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.

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.

Snowbound with Slickee Boys

Thank you local film maker Jeff Krulik for bringing your camera to the  Slickee Boys show at Black Cat last summer. The bad news is this is the closest thing to a Slickees show anybody is going to get this year so check out Jeff's clip and put in your two cents on the 50 Year Olds Slam Dancing  concept. 

The only other recourse is to mark your calendars for December 29th at Iota when Slickee Boy Mark Noone will appear in the line up of both the Rhodes Tavern Troubadours Reunion Event (including Dave Chappell) and King Soul- eight fairly white boys doing solid Memphis stax.  

Retroactive Weekend

Read this carefully:

Local film maker and rock history buff Jeff Krulik is hosting a Led Zeppelin - Wheaton Youth Center reunion and open house thing this Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. at what is now The Wheaton Community Center.

No, Led Z is not playing. 

No, Jeff is not screening a movie.

And no there won't be free popcorn or ludes.

What will be happening then?

Jeff will be taping concert goers- hopefully including ones that were actually there when Led Zeppelin stopped here in our own humble Wheaton, Maryland for one of their first American gigs. (While some of us may debate whether this really happened or not, Jeff is on a quest to prove that it did.)  For more on this story check out John Kelly's column from the Post last January titled "Dazed and Confused: Zeppelin Played Where?"

There will also be guest speakers and displays and maybe even old friends to jar your memory

And to add to the excitement our own rock legends The Beatnik Flies and Ottley! will be playing live and in person. Free. ( Long about 3 p.m.)

If you can't make it to this event, you can email Jeff directly with your memories or photos.

Then later Saturday night, in keeping with the retro theme, that psychedelic crazy crew GHz will be having a CD party at Outta the Way Cafe in delightful downtown Derwood. GHz is celebrating their first studio recording which will include remakes from Cream, Jimi and the Doors as well as their own original materiel. They'll be playing new songs, too. (These guys have been busy.)

Ever practical Scott reminds rock fans to bring 'cold hard cash' so you can be the first on your block to own a copy of their new release "There's Trouble Coming."

There's no place like D.C.

DC-Are You Experienced?

It happened in San Francisco. It happened at Woodstock. But what I love is that it also happened here in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1967. What was it? A genuine psychedelic phenomenon in the form of rock and light shows at the now defunct Ambassador Theater in Adam's Morgan. Jeff Krulik, local film maker, organized a reunion/forum last year for those who made the happening happen, and it was one of my favorite topics for this blog. If you missed the story-here's my post from last November. Plus now you can experience part of the reunion for yourself thanks to Jeff's film on Youtube.