should be a great show, but take heart if you didn't plan ahead- you can hit a movie and rest up for next weekend. That's going to be a busy one including Prabir at the 9:30 Club Friday (some of us can't get enough) or Chopteeth and The Junkyard Saints at the Surf Club. (Whoa- THAT's a dance party) Then on Saturday there's the 30 Years Over DC punk frenzy at the 9:30 Club including Ottley and The Howling Mad. (and it should be)
Maybe we'll all have calenders by then.

100 King-or Another Small Town Story from the Naked City

(Dave Chappell, Patty Reese And John Meadows @ 100 King)

John Meadows is trying to get music going at 100 King in old town Alexandria. It's a nice big space with huge windows on King street-just a couple of blocks from the River and excellent food to boot. I met John when he worked at the much missed Starland Cafe in my hood, but he also worked at the Birchmere for many moons. I went down there to see Patty Reese and Dave Chappell a few weeks ago. I was curious about Patty- from more than one party I knew her as one of those close degrees of separation from me. When she was a wee lass, she used to come to parties at my group house in College Park where I lived with her best friend's older brother, Rick. Since then Patty grew up to be a well established musician in these parts, but though we have mutual friends, I never saw her again until 100 King. She didn't remember me, of course, but she did recall the Great Dane that gave our hellatious home its Dog House moniker. I emailed my old house mate the story, and he promptly emailed this back:


(Shea-courtesy of Alan Kresse)

She was playing with Dave Chappell. I met Dave, consummate guitarist, when I went to see The Troubadours because my friend Mark from the old 9:30 Club days was in that band along with Jake Flack. Jake had bought a house from another college house mate, Pete. (Yes, I moved a lot back then.)
But I digress. Patty will be playing tomorrow night around 8 with Paul Bell of the Nighthawks and back again December 6 with Dave Chappell. Keep an eye on 100 King-it's another great place to see music around here...for free. And say hey to John. Tell him I sent you. (Isn't that what small towns are for?)

Update on dc space Benefit for Tom Terrell(from those that put it on)

Greetings!

We thought you'd like to know that together we raised nearly $12,000 for our friend Tom Terrell at this outstanding event.

If you want to make a further donation to Tom, or know someone who does, his sister has set up a benefit fund for him. Here's the donation information, please feel free to pass this on to anyone who wants to help:

Tom Terrell Benefit Fund (Check should be written out to)

c/o Bevadine Z. Terrell

1839 Otis Street, NE

Washington, DC 20018-2713

Bittersweet SHow @ 9:30 Tonight

The posters that were all over town some 20 years ago are back- only this time they're in color. 9353 at the 9:30 Club. It's not deja vu; it's actually happening. If the posters read "with Black Market Baby," you'd KNOW you were dreaming, but that's sort of happening, too, in the guise of Rustbuckit. King Giant is also on the bill. They all played in July at the dc space reunion, and they all rocked. Twenty years or not.

But King Giant has an especially hard row to hoe tonight as they have lost their lead singer, Bob Dotolo. Shortly after the reuinon, a bunch of us found ourselves back at the 9:30 Club- only this time it was for bOb's wake. It was a rude awakening indeed. A lot of us don't see each other anymore, and bOb was definitely among the missing in many circles. It was good to see him again, and it's hard to know that that was the last time. BOb worked at the club way back when, and he was always a friendy, I want to say gentle guy- even though he was a door man. He smiled a lot. Even though so many hadn't seen him in so long, I think he would be surprised at how much he will be missed- and remembered. Tonight will be no exception there.

dc space reunion bulletin

Tom and Dodie @ the dc space reunion-by Jeff The Purple

Jeff The Purple, a good friend of Tom's, sent me the link to his Tom Terrell Photo blog.
Go there to see lots more pictures of the d.c. space party at the 9:30 Club.
(good ones since he is a photographer by trade) There are also links to Tom's blogs.

Make sure you hit the "archives"as well because most of his pix can't fit on one page.


Stay cool, you all.

All You Need Is LOve

(Tom Terrrell and Bill Warrell @ The 9:30 party)

What better way to have a good time than to start
a bar in 1977... have a reunion thirty years later
and invite all those people that made it happen?
Thank you Bill Warrell, for making this whole scene possible.
And how great it was to see Tom Terrell who was being
chased around all night by family, fans and friends alike.

This was the real DC.

People got there early and stayed late.
Laura Fasulka came all the way from New Jersey.
Some people came from just down the street, but
we never each other anymore, but that's what
reunions are all about.
Here's just a little of what went on Sunday at the 9:30 Club:
(And thank you Seth and Rich for giving up the place for "space")


See that beautiful woman with the water bottle?
That's Dodie DiSanto- a founder of the original
9:30, talking to Michael Beil. Susan and Cort
next to her and Boyd at the bar.

And below- Laura, who used to go to all
the Troublefunk shows with me,
Susan, from the ticket window at the ole joint, and
Milo of golden WHFS days.



Another great thing was the photo booth
where Charles Steck did a brisk business.
(See the Beatnik Flies getting their picture
done
behind Alberto And Laura?)



Here's Jean, you may have seen her lurking around
the new 9:30 Club as the bar manager, but she was
a pillar at dc space back in the day, and Ruthie
of Ruthie and The Wranglers getting ready to play.



You could catch people on stage like Mark Noone
and The Beatnik Flies...



and you could catch 'em off-
Marie, a bartender from the ole 9:30 and
Mark, an incredibly steady customer.



Kenny from The Beatnik Flies
and PHil from Puptent.





Eric and Rick used to man the door at the old club.


The best thing about this event was it was an act of love.
It wasn't about who you were or who you are or who
you know. Everybody who came brought
something to the party,
and gave it away to someone who need it more.



Thanks ...everybody.

And The Bands Played On

Here's just a tiny sample of the great bands that
turned out for Tom Terrell and the dc space reunion
Sunday night. As promised the performances started
in the late afternoon and ended around 1:30 a.m.-
running over time only about 25 minutes.
It was unbelievable efficiency in action.
Hats off to the crew at 9:30!



The legend that is ... Chuck Brown.



As promised Tiny Desk Unit virtually reunited
with Michael Barron on the West Coast. Bob Boilen
is playing and working a tiny Mac, while Susan Mumford
sings.
How cool is that?




The Howling Mad with Michael Reidy who can still
deliver a band with energy from outside this universe.














The Beatnik Flies and Mark Noone played together like
they've been doing it forever (which they kind of have
though not with each other)

I'm leaving tons of people out because I was too busy yacking.
If anyone has good pictures- send 'em to me.

All present gave their all- and all were proof positive
that you're never too old to rock this town.

Familiar Faces

The dc space reunion/benefit at the 9:30 was a success. Here's a bunch of ole friends getting their tickets early on. ( If you were around you know who they are- I see at least two deejays and a bar manager from my dim past)

I don't know about these guys, but it took me a whole day to recover.

Way more pix and a full report later.