9:30 A Place in Time

One of the reasons I write DC ROCKS is because once upon a time I had a pal named Peter who was a regular at the old 9:30 Club. Maybe it's the company I keep, but a lot of people like to tell me how much time they spent at that grimy old rock hole, and I have to admit when I look back, I wonder, what was the attraction?

That part of town was scary. The only other night life down there besides peep shows was dc space, and you took your life in your hands running between the two clubs. The food was awful- beer nuts and pizza with sauce from a can. The music often times loud and obnoxious, (3 bands three bucks)  and the bathrooms usually lacked things like doors and toilet paper.

Yet week after week, Pete and I would have a short discussion of what we wanted to do, and week after week, like zombies on auto-pilot, we headed down to F Street.  More often than not Pete (and his little friend) got in with a nod from the door man, and a free drink or two from Fred at the back bar, but did that make up for the infamous bad smell which couldn't be ignored even under clouds of cigarette smoke?

fred and beer nuts

You bet it did.  We had the time of our lives hanging out there. We made friends for life, saw great bands and happily danced in a dark room with blackened windows and no air whatsoever- overheated by raucous music and raw energy.

The new 9:30 Club is enormous compared with the old with a very expensive sound system, a stage that rolls to fit the size of the crowd, and good views of the action. I do see one stand out similarity between the old place and the present club (besides the black decor and the back bar safely ensconced downstairs with Mark Holmes' art work.) This venue has always featured all kinds of music. From folk to go-go, hardcore to country, the variety is a huge strong point. Just this month there's a hip-hop dance party, air guitar finals (?) and Loretta Lynn. Yes, the Loretta Lynn.

One big difference? It's a rare thing to find local bands on stage, but Saturday July 27th is the exception: look for the Black Clouds and an all local line-up for just $15.  (A good night to check this local institution out if you've never been.)

And if you want to win a pair of tickets to see Loretta Lynn on July 26- write me at dcrocksblog@gmail.com and put LYNN TIX in the subject box. Send me a dc club story or just say you want to go. Either way you have a good chance to win, and if you like to write you might get published, too. Contest ends July 16.

Real Guitar Rocks

Lots of rhythm and blues on stage this Friday night at IOTA when home boy Dave Chappell joins forces with Johnny Neel. This is not a drill and not an X-box. With the Kevin Ball Band and a rousing reunion of the Outpatients on the bill, this makes three bands- only $15
Please support real live musicians.

Time to Take the Fort

Sorry for the late notice, but this year's Fort Reno concert series is starting late and snuck up on me at the same time. Tonight- the first show- will feature a rare chance to see The Evens- a band that won't play clubs if they can help it and whose roots run deep under that old wooden stage to Fugazi days.

Fort Reno- close to Tenleytown metro- is the highest point in the city and rarely without a breeze. Bring your blanket, a picnic, your kids, your iguana, (on leash) but bear in mind no glass bottles or alcohol. This event is totally volunteer driven, and we need to keep the peace or lose the venue. Shows run Mondays and Thursdays from  7:15 until 9:30.

Less is More

DC Rocks hits summer mode in which we will sometimes seem less rather than more. Having said that: I really like this band.

Go Forth DC

Not Constitution Ave

Fourth of July in Washington DC.  There's the parade on Constitution Avenue. Fireworks on the mall and a huge concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol featuring all kinds of big names I would never want to see,  but that's just me. You can watch it all on TV, but if you go in person, be ready for loads of security and creative fencing to keep the crowds corralled. (I know it was a pain in the neck for the Park Service, but I miss the days when people would drag couches down to the monument grounds.)

Much of the to-do here is officially National and not the hometown parade you might think of happening in Anytown America, but Washington does have its very own hometown parade which marches right down MacArthur Boulevard at 11 a.m. It's a truly democratic affair; anyone can be in it.

After the parade everyone ends up in Palisades Park for free hot dogs and watermelon courtesy of the Lion's Club. And this year- look for our own hometown kid Owen Danoff performing under the big tent. (Someone I would like to go see, but again, that's just me.)

Happy Fourth!

Local Hero and Official Parade Judge: Mat Thorp and grandson Richard. 

Summer Postcards

Did you miss me? I just got back from a week in Florida. For the plane and to set the mood, I took the only Hemingway novel available in my branch of the DC library: To Have and Have Not.  Not my favorite title, but it did turn out to be the theme of the week.  What we did have? A great place to stay- a condo in a high rise near the beach. What had we not ? Air conditioning which was not factored into a big building's bone structure.  The have-nots also get the ugly side of Fort Lauderdale which, except for the beach, is plastered with shopping centers as far as a car can drive. But the have-nots can catch a water taxi and go see what millions of dollars can buy if you want a house facing the water ways rather than the asphalt jungle.

I also learned that the great equalizer down yonder is the drawbridge.

Whether you are gliding along sipping a Mai Tai on your forty million dollar yacht or walking back from the corner liquor store, everyone has to stop now and then and wait for the bridges to go up...or down. Unlike Washington where we are snarled up in pointless traffic jams often due to "heavy volume,"the folks on the boulevards in Fort Lauderdale at least know why they are stopped, and an uneventful walk might land you into a conversation with someone fishing from the bridge. Not a bad way to slow down, and that's a good thing to do in the summer- wherever you are.

As They Used to Say on Hee- Haw: SAL- UTE!

Since we lost Chick Hall's Surf Club in Hyattsville, Max Blob's Bavarian Beer Hall (or Blob's Park) in Jessup may be the closest thing we have to a honky- tonk around here which makes it the perfect venue for the "Tribute to the Women of Country" music show this Saturday at 8 p.m. featuring Diana Quinn, Ruthie Logsdon, Karen Collins and much more. (Is that a run on sentence or just a stream of consciousness ?)

Lacking the restraints of city life, this place stretches out with a huge dance floor and an even bigger parking lot, and is conveniently located within tobacco spitting distance of I-95.

Frager's FundIng Fete

Frager's Hardware- a DC institution- sadly made the news recently when a fire devastated the building. This Friday night Little Red and the Renegades will be playing at Eastern Market to help the folks at Frager's get back on their feet. Come on out if you care about the small local stores that were here long before the big boxes and chains that bedevil our landscape now.
6- 8 p.m.

Home Again

Luke Brindley has been busy guy-so busy in fact that he's putting out two CDs. Yep, two at once. Check it out when Luke plays his own home base- Jammin' Java this Friday.

Wednesday- Get Over It

June in Bloom

This year a lot of people think that June 16th is Father's Day, and that may be true, but every year without exception this date means Bloomsday especially in Dublin. Last year I was lucky enough to be in Ireland, but I have to admit I slept late that day, (which adds up to about 700 pages in Ulysses) but I did wake up in time for a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of Burgundy at Davy Byrne's. (And I have to admit I enjoyed that more than I enjoyed reading Ulysses.)

Hey!

I can hear the screams of "sacrilege!" from a few devoted readers. And I hear the sigh of "what the hell is she blathering about now?" from others, so let me get to the point.

For all of you looking to celebrate Father's Day, the "Like Your Dad Did" event at the Hamilton is definitely the gig for you. Musical fathers and offspring will be banding together to perform paternally themed tunes including local luminaries like Bill and Owen Danoff, Mike and Georgia Cotter, Jon and Ben Carroll and more. Show starts at 7:30.

For those of you leaning toward things Joycean, join the fray at Politics and Prose for a reading at noon Then the shenanigans go on at James Hoban's Irish Pub on Dupont Circle which has a "Dublin Resurrection" from 2-6 pm featuring 20 (possibly inebriated) volunteer readers with a special lunch and, of course, libations on the menu.

BBQ Street Jazz Flower Children and More

Once upon a time when I was expecting my first child, it wasn't pickles and ice cream I craved so much as baby back ribs in a sweet and spicy sauce that was worth the drive to Richmond. The BBQ hunt is an ongoing adventure, and I haven't tried Acre 121, but they advertise low country BBQ and live music in Columbia Heights. This Saturday night the Bumper Jacksons are throwing a CD party complete with burlesque dancing. Not sure how many young bands are out there doing "traditional street jazz, ragtime and pre-war country," but this sounds like a real show. Cover $10 and a free CD at the door. 9 pm

Meanwhile up at Clyde's in Chevy Chase, the ever reliable Vi-Kings are inviting you out to their summer party to get everyone into that beach-ey frame of mind. Their musical energy is dedicated to bringing back things psychedelic and that flower power decade. No cover.

And look for Doug Stevenson and the Spades tuning up and honky-tonking in the beer box alcove which constitutes being on stage at the Quarry House. This signless joint is quite literally underneath it all on the corner of Bonifant and Georgia in downtown Silver Spring. Free.

Just Move It

Haydee's is a neighborhood restaurant with decent margaritas and a lot of heart.  This place valiantly features live music on a regular basis which is a rare thing in Mount Pleasant, and the staff is ready, willing and able to push back the tables when people get up to dance.  Little Red and the Renegades will be there this Friday, and furniture will be moving.

DC Bands Just Keep Cropping Up

The Mission South- a DC based band with and rock soul roots, but its own unique sound migrates to Northeast to play Rock n Roll Hotel this Thursday night. They'll be opening for the London Souls- a limey based rock band from New York.

Music Plus Art =

Attention Rained Upon Local Bands

Are you are in a local band out there scrounging for gigs from a bar manager who asked you to play but won't call you back? Are you searching craigslist for new monitors after that incident with the hose at your cousin's backyard barbecue?  Chances are you could use a leg up, and the folks at Jammin' Java can help. Try out for their Mid-Atlantic Battle of the Bands contest this year. The winner receives $2500 in cold cash, (think of all the beer and mike stands that could buy)  plus studio recording time and more. All genres are welcome, but you must throw your musical hat in the ring by June 8. Click here for details.

Swelter Ring A Bell?

Howdy Heat, Humidity and Haze. Welcome back. I have to say I didn't miss you. At all. Maybe my tomatoes will be happy to see you. I know the mosquitoes will be elated, and a few of my more heat tolerant  friends (read mutants) see you as perfect summer weather. But basically I will wilt and lose the will to live under your grip. That's why I am happy to have something to look forward to this weekend- namely the rock show at IOTA on Friday night featuring local bands Jelly Roll Mortals and the Alice Despard Group opening for California pop rockers- The Orange Peels.

Good bye May. I'll miss your cool misty mornings. I'll miss watching the world go green and those riots of color erupting almost without warning.

Thanks for the mint- it's up and ready for juleps. And the lettuce which is just about to bolt, and the sweet surprise of an occasional errant fledgling fumbling around the yard. See you next year.

Hanging Round the Corner

Long Gone Rockville Gears Up to Party

The Rockville Home Town Holidays thing is coming up, and I can't help but think that the town of Rockville means different things to different people. First the obvious- it could very well be your home. A lot of people live in Rockville including folks who think they live in Potomac, but actually they  dwell in a village which was once known as Offut's Crossroads, and is now merely a census designated area - a sort of zip code state of mind - not an incorporated entity. If you mail a letter to someone you know in "Potomac" and substitute "Rockville" for the town, I bet you five dollars your correspondence  will get there.

Long gone Rockville was the stuff of Mayberry with tree lined streets and Victorian homes or farm houses. Chestnut Lodge, an 1889 hotel turned sanitarium burned to the ground in 2009, but not before it inspired a book I read in college called Lilith by my once and future English professor JR Salamanca.  And that book led to "Lilith"-the most star studded movie you never heard of starring the likes of Peter Fonda, Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman and Jean Seberg. The film was made mostly in Rockville in 1964. (and also my brother was in it, but I think his part landed on the cutting room floor.)

The new Rockville might be the end of the line of a long string of identity crises, but here's the good news:  Rockville puts on its party hat on Memorial Day weekend, shutting down its streets and inviting you out to a heck of block party.  Food vendors and over thirty bands and entertainers clog the streets Saturday and Sunday. Look for Kelly Bell Band,  Dixie Power Trio, Chopteeth, The Nighthawks, King Soul and more more more. Free free free.

Last Minute Honor

Want to see Honor By August in May? This Washington based band is now almost too big for DC, but they'll be at the 9:30 Club this Friday, and DC ROCKS has a last minute ticket give away.
Just send an email to dcrocksblog@gmail.com as soon as you read this for your chance to win two tickets. (Please put "honor" in the subject heading. )

(the) Razz Made DC Rock

J Scott Watson

It's rare that DC ROCKS looks back on a show, but history was made (once again) at the 9:30 Cub last Sunday.  DC's long lost Razz came back with a vengeance not seen in 17 years. "Just like the cicada" front man Michael Reidy pointed out, and just like the cicada, they were loud and they chewed the scenery .

photo by J Scott Watson

I have to say, despite the years gone by, Razz kicked ass, and the crowd loved it. It was part theater, part nostalgia, and totally rock and roll.

photo by J Scott Watson

The band took no prisoners and ended up including both lead singers of the Slickee Boys.  Mark Noone played bass and sang "Gotta Tell Me Why" mid set.

And last but not least, surprise guest, Martha Hull jumped on stage for the big finale of the classic "Boys." giving us all the girl's point of view. Thank you Michael Reidy, Bill Craig, Doug Tull, Mark Noone and Abaad Behram for coming together as the Razz for DC Central Kitchen. And thank you  J. Scott Watson for capturing the action of this unforgettable event.

Photo by J Scott Watson

And the Winner Is

Thank you to everyone who wrote in to win tickets for Soundbites and congratulations to our picked at random winner- Ed Innes!

Do You Wanna Dance?

Last week was my first trip to Artisphere for live music, and it definitely is a good place to dance. The ball room is huge with a rolling stage, surrounded by a balcony level with its own private bar and couches. There's plenty of free parking under the building and a Metro nearby. And it's a fairly painless foray into Virginia for all you river phobes. This Saturday's dance features the funky afro pop of Elikeh, plus Nappy Riddem and Black Masala.

Sound Off for Soundbites

Michael Reidy's ad/Unicorn Times 1979

Misty eyed friends,  does seeing Razz at the Far Inn ring a bell with you? NO? Not to worry. Music and food lovers of all ages should check out SOUNDBITES anyway.  I've been concentrating on Razz  because it will be a one off reunion performance with Ron Holloway sitting in and perhaps even a surprise guest. But it's going to be a great day full of food and music- a freaking amazing cornucopia of talent including:  Deathfix, Kid Congo Power Hour and Lee Fields. And all for an amazing place-DC Central Kitchen.

There are only a few more days to enter DC ROCKS' SOUNDBITES contest. Just send us a DC scene memory. Doesn't have to be old, doesn't have to be good. Winner picked by random. Just go for it. Email: dcrocksblog@gmail.com. Please put Soundbites in the subject box. Contest ends on May 15.

What the?

I tend to veer away from news stories, but this past week was particularly weird, and I'm not even including what happened in Cleveland.

 How about the lunkhead who suspended second graders for pointing deadly weapons at each other (aka number 2 pencils) and making gun like noises? These kind of stories make me talk back to the radio when I'm all alone in the house. What are they going to do next? Take little boys fingers away?

And did you hear about the three guys who attempted to steal an ATM from a Potomac bank? What were they thinking? Is no one going to notice a back hoe loading an ATM into the bed of a pick up truck? And what the heck do you do with it when you get that sucker home?

Even if you could steal one without anyone noticing, a backhoe couldn't carry all the musicians playing around town this Saturday night. Take a look at DC ROCKS' calendar and pick your poison from the Loggers at Maggie's to the Hula Monsters at Quarry House. And don't forget Doug Stevenson and the Spades, Kid Goat and Jelly Roll Mortals at the Pinch. And more. You don't have to break into an ATM to afford  FREE LIVE MUSIC.

Use Your Brain

When money get tight, arts funding gets the first axe which is just the way the Moneymakers think. And yet music conquers madness by spanning both hemispheres of our brains.When we get in trouble, music therapy can help stroke victims speak clearly or Alzheimer patients recall a memory.  Over in Arlington, in the heart of Rosslyn, some folks used their brains and turned the old Newseum building into Artisphere- a space for galleries, music and more, but now possible funding cuts loom ahead. 

This Friday DC's own King Soul will open for Big Sam's Funky Nation - a New Orleans crew which has been featured on the show "Treme" and described by George Pelecanos as "fucking awesome." If you like to dance, then you know first hand the dearth of floor space in this area. Artisphere features a 4,000 square foot ballroom. Please come out and support this space, your brain and the music.

Connectivity

Unicorn Times October 1979

Washington is a small town, and if you stay here long enough, the connections will start to criss cross like a spider web. The story of how Razz ended up playing at the upcoming 930 Soundbites benefit for DC Central Kitchen is no exception.

I first met Robert Egger when he was hanging around with us at the old 9:30 Club happy hour back when Mark Hall was tending bar and playing video deejay.  I knew he got involved with feeding the homeless, but the details were sketchy for me until I went to his farewell party at the Hamilton a couple of months ago. Yes, I'd heard about his brainchild DC Central Kitchen, but holy cow! Oprah made him an angel. Why?  Because since 1989, he has made a difference in people's lives, not just by feeding them, but by training folks to work in the restaurant biz at the same time.

So way back when Robert was managing the (now defunct) Childe Harolde, he ran into a guy named Seth Hurwitz who was putting rock shows like Joe King Carrasco and The Cramps into the (soon to be condos) Ontario Theater on Columbia Road. Robert also was an editor at the (no longer in circulation) Unicorn Times, and Seth would come in to advertise the shows. Both were in their late teens. Seth (and his partner Rich Heineke) bought and still own 9:30.

And the connection to Razz?  A band which essentially broke up in 1979? Robert remembers being especially struck by their guitar player Abaad Behran standing out as "a shaman and a dynamic gifted performer." He remembers the wild front man Michael Reidy - not just for his music- but also for the art he created for Razz's ads in the Unicorn Times.

So now the stars have crossed sufficiently for (the) Razz to make one more run on May 19th- to help make that difference for their old friend Robert and for the Kitchen.

For your chance to win two tickets to see Razz plus six more bands, tons of free food and more : just write up one short foggy memory of the DC music scene, and send it to dcrocksblog@gmail.com. Please put "Soundbites" in the subject header. Contest ends May 15th. No talent required! Winner picked at random.

Unicorn Times April 1979

Cinco de Greek Sunday

(food coloring vs beets)

If you are of Greek heritage, then you will understand why I am spending my weekend dying dozens of eggs blood red. (and I'm here to tell you NONE of those "natural" methods like boiling beets worked. Just surrender to little expensive bottles of red food coloring and be done with it.)

Cinco de Mayo, Greek Easter or just plain Sunday- whatever May 5 means to you, there's some good music to go see if you want to celebrate anything. Over in Silver Spring- Roaddog - a cool solid rock band will be bringing it on at El Golfo. The last time I went the cover charge was around $5, and your entry ticket got you a free margarita. Couldn't argue with that. 

On the other side of the world, locals Dave Chappell and Tommy Lepson are in on a gig with Johnny Neel at JVs. The club's description of the show is almost bigger than the venue:

"Johnny Neel is an American vocalist, songwriter, and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his songwriting, stage, and session work for the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule, and Dickey Betts. Dave Chappell has received 18 Washington Area Music Awards, including "Best Roots Rock Instrumentalist" 8 years in a row, and "Musician Of The Year" twice."

Both of these shows are what this blogger goes for: head shaking talent crammed into intimate venues. Opa! Ole, and please pass the ouzo (or the margaritas.)

The Merry Month Of May Give Away

Welcome to May Day, a day in which we celebrate Spring by tromping around a pole or leaving a basket of flowers on a friends' door step without getting caught. I only remember doing the pole thing once on a roof top in New York City with a bunch of inebriated people I didn't know very well- not exactly the bucolic experience that might come to mind, but never mind that.  DC ROCKS is going to celebrate May Day by kicking off a ticket give away to Soundbites at the 9:30 Club on May 19th.

Soundbites is a benefit for DC Central Kitchen and a complete throw down for food and music lovers. The event features samples from 25 restaurants and music from 7 local bands which include members of Slickee Boys, Fugazi and The Cramps. And this year Soundbites will feature Razz- the power rock band that seemed poised to go national back in 1979. I was in close proximity to one of their venues-the Back Room behind the Varsity Grill in College Park, but those days are foggy for me, and so I've been asking the guys from Razz about their history, but those days seem a bit foggy to them as well.  (Good thing I have Mark Opsasnick's book Capitol Rock sitting on my shelf.)

I'll be writing more on Razz and the Kitchen in the days to come. In the meantime here's your chance to win two tickets: just write up one short foggy memory of the DC music scene, and send it to dcrocksblog@gmail.com. Please put "Soundbites" in the subject header. Contest ends May 15th

A New Tree House in Town

Don't know much about the Tree House Lounge except it's size (small),  and that it's a new venue for live music. That's what makes these things an adventure. This Friday a DC ROCKS perennial favorite- 7 Door Sedan will venture forth into this uncharted territory just in time for Spring. It's really quite easy to support local music- just show up when they do.

That 70s Show

Dig deep in your sock drawer or wherever you bury the ticket stubs. Dig in the closet or maybe under a book shelf. Hey, is that a copy of "The Infiltrator" that artistic rag abut town from way back when? What've we got for 1979's calendar ? Let's see: Razz at Desperado's, Razz at the Ontario Theater, Razz at the Backstage Arlington, Razz at the Psyche Delly,  Razz at the Back Room.... and all of that was just in March.

Dig around in your brain, and you might remember that crazy pre punk rock band. They were loud, and they were wild, and now they are back.  With the exception of Ted Nicely, the original Razz line up is revving up to play the 9:30 Club's Soundbites event on May 19th.  Look for Michael Reidy, Abaad Behran, Doug Tull and Bill Craig, with former Slickee Boy, Mark Noone filling in on bass.  Stay tuned to this space for more details and a chance to win tickets early next month. (Click on the art above if you want to dig further into the DC scene in 1979.)