DC History Rocks

( 7th Street NW circa 1921)

Washington D.C. has seen its share of important events, and a lot of people have come here to make history, but not a single president was born here. Marvin Gaye was born here as was Duke Ellington, but they found their fame in places like Detroit and New York. I think the award for true Washingtonian has to go to Bob Berberich who was not only born in Washington, but the Berberich family has been here longer than anyone I know- including my own clan.
And Mr Berberich has been rocking this area for quite a while- his drumming days include gigs with The Hangmen and Grin. (Check out this link for a great little piece by local film maker Jeff Krulik) But Bob is still a powerful force on the music front and is now in the transfixing trio known as Ottley! with ex-Slickees' master of guitar, Marshall Keith and slayer singer, Martha Hull.

Be part of it. You can watch history in the making THIS FRIDAY night when the "Birthday of the Dead Celebration" takes place at the always intimate Velvet Lounge. The line up includes Ottley! as well as the venerable Beatnik Flies -a band with its own history and staying power around here- four musicians that can still deliver the goods and how. Plus Pup Tent will round out the bill bringing on more psychedelic garage band kind of brain-rock.

(Note to self and readers: Do I ever write about jazz or country or easy to label music?
Answer: No.)

Don't miss this chance to impress your co-workers: do something wild and go out to see a rock show on a TUESDAY night. Legendary guitarist Richard Lloyd (ex Television) and The Sufi- Monkey Trio and the all legends all the time gang called Ottley! (ex Slickees, Hangmen, Grin) will be appearing at the Velvet Lounge.
Early show-doors at 7:30 starts at 9.

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.

Slickees Rule Surf Club!

(photos by Alan Kresse)
The Surf Club was packed last night, and it was a great rocking show thanks to all three bands-Monsters from the Surf, Ottley! and The Slickee Boys.

And hats off to Marshall Keith who pulled off being in two bands back to back. My friend Alan Kresse was there snapping the memories.

Alan and I go way back in the time machine to the University of Maryland, College Park 1979 when we were housemates. It was four guys and me, and the phone rang all the time. There were outrageous parties, and people we didn't even know would show up because they'd heard of The Dog House-aptly named because we shared the couch with Alan's gynormous Great Dane, Shea. We were hippies and jocks and nerds, but we were a gregarious crew. I came home from school one Friday afternoon, and there was a guy hanging out who looked familiar. It took me a minute to realize it was because I often passed him playing guitar and panhandling on Route One. Another time I walked in, and the living room was full of Hare Krishnas dancing around and making dinner. I have a feeling our vegetarian housemate Stuart was responsible for that one.

Anyway Alan was taking pictures back then, and he is still at it now.

Thanks to the glory of the internet- you can see pix of the Dog House - (what a time capsule!) and more importantly shots of all the bands last night plus other shows if you follow the links.

Long Ago Around this Time Of Year A Child Was Born. His Name Is Bob

Tuesday Night December 22 it's the birthday bash of the year, and Bob Berberich's bringing it home with The Rosslyn Mountain Goats- a band which always draws a veritable who's who crew of our local rock 'n' roll world to The Quarry House in Silver Spring. Ottley! will also be appearing. (Perhaps they'll slip into the celebrity phone booth to change.)
Every show I've seen (and I'm not sure that I've missed one) has been different and marvelous thanks to the ever revolving gang of guest stars. Last time I saw Mark Noone (Slickee Boys) do a set that couldn't be beat until Joe Dolan (Beatnik Flies) got up and did something completely different, but equally crazy good. With all that talent in the room, it's all good.
The time is 8 sharp. No cover. Three jamming sets. It'll be over around 11 so the working man can drink a toast to Bob and still hit the hay at a reasonable hour. Any and all donations will go to benefit Jr Cline.

Who Is He?

(Photo by Tom Shea)

Marshall Keith might be best known as a founding member of one of Washington's most celebrated local bands, The Slickee Boys, but he has remained extremely active in the music scene for many years in other bands and as a solo artist. His two solo CDs are out of print but much sought after. Look for them. Part singer, part song writer, part chameleon he is all musician and a heck of a guitar player. Lately he technically reinvented the instrument by utilizing a baritone neck on a rhythm guitar thus enabling him to play bass, rhythm and lead all at once with Ottley- the group he is in now.

Things have changed in this town since Marshall arrived almost fifty years ago. And things are changing again. Change for the good. Marshall reflects on the good, the bad and the sometimes really ugly in his piece for Washington My Hometown.

You can catch Marshall playing live next week- November 26- when Ottley plays the Quarry House in Silver Spring. And don't miss The Slickee Boys reunion gigs just after Christmas. Stay tuned to this blog for details.

The No Dead Horses Tour

A large part of my DC Rocks mission statement is covering the amazing in your face shows around here- the small places with low covers - and lucky for us- a DC scene rife with talented, veteran musicians.
This week's jaunt down Washington's musical memory lane -includes former members of The Razz, The Slickee Boys and The Hangmen to name a few. See them this FRIDAY NIGHT when Ottley! and The Howling Mad take The teeny tiny Velvet Lounge by storm.
(Speaking of in your face- nothing quite says in your face more than catching a show fronted by either Michael Reidy or Martha Hull.)

Sign me up !!!

The thing about these bands is that they are made up of musicians that- despite their years on the scene- are NOT stuck in the way back machine. Their music and sound is still evolving and impressive, and the energy level is somewhere off the charts. As they say on their own behalf it's about- "reuniting -not retreading."

I'll buy that. And for eight bucks- you can, too- this Friday night- Velvet Lounge- The No Dead Horses Tour. Opening up will be another local favorite- Dollar Bin.

Put Down That To Do List and Get OUT!!!!!

I am having a busy week and part of that is due to too many great local bands playing and to my wanting to see them all. What a problem to have. On Friday night downtown at The Red and The Black, The New Standard, Sister Ex, Ottley, and Lisa Said are playing-in that order. With the exception of Lisa Said who hails from Tennessee, that's a whole lot of DC's home town talent and history crammed into one upstairs room. It's unbelievable how much great music you can see here, from here and for so little money.
Also- get your beauty rest Saturday for the big Beatnik Flies/Rambling Shadows show at historic Hank Dietles' Tavern this Saturday night. I'm so busy I can't write more, but I will try to go. That's because it really matters when we show up. Please come, too, and help these folks play to a full house. You can make all the difference in a local band's life. It makes them do it again. It keeps the scene going. It could all be up to you. ( yeah, you!)

penned by LYN2

Spectacular Shindig of the Summer

(Martha Hull of Ottley!)

The Surf Club. You might mistake it for a strip bar-it's a windowless unassuming little building right there on Kenilworth Avenue, but walk inside, and you'll find a spacious dance floor replete with disco ball, tables, chairs, a full sized bar and pool tables. This former honky tonk is THE place to be on July 12th -Saturday night.
Why? Because it's the biggest show since The Slickee Boys, Beatnik Flies and Prabir event last winter. If you missed that- at least you can catch a lot of the same players this time.
The shbang kicks off with the antics of Shortstaxx who turns a talent for burlesque into true performance art. Then Ottley!- which includes former Slickees Marshall Keith and Martha Hull, plus Bob Berberich, drummer to the stars.

Next on the line up are the venerable Beatnik Flies who will be dusting off their old surf instrumentals to go along with their outstanding original material. Both of these bands know how to deliver the goods and how.


And as if that weren't quite enough thank you, like icing on a three layer chocolate cake, here comes the band I'd let stay with my brother-no kidding--the man of a 1,00 faces- Prabir and the Substututes. Life is full of disappointment, strife and woe, but this band provides the antidote.
I have never been disappointed by these guys. Ever.
In fact all three of these bands-plus Ms Staxx- never fail to make me happy because they have something- and they want to share it with you. Ten dollars for all this talent. No excuses.
Things get going around 9.
Be there.

Concert Spectacular of The Summer

Don't miss this!

I am psycho I mean psyched about this Friday night when TWO of my favorite bands Prabir and The Substitutes and Ottley play The Quarry House. I know I rave about Prabir and The Substitutes ad infinitum, but not all of you are listening. And the last time I recommended this band to someone I mentioned that they are the only band to ever make me want to scream. (I am not a screamer. I shriek now and then, but rarely full out screaming. The last time I remember really screaming involuntarily was when I was in labor with my first child which is another story.)
Anyway this person wrote me back and asked- would that be good screaming or bad screaming?

Good point I thought.

Well, it's good screaming- a scream of joy. Prabir tends to have an infectious scream like other people have infectious laughs- and the whole band gives all they've got whether it's a full room or an almost empty room which is a beautiful thing to do.

And Ottley. Ottley puts me in a trance. A really good trance- a rock and roll psychedelic up to the stratosphere and back down to earth kind of trance that takes three ace musicians to produce- Marshall Keith, Martha Hull and Bob Berberich. If you don't know who they are- just look 'em up in the Bible of Local DC Rock. (i.e. here on my blog)

The Quarry House can only hold so many people and so much talent so if I were you I'd get there early and please-save me a seat!

Saturday Night Chez Baltimore

Friday night shows and the links to this one are one post below. Greenland has been added to the bill at The Quarry House tonight- show starts around 10.

Here's a little history lesson and more dope about Saturday night's show from Martha Hull lead singer extraordinaire of Ottley!:

This gig is the launch of Dollar Bin, which is a new project for Randy Austin, who in addition to many projects over the years, was the guitarist for DC's legendary first punk band to gig -- Overkill. They were contemporaries of the early Slickees, both bands managed by Steve Lorber and booked into the Keg in 1976. He is joined in this venture by Donald Keesing, who was in both a band called the White Zombies, and one called Rain Crow -- you can find both of them on myspace. On bass is Bob Young who currently plays with a wild Irish band called Dogs Among the Bushes, and also played bass in the 80's for Tru Fax and the Insaniacs. Dollar Bin will be up first, followed by Ottley! who are celebrating Ilona's 18th birthday by making this an all ages gig -- and reprising that Alice Cooper anthem with special guests, to boot! Seven Door is returning to the Sidebar, where they went over like gangbusters the first time around, and they have great things to say about this authentic punk bar

Last Weekend

(Jake Flack Rhodes Tavern Troubadours)


Well, a it took a while for us all to recover from the shows this past weekend, and we didn't even make it to all of them, of course, but here's what we've got (besides moi) -pictures from Chip Py and a report from roving reporter, Lyn2 who called in from the train to NYC this morning:
Saturday night The Quarry House had a huge unidentifiable crowd. Ottley was first with new material that Martha Hull delivered in her usual powerful way- occasionally wading into the audience for added effect. 7 Door Sedan is really getting its new act together, improving exponentially each time she sees them. And their new song by Ken Moss was a hit. Rambling Shadows was extremely loud and worth the ear damage. "They were jamming on that hypnotic psychedelic thing." Our reporter was married to a drummer for 21 years, and can't figure out exactly why, but she could watch Tommy Carr play the drums all day.
Everybody kept using the word psychedelic about all the bands, but each had a very different sound -a new sound- a 21st century thing. Maybe their roots lie in the past, but it's not a rehash going on- it's a renaissance. Thank you, Jackie at The Quarry House for helping this scene get out there.


Meanwhile in another bar in another part of town-
The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours had everyone dancing Friday night at The Surf Club. It was nice to see them play in a place where there was room to swing more than a cat. Despite their lack of live gigs, the guys were going strong. (Catch them one more time with the kids this Saturday at The Avalon Theater in D.C.)


(birthday boy- i wrestled him for his camera)

Friday was also the kick off to Chip Py's birthday weekend although he stayed on the job-from the Surf Club right through Saturday night at The Velvet Lounge where Haley's Band ( that's it- that's what we're calling it now) got the place full to bursting.


Joe Jack Talcum had the stage to himself as he performed Dead Milkmen songs and other tunes to a dedicated crew who could and did fill in if Joe forgot the words. Punk Rock Girl was probably a highlight-definitely a floor shaker, but in general it was a fun and witty performance.


Finally (and we do mean finally at 12:30) The Hula Monsters crammed on the tiny stage and got the Faithful but Weary Attendees dancing with their drummer, Ben Holmes (a.k.a. Big Beat) leading the charge. Hulas at The Velvet Lounge.
Not a sight you're gonna see every day, maybe never again, but they played as if they were at The Royal Hawaiian. You had to have been there.


(Mark Noone)

Thanks again to Chip for these great, sometimes ethereal shots-click on them to get the full effect.

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

Monday Doesn't Have To Be Mundane

Lookee here. Ottley will be on around 8:30 making it the perfect excuse not to cook dinner- get a pizza and a baby sitter for the kids-grab your punk party clothes and go out. Have a bite at Iota and get home by 10...or not. Be adventurous. Go out on MONDAY.

By the by there are older postings about Ottley on this site. You can find them by hitting the Ottley link below.

Rock out Rockville This Thurs/ Oct 25

(Ottley! named themselves for this guy
Hangman,Dave Ottley)

Once upon a time there was a Band, or maybe I should say once upon a time there was a Garage which begat a band called The Reekers which begat a band called The Hangmen which were so dang hot they locally knocked the Beatles off the charts according to Garage Hangover: "What A Girl Can't Do knocked the Beatles' We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper out of the top spot of the charts for Arlington radio station WEAM on Feb. 7, 1966."

How's that for deep cut trivia?

If you don't believe it, you can ask Bob Berberich himself this Thursday night when he plays with Ottley! at the big rock show that Joe Lee (of Joe Lee's Record Paradise) and Damian Einstein are putting on. Bob was there- playing drums with The Reekers and The Hangmen, and he's here now keeping the beat in Ottley! with Marshall Keith and Martha Hull of Slickee Boys fame.

But that's not all. The Beatnik Flies and The Howling Mad are also on the bill. I could go on and on, but all three of these bands played last summer at the d.c.space reunion at the 9:30 Club, and I can testify that all these veterans can still kick you know what-and are quite possibly better than ever.

So how much would you pay to see these local legends?

(Three of these guys are in The Howling Mad)

Twenty? Fifteen? Would you believe a mere 8 clams gets you into this extravaganza?
(And you can spread the love-take the kids- and get another generation going-it's an all ages show- just $5 for the student set)


(The Flies took their name from this song.)

When I was a kid I thought Rockville, MD was pretty much nowhere, (and the way things have turned out, it still pretty much is) but this Thursday, October 26 should prove the exception.
It's all happening at 7 p.m. at El Boqueron II, 1330 East Gude Drive.

Come out and see Rockville rock.


(I can only guess where The Howling Mad got their name.)

Rocking Not Lounging

(Ottley with Marshall and Martha-photo by Mark Noone)

A lot of people missed the big show at The Velvet Lounge last Saturday-
(including Hayley and Bucket-Martha was asking for yous guys)
but I think a little piece of DC Rock History was created when Ottley covered "To Sir With Love," while Mark Noone and Boyd Farrell danced together. Top that.
(Once again proving the old adage you had to have been there.)


(Rustbuckit with Boyd-photo by Mark Noone)




(Marshall and Dan-photo by Mark Noone)

And Dan Palenski made it all the way from Williamsburg putting The Slickee Boys in first place for attendance.

A Quandry

Blogger went to the beach, but came back just in time to ponder which show to go to tonight- Alice Despard is back at the Galaxy Hut, and she won't be playing again for quite a while. Then again there is the old folks' show* at The Velvet Lounge with New Standard ( x Penetrators) Ottley (x Slickees) and Rustbuckit (x Blackmarket Baby) All still alive and very much kicking. I'm not sure how The Velvet Lounge can handle all that energy, but it'll definitely be worth finding out.


*sorry, Mary, but that's what everybody's calling it.

Raise Your Hand If You Remember 1977

OK. Thirty years was a long time ago. Jimmy Carter was president. Star Wars came out. Elvis Presley was still alive. (until August) Disco was in, though punk was here. The Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy" and The Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" were up against The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Alice Cooper went into rehab; Elvis didn't make it. Talking Heads and the B 52s were coming up. The funk band, Parliament put out "Get Down and Boogie". Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were still touring. (All that music and my class picked Boz Scagg's "Lido Shuffle" as our song.)
On the dark side, Debby Boone was elected best new artist. My college housemate played "You Light Up My Life" for more than two hours straight- an experience which scarred me for life.

And last but not least, dc space opened its doors.

My memory is crystal clear, but for those of you who are little hazy, and you know who you are, here's a little primer on just some of the names performing this Sunday at the dc space reunion @ the 9:30 club :

Marshall Keith, (Slickee Boys)
Martha Hull, (Slickee Boys, DCeats, the Steady Jobs, The Dynettes)
and Bob Berberich (The Hangmen, Grin, Rossyln Mountain Boys)
are all in Ottley.

Boyd Farrell, (Black Market Baby)
Mike Dolfi, (Black Market Baby)
and Sean Saley (Government Issue, Moodroom)
are in Rustbuckit.

Michael Reidy, ( Razz, Nightman)
Abaad Behram ( Razz, Johnny Bombay & the Reactions)
and Doug Tull( Razz Tommy Keene Billy Coulter)
are in The Howling Mad.

Also, Mark Noone ( Slickee Boys and too many bands to mention) will perform for the first time with The Beatnik Flies, an historic event.

Speaking of too many bands to mention, the performances are limited to ten minutes each and scheduled from 4:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. with five minute change overs. (This is not the old 9:30 by the way, but a very professional night club with a huge staff.) All kinds of music and performing arts will be going on- see previous posts for a large, but partial list.

I would pay twenty dollars just to see a few of these acts, but most importantly this event will help our friend, Tom Terrell and his ongoing struggle with cancer. Not a fun fight or a fair fight, but he's fighting just the same. Please come and celebrate the local scene here, past and present, and give a hand to Tom. Besides being a good cause, it's going to be a great party.


(Michael Reidy @ the 9:30 Club, 2006 by Steve Edgar)