Local DC Rocks the State This Sunday

Make 2009 Count -Rock the Year Out All Week Long

Holidays tend to throw every one off schedule, but the week between Christmas and New Year's has always been a good one for goofing off, and if your New Year's resolution was to go out and have more fun this year- there's STILL time to make that happen right now starting with the Rosslyn Mountain Boys reunion Monday night at JVs in Falls Church.

The Rosslyn Mountain Boys used to be a household name around these parts many moons ago. You could see them live all over town or hear their songs on the radio. (WHFS, of course)
Nowadays the "boys" have gotten involved in other projects, but every blue moon or so they get back together and boy, do they rock. The last time I saw them it was great fun since these shows reunite the fans as well.

And on Tuesday night another don't miss reunion will be taking place at IOTA when The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours get back together with original member-guitar slayer, Dave Chappell. True Troubadour appearances are far and few between since they lost drummer Jack O' Dell to Bill Kirchen so this will be an extra special event. Plus Troubadours are opening for one of my new favorite bands- King Soul - an eight piece uber talented crew including two Troubadours- Jake Flack and Mark Noone- as well as extravagantly effervescent front man Tom Clifford whose personal mission is to make sure that everyone in the room has a blast.

So let's review-Monday and Tuesday you rock; Wednesday you rest. Thursday you do what you gotta do to say good bye to 2009. Then it's back to our regularly scheduled programming. If we don't see you out and about-happy 2010 from DC ROCKS.

REUNION ALERT NUMBER 2

It's "been awhile," but Washington's one and only Rosslyn Mountain Boys will be getting it together on December 28th at JVs. (Better get there on Dec 27th because this place will be packed in a heart beat!)

Happy New Year DC!

(RMB Columbia Station-1978)
DC Rocks is slacking off this week in view of the holidays, but here are a few shows to check out if you are still alive and restless for GOOD music. Greenland is at the Red and The Black this Friday night- a good chance to check out a relatively new scene on H Street, and a relatively young band that has got it- good original songs and talent. 

Saturday night the DC household name band which rocked us in the '70s- The Rosslyn Mountain Boys- (not goats this time) will be At The State Theater along with another DC staples The Nighthawks AND The Charlottesville All Stars.(Anybody remember Durty Nelly's?) This will be a killer show that doesn't need promoting here!

Also on Saturday- get your dancing shoes and your Mardi Gras mood on early-The Grandsons and Little Red and The Renegades will take over Surf Club for all you swinging cats who know what it means to miss New Orleans.

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.

Rally Round The Cause, Boys and Girls

The economic hard times are hitting.  I was in the bank just today and heard a guy loudly forecasting the doom we will face with the new "zero" interest rate. Closer to hitting home, a DC staple musician, JR Cline and his family are in dire need of a place to live. A benefit will be held at The Outta The Way Cafe THIS Thursday featuring a local band that was dear to my heart way back in the 70s when my cousin used to sneak me into bars- Harbison, Bond and Goddard. (You might remember their song that Weasel would include every week in his "Frantic Friday" set on WHFS.) Also look for other DC favorites including soul/blues power singer Mary Shaver with Dan Hovey (Root Boy Slim, Jr Cline and The Recliners) Rico Petrocelli, (Rosslyn Mt Boys, Mary Chapin Carpenter) and Danny Schwartz.
The show starts at 8:30.

And across town- another benefit at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church. This one is for "Hungry For Music"-a great organization that raises money so that kids can get their hands on musical instruments. A variety showcase of local music will start at 7 with Harry Blevins and continue until 10 with Little Pink. In between look for David Kitchen, Dulcie Taylor, Bumpkin Pie, Jelly Roll Mortals and Esther Haynes.

And for you guitar buffs- a Les Paul Epiphone Special II signed by Mr Paul himself will be available for gawking at. (The guitar will be raffled off at a later date.)

Both of these benefits are not high dollar events, but every little bit will help. You can make the difference here.

Rosslyn Comes To Silver Spring

The Rosslyn Mountain Goats return to the Quarry House this Tuesday night May 20, and it's becoming quite the scene-not so much a matter of who was there, but who isn't there. Guest star rockers sitting in so far include: Mike Henley,Bob Perilla, Mark Wenner,Bill Hurd, Jeff Kurtz, John Guernsey, Johnny Castle and Bill Holland. (Some of those bands represented are Big Hillbilly Bluegrass, The Nighthawks, Claude Jones, The Thrillbillys, Bill Holland and Rent's Due)

Again all this talent - low money down. They pass the hat if they can get one- or a box if they can't. And happy hour drink prices all night. Truly a great deal worth dragging out for early Tuesday evening entertainment.
Rock Note- Martha Hull will be staying on her mountain and won't be on this gig due to a broken ankle. She'll be missed.

Gaffney Benefit Part TWO Coming Up

Local rock stars will be performing Bob Dylan And Bob Wills tunes in this second part of a benefit to help Chris Gaffney's family happening this Wednesday at Jammin' Java. The first show at the Surf Club was a hoot- bands played with special guests sitting in including Bill Kirchen, the organizer and one of the greatest guitar gurus around. These benefits are unique showcases of local talent (with an emphasis on the word talent) Plus they are loads more fun than a telethon.
Click on the poster to see the all star line up, and all the details. ( if you don't recognize those names- here's a clue to some of the bands being represented-past and present: The Grandsons, The Slickee Boys, The Rosslyn Mountain Boys, The Hula Monsters and The Nighthawks)

Death and Taxes

Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. Ben Franklin said it, and by George, he was right. Again. But for those of you that can get to the post office by Tuesday evening, and want a diversion- go see The Rosslyn Mountain Goats when they return to The Quarry House.

I went to the first show and was not disappointed. Don't expect to hear their old Mt. Boys' songs, but do expect great musicians (Joe Triplett, Bob Berberich, Peter"Tex Luigi"Bonta, Rico Petruccelli, and Martha Hull) playing a variety of music from traditional roots country to rock. (Last time this included Joe Triplett delivering a murder ballad which was so passionate he left the room slightly stunned. Someone finally broke the silence saying-Well, that was down right scary- which is exactly as it should be.)
And when Martha Hull takes the mike, the band is forced to rock harder and louder just to keep up with her. Martha tends to wander out towards the crowd which may startle the waitress, but that's the great thing about an intimate joint like The Quarry House. I don't know how long this will go on, but there is no cover. The band passes the hat in a low key way. PLUS happy hour prices all night. No wonder they call it Lonesome Hobo Brother, can you spare a dime Tuesdays. They go on at 8 so all you working stiffs can get home early, too.

You can get a LOT for your hard earned dough here which is more than can be said about those tax dollars we send flying off who knows where every year.

Boyz to Goats

(Rosslyn Mt. Boys @ Columbia Station 1978)

Anyone who has lived here long enough has probably heard of The Rosslyn Mountain Boys-
a very successful and talented country rock sort of group that had its heyday in the seventies.
But now get ready for The Rosslyn Mountain Goats- a whole new old breed of band.
Here's their story from the horse's mouth, Martha Hull:

The RMG thing came about when Bob Berberich's longtime intention to do a low-key country gig coincided with Joe Triplett's sudden urge in the same direction. This coincided with a creativite surge--Joe started writing songs again, one after another... and he wanted to play. After Ottley! played the Quarry House, Bob tagged it as the perfect Depression-era venue for a regular weeknight gig where they could try out new material in an intimate atmosphere, We hammered out a plan for Lonesome Hobo Tuesdays, a no-cover, pay what you can, happy hour all night, with music for working folks, from 8-10 pm.

Local Mountain Boys Peter Bonta and Rico Petruccelli were both up for joining forces again, and I was retained from Bob's original imaginary band, both to help cover harmonies and mix things up a little on the lead vocals. The material will draw from the Roslyn Mountain Boys catalog, Joe's new songs, and new input from all members -- focusing not so much on the RMB "hits" you would hear at a reunion as on recovered gems from way back in their history...and some very cool new shit. Deep roots.

Why Rosslyn Mountain Goats? Because without Tommy Hannum, it ain't RMB...

and it's a goat of a different color, anyway.

These Tuesdays are already attracting other local musicians to come and sit in with the goats on their night off-and we haven't even started yet!

Thank you, Martha.

So there you have it, and man-this sounds too good to be true to me. All that talent, and a cheap date to boot-this Tuesday, March 18th, at The Quarry House. I know it's the day after St. Patrick's Day, but remember that old saying about the hair o' the dog--
maybe it applies to goats, too.

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.)