The New IOTA - At One With Itself

IOTA Club and Cafe, by definition started off as a tiny place, but with time and success, it doubled in size. Used to be you had to choose between eating on one side and seeing music on the other, but DC ROCKS is happy to report that the newest incarnation combines both the club and cafe into one large room, and adds a new mini patio out front. Plus there's a wonderful new selection of beers on tap. It's great.

Come check out the "new" IOTA this FRIDAY, and dance off that midnight turkey sandwich with local favorites- the award winning Rhodes Tavern Troubadours. Both sax master, Derek Huston and keyboard king, Arif Durrani will be sitting in to make this show a stand out.

Get there early! Opening for the Troubadours will be the Vi-kings, Joe Dolan's latest project. The band promises they will "party like 1968", and knowing Joe from his years with the Beatnik Flies, we believe him!

Local Power

We are woefully behind when it comes to capitalizing on the power that is given to us via the sun, wind and water. Eons ago some fairly bright individuals (probably Greek) thought up things like boats, but we have yet to build a solar car for the masses. And while Congress dithers about environment issues up on Capitol Hill there is an untapped resource of energy right here in Washington DC.

Rock.

That's right- the local rock scene: it's cleaner and a lot less expensive than fossil fuel, and the energy is infectious. Try it. Hit the Velvet Lounge this Saturday night when three forces of nature will be crammed into one fairly small room courtesy of Sister Ex, Rustbuckit and The Beatnick Flies.

Veteran rockers that just can't stop. Feel the power for only $8. You can't even fill your tank for that.

Power Not Pop Punk Not In My Garage

Sleeper Agent sprang in part from Government Issue. Pup Tent is what often happens to boys in the morning. Caustic Casanova captures the alliteration award, and the only insects I would ever want anywhere near me would have to be The Beatnik Flies. All of this seeming jabberwocky actually transmogrifies into cosmic energy which then manifests itself as a really big show (as Uncle Ed used to say) or as Phil Duarte calls it "a snaggle tooth throw down" in a really small place this Saturday night at the Velvet Lounge on the now bustling byway better known as U Street.

Mister Joe Dolan warns this may be the last live Fly show for a while so come on out and ask the rag man what he means. (They plan to hit the stage round 10:00.)

Be in the present.
Believe in live music.
Be there or be
what else
but
square.

There is something mesmerizing and amazing about The Beatnik Flies.  Their songs are reminiscent of  The Beatles and a psychedelic 60s vibe without sounding stale or trite. They have the chops of experience, but the high energy of a much younger band. I have to admit I can't remember all the times I saw The Flies, but lately I've never been  disappointed, and I always want to go back for more. The Loggers, another solid veteran band more in the straight up rock and blues vein will be opening for the Flies in a new venue for everyone, The End Zone in old town Gaithersburg this Friday night.

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.

If you can't make it to the Beatniks Flies show at the Velvet Lounge this Saturday, you might want to check out the breakUps at the Rock and Roll Hotel on FRIDAY. (or better yet- go to both and compare musical notes) I haven't seen the breakUps, but their grinding sort of sixties rock sound has me intrigued, and sometimes reminds me of the Flies. Check 'em out on myspace to see what I mean.  Plus there's a great fish sandwich lurking around the corner at Horace Dickey's on 12th Street. Or the french fries and mussels at Dr. Granvilles. (Gotta keep up your strength if you're going to dance.)

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!

Everybody Was Dancing At The Velvet Last Friday

What happens on your birthday when your Dad is a rock star?



The Beatnik Flies played so hard that the floor bounced like jello!



Or maybe it was just the wood
breathing.

(Pix by Bobby Belfiore)

A Picture's Worth

I feel like I struck gold when Chip Py said he'd come out and take pictures of the bands for me. If you look at some of my older postings, you might see sort of lousy snapshots taken with my camera, or when I was really desperate, my phone, but it was better than nothing. Now all I have to do is relax if Chip's on the job, and hopefully he'll stick around because a girl could get used to this. Fast.
So if you couldn't make it to any of the Slickee Boys shows over the weekend, or if you did - you can get a good idea of what went on by heading over to Chip's site for more great shots like these two- plus more of The Beatnik Flies, Prabir and The Substitutes and The Howling Mad. Take it away photo guy. You rock.
.

It's Not Completely Too Late

Slickees at the Surf by Chip Py


If you weren't there- you missed a great night. The Slickee Boys show at Chick Hall's was a blast. All three bands- The Slickees, The Beatnik Flies and Prabir wowed the crowd. Look for more pictures of last night's show taken by Chip Py, DC ROCKS own indefatigable photographer, coming to this site soon.

And Slickee fans - you can still get 'em while there hot at The Ottobar tonight in Baltimore.
Tonight's bill also includes The Howling Mad ( Ex- Razz) Chelsea Graveyard and the Screams at Midnight (the band with the world's longest name) AND Jukebox Zeros. Doors at 8 - all ages venue.

Part Two: How Slickees Meet Flies... OR.... Who Is This Martin Guy Anyway?

When we last left our heroes, (below in yesterday's posting) they were still operating out of various bedrooms scattered across the DC area, but Martin wanted to get their sound recorded. Marshall remembers:

He had this whole concept. He was changing his name to Kim Kane for the record, and the band would be called The Slickee Boys. Martin grew up on a base in Korea, and "slickee boys" were street punks that sold the GIs black market items. He played us a few obscure 1960s punk songs that we learned. He gave me chords to a song he was trying to write. I added a bunch of lead guitar to it. He gave Martha three times as many lyrics as were needed, and she chopped them down to fit. "Hands slide down snakes, a curling black-eyed sweetness, we're in a mandarin red-veiled dream." I had an instrumental version of "Exodus" I was working on. The record was called Hot and Cool. We went in a studio, and actually recorded it. He took care of all the art work and printing, and we actually put it out. I was shocked!

Getting the outfits for the cover photo started us all on a lifelong fascination with thrift stores. It matched the music. We were playing music that no one wanted anymore, just like the clothes in the Good Will. Recycling to the max.

Meanwhile, those three lost beatnik boys of Bethesda had moved into a group house in Wheaton. It was 1976, and something happened that changed everything according to Joe Dolan:
Somehow we came into possession of a "NY ROCKER" magazine which featured a pictorial of the NYC punk scene. Well, that was it. It was like a revelation from God above. Out came the real amps and drum kits. We were possessed, we were going to be punk rockers ( I couldn't play the electric guitar for shit, but I wasn't going to let that stop me). We spent the next few years playing the usual basement, garage, friend's party etc., but we never played at real rock clubs because we didn't think we were good enough. Then somehow by the grace of the rock gods, we were invited to play at DC Space.
We were playing with Black Market Baby. The place was packed; it seemed like anyone who was anyone in the DC music scene was there. When we got up to play our set, I had my shades on. After a few numbers I took them off and the audience started shouting " put the shades back on" ( that's how the shade thing got started). After we finished playing, Skip Groff came up to talk to us. He told us we would be perfect with The Slickee Boys, so we gave him our number. Lo and behold, a few days later Kim Kane called us and invited us to play with them at the Psychedelly in Bethesda. The rest is history, I've long since lost track of how many times we've played with them, but the excitement has never left.

Get over to the Surf Club tomorrow night and you can catch the excitement yourself in a rare reunion of both The Beatnik Flies and The Slickee Boys. Get there early and check out Prabir. The show starts at 9 p.m. Don't miss it.




P.S. And TONIGHT another legendary band comes back to life- The Rosslyn Mountain Boys
are at El Boqueron II in Rockville. (And I can't help using the word legend. It's not an exaggeration- this town has quite a few.)

Penny Dreadful Part One... or HoW The Slickee Boys and The Beatnik Flies Came to BE

In the early 1970s a lot of music was going on around here- on the radio, out in the clubs and in many a teenage boy's bedroom.
Marshall Keith remembers it this way:
I was hiding out in my room in Wheaton, MD in the 1970s playing guitar and making tapes. I didn't have a good guitar or amp, so I tried to make up for it by doubling, quadrupling, and octupling tracks of guitar (and whatever keyboards I could borrow from my friend, Charles). I liked to mess around with speeding up, slowing down, and reversing tracks- anything to make them sound unlike some guy... with a guitar... in his bedroom.

Meanwhile not so far away in Bethesda, Joe Dolan was in HIS room, listening to Beatles' records with his friends, Larry and Kenny. Joe says: Back then I used to write songs on a four string tenor guitar. In those days, Kenny and Larry would join in playing table tops, beer cans, you name it, anything we could get a sound out of. Kenny eventually found a used bass guitar, which he would play through the record player. Other rockers would never take us seriously, so we ended up performing at coffee houses. We even played at the Cellar Door's Hootenanny. We were rockers at heart, but we became known as folkies.

Then Marshall met Martin. A mutual friend thought Martin looked somewhat out of place hanging out at Montgomery Mall, and she sought him out. (Anyone who has ever seen The Slickee Boys can say amen here.)
Martin's room, Marshall recalls-was like somebody had packed a museum into a bedroom. Not only did he have thousands of oddities everywhere, he had a million records in nice neat stacks. There were some Dali-esque oil paintings he had done. He was very enthusiastic about showing us everything. "This is a Coca Cola from India. I don't want it opened, so whatever you do don't accidentally open it." I think he was nervous that we were even looking at it.

He was enthusiastic about his records too. He had all this stuff we had never heard of-I can't exactly remember what it was, but like: Mexican Mersey beat, Japanese 1960s punk, Indian movie soundtracks. It was so different than what we listened to, it was hard to even relate to it.
About a year after meeting Marshall, Martin wanted to make a record with Marshall. He asked Martha Hull to sing, Andy Von Brand to play bass, and Chris Rounds to play drums. Martin's brother, brother Thomas (who was 14) was going to play bass on one song, too.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting episode entitled "How The Boys Got Out of Their Rooms" or "When Slickees Fly" to find out what happened next.

And don't forget you can see these fine local musicians plus relative new comers Prabir and The Substitutes at the now ephemeral establishment Chick Hall's THIS FRIDAY.
The perfect antidote to cranberry overload.

The Lizard King Really Did Sleep Here

Mark Opsasnick walks this earth part man, part detective, part living encyclopedia of DC centric music. I mean the man is unstoppable in his quest for knowledge of all things that make this "capital rock". I have just lately been waking up and realizing that we have a boatload of good music around here. (I always knew that we had our share, but I thought it was more of a shrimp boat - not the Queen Mary.) But Mark, a DC native, has been and still is working on the chronicles of our musical past for years. His book Capitol Rock covers the clubs and bands from 1951 until 1976-from teen clubs to the Capital Centre- chasing rumors and nailing down facts about DC stories. Did Jimi Hendrix really play with Roy Buchanan? Was Led Zeppelin's first DC gig at a teen club in Wheaton? This is the book with the answers. It stirs up memories of places like the Varsity Grill (whoa that hits home for me)and Strick's-and gives detailed histories of bands like The Cherry People, The Hangmen, and Grin.

(photo by Alan Kresse)

Another undertaking, The Lizard King Was Here, zeros in on Jim Morrison's time spent in Alexandria where he attended high school, and is filled with first hand accounts and extensive information- literary, social and musical- as well as local details. To say that Mark is a meticulous researcher is an understatement. He even mentions the orange bricks of the bookstores Morrison was said to frequent in Georgetown which he traces to a poem Morrison wrote.

The thing is the past is still with us: you can still go to concerts with national local stars like Nils Lofgren, Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen. More regional legends such as The Slickee Boys, The Beatnik Flies and Howling Mad (ex- Razz members) will be playing later this month. And now you can read about where they came from or who they grew up seeing right here in our own back yard. (Move over G.W.- let Jimi (and Jim) take over.) You can find the books at Mark's site:
www.capitolrock.com or hit the link at the top of this posting.

P.S. Don't miss The Slickees et al at The Surf Club Dec 28th- a show that just might make it into the next rock book.

Thursday

This morning I got up and went over to the computer to see if DC schools were open, but the movie Casablanca was already on the screen, and I couldn't get it off no matter what key I punched. I kept trying, but nothing worked. Then I woke up for real. It was 7:45- sun out, snow everywhere- and we were already an hour behind schedule. Back to the computer as the local news media rarely mentions the non-state of Washington, DC. (West Virginia, yes. Loudon County, sure, but DC?)
Finally I got the word- schools open on time. I roused my inmates. Everybody was morose, and skeptical. My son rechecked. "We 're the ONLY ones," he moaned.
Walking my smallest up to school, we saw one car spin out, and later a three car pile up. When we got to school I found out two neighbors had literally run into each other on a patch of black ice near Wilson High School. On the way back I saw another neighbor hit the deck, and a poor woman tottering down hill clinging to a fence to prevent involuntary slalom.
I don't know who's down there making the Big Decision, but I'm glad it's not me.
I've heard rumors that DC rarely closes because of the breakfast program- that kids won't be able to eat if schools don't open -which is a sad state of affairs. I have to wonder, though, if there shouldn't be some sort of separation of Breakfast and State.

In the meantime for all those with cabin fever after the BIG Storm, there's a dance at Chick Hall's tonight with Hillbilly Jazz featuring Chick Hall Jr. Yes, Chick's is still open, still sold, but under original management through the end of January. (And don't miss the big show-The Slickee Boys, The Beatnik Flies and Prabir and the Substitutes there later this month.)

Or a quieter night can be had with Patty Reese and guitar wizard, Dave Chappell down at 100 King.

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.)

Dead Beat Dead Beat

(They are....Dead Beat)

Joe Dolan (a venerable Beatnik Fly) wants an APB put out that his lovely daughter, Hayley Baptiste and the somewhat mysterious Mr Bucket will be down at the very Velvet Lounge again this Saturday night, October 20 as their band Dead Beat takes the stage.
Afterwards there will be a dance party with DJs- Pumpkin Jones, Fruit Reader and Mustafa Mustafa (Is that like Butros Butros?) playing Afro-beat, world, disco and dance hits.

(I just want to know if there's room on Joe's dance card.)

Don't forget- the big Beatnik Flies, Ottley and The Howling Mad show coming up next Thursday, Oct 25!


(NOT JO JO DOLAN)

Gear UP

Some weekends are stuffed with parties and events, and some are not.
This one's got more going on than a barrel of monkeys-
There's the Taste of Bethesda on Saturday, Oct 6 featuring that great Cream cover band GHZ- 1:45-3:45 on the Cordell Ave stage. Then Saturday evening The Stingrays are playing at the Old Angler's Inn of all places way out there on MacArthur Blvd. in what feels like the sticks, but is only about fifteen minutes outside our own fair city limits. Sounds like a cool show outdoors in the beer garden from 6:30-9:30.
Sunday, Oct 7th is the Takoma Park Street Festival which always has a ton of music. Then again you could veer west and catch The Beatnik Flies at the Capitol Rocks- Guitars Not Guns Benefit in Fort Hunt, VA. Still up for more??
The Music on the Rise people are promising a true retrospective of the 1980s at The State Theater with a showing of Langley Punk films emceed by Mark Noone, as well as a night of rocking down memory lane with the likes of Billy Hancock, Robert Gordon and Eddie Angel. That ballgame kicks off at 6. Tickets are $30, but it's yet another benefit and hey-all of the above venues are free (or give what you can at guitars not guns) so you ought to still have a little folding money left. Don't forget- Monday's a holiday for some of you...

Hey Kids It's 10:00. Do you Know Where Your Parents are?

(Bucket and Hayley of Deadbeat)

The NIRS affair took me back in time-back to when you showed up at at somebody's house, and their parents weren't home, and the basement was a party/band room, and a band was playing... no, four bands are playing, and in the case of Tru Fax and The Insaniacs, the DAD of the house is in the band, and in the case of Deadbeats, the daughter of the guy in the next band is in her own band. And so it went on until no one knew or cared what time it was. (Maybe it had something to do with the Ukranian hootch that was going around) Then and now were all mixed up and topping it off -The Beatnik Flies- Diana Quinn-Mark Noone finale extravaganza.

Oh And Josh Arnson (former Insect Surfer)


and Ruth Logsden of Ruthie and the Wranglers were there, too.

(Joe Dolan cracks up Ruth Logsden)


(Diana Quinn and Mark Noone just before they joined the band)

Maybe it was all a dream. Good party though.

Let's GO!!!!!!!!

So big weekend: Saturday night there's the NIRS party (see below) and Friday night it's what might be the cutest boy band to come out of Richmond ever, not to mention they all can SING and play music, none other than-Prabir and the Substitutes- at the Velvet Lounge which is an experience in itself- just picture yourself watching a band at the old 9:30 club-only it's much much smaller, and when you jump up and down the floor moves - it actually reminds me of an old elevator I was in once on the VCU campus in Richmond of all places which just goes to show you - life is a circle after all.*

*Forgive the stream thing -- my book club is reading ULYSSES. Say no more