Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

Eddie Dean's Washington Post Magazine cover story on Elkton, MD's Zane Campbell, a rough-edged country singer who once had an anti-folk, punky phase where he lived in NYC

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/02/01/feature/this-hillbilly-madman-is-country-music-royalty-so-why-havent-you-heard-of-him/?utm_term=.58f7cdaf63eb

Missed this a few years back about him in 2015--

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/zane-campbell-brings-a-hard-edge-to-traditional-country-music/2015/10/08/ea06f626-6852-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html?utm_term=.7d14b3617d99

Campbell is also featured in the new book “Ola Belle Reed and Southern Mountain Music on the Mason-Dixon Line,” a look at the fertile, underappreciated music scene where Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware meet. Written by three academics — Henry Glassie, Clifford R. Murphy and Douglas Dowling Peach — the lavishly illustrated book of interviews, history and analysis comes with two audio CDs featuring 58 tracks of unadorned but memorable field recordings. Zane sings lead on four tracks, and the others showcase his aunt, uncle, brother and their neighbors

Bohemian Caverns may still be sitting empty on U Street but you can still see jazz in the DMV-- at Sotto, Alice's, Marvin , Mr. Henry's and more

https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/dcs-jazz-scene-is-making-a-comeback-but-youll-find-it-in-unexpected-places/2018/01/31/48fab2cc-efdc-11e7-b390-a36dc3fa2842_story.html?utm_term=.fa9d6ec5c128

Zane rules! I bought some of his art from his brother's antique store/woodworking shop in Elkton.

Wow...

http://imsodmv.com/video_listing/potsie-major-f-killa-cal-bossman-scoop-malikdopedrummer-count-doe/

New video for this late 2017 DC rap track that pays some homage to DC go-go & has great percussionist Malik the Dope Drummer on it

reading folks on twitter alleging that 930 club ticketfly service fees have gone up...and are higher than Black Cat's. That doesn't seem to be stopping folks --so many IMP shows at 930, Anthem, UHall etc plus other promoters and clubs and halls...Lotsa $ to do it all

https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/02/08/dmv-artists-list/

Teta Alim in Bandcamp on DC rap & rap hybrid sounds from Sugg Savage, G.U.M.P., NappyNappa, Odd Mojo, Reggie Pr1me

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/a-sisterhood-of-drummers-80-strong-keeping-time-to-a-brazilian-beat/2018/02/08/b0bd1710-0b7f-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html?utm_term=.18112b265fdc

Batala Washington

Batalá Washington maintains its unique status, says Alison Rodden, the group’s musical director.

“There are over 35 Batalás around the world and here in the U.S. there’s about to be 10,” Rodden says. “We were the first one that was 100 percent women.”

A fixture at city marathons and street fairs, Batalá has played internationally, led both big Women’s Marches in the District and opened for the Rolling Stones in 2012.

“How many people can say, ‘I opened for the Rolling Stones?’ ” says Carol Freitas, one of a handful of Brazilians in Batalá.

DC's The Experience Band and Show performs on street corners and now in clubs too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gykyTv7tg-A

There was a benefit in Frederick last night for guitarist Dmitri Penny Callas who used to play Benny’s Rebel Room on 14th Street and other long gone joints. I never heard of him till I read this John Kelly from the Washington Post article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/oh-what-a-night-maryland-musicians-will-raise-money-for-ailing-friend/2018/02/06/969f19e6-0ab7-11e8-8890-372e2047c935_story.html?utm_term=.52ea95c0d445

Hank Dietles bar fundraiser after it got burned down from cigarette butts

https://www.gofundme.com/HankDietlesOFFICIAL

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/blog/20992656/watch-local-songwriters-perform-a-tribute-to-hank-dieteles-amid-its-ashes

Longtime DC gogo band vocalist and solo singer Michael Muse is joining the old-school soul group the Stylistics and singing with them tonight at DAR Constitution Hall.

Also tonight is Janel Leppin and many more at Black Cat

[/i]An All-Star music and art show for Janel's weavings is happening at the Black Cat on February 16th at 8:00 pm, $10

The Messthetics, Janel and Anthony, Antonia, Low Ways Quartet, Blacks' Myths, Kim Sator, GL Jaguar, Katie Alice Greer and Janel Leppin, Praxis Cat, Knife Wife and more![/i]

Longtime DC gogo band vocalist and solo singer Michael Muse is joining the old-school soul group the Stylistics and singing with them tonight at DAR Constitution Hall.

Also tonight is Janel Leppin and many more at Black Cat

An All-Star music and art show for Janel's weavings is happening at the Black Cat on February 16th at 8:00 pm, $10

The Messthetics, Janel and Anthony, Antonia, Low Ways Quartet, Blacks' Myths, Kim Sator, GL Jaguar, Katie Alice Greer and Janel Leppin, Praxis Cat, Knife Wife and more!

Raheem Devaughn has a new band called the Crank Crusaders and they all do a go-go version of Miguel's "Skywalker" that's on DC radio and on Soundcloud

Just recently discovered a new DC Haitian band called Swag Muzik who do konpa, kizomba, and r'n'b. They have a video on Youtube

Backyard Band playing in Ghana today! They’re there for 5 days I think

https://wamu.org/story/18/03/07/d-c-may-lose-funk-parade-verge-cancellation/

Property developers won’t help fund it as much this year— the Parade needs 60 grand more to hit the $200,000 they need. Gentrification also means less spaces for stages

https://www.youcaring.com/funkparade-1121941

Fundraising for Funk Parade

So now DC is finally suing the Howard Theatre Restoration Board years after they should have looked into the board, developer Ellis, & Blue Note's handling of the theatre

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/district-suit-alleges-mismanagement-at-howard-theatre/2018/03/07/b9619ab4-224d-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html?utm_term=.c10deef118a2

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/20995599/the-scene-report-des-demonas-dupont-brass-and-more

Short blurbs from me on recent releases by Dupont Brass, Des Demonas, Dogo du Togo, and Veronneau

Events DC did not have any go-go bands at the S x SW showcases. The rappers they had were all Md residents.

Lots of DC area rap

http://dcmusicdownload.com/2018/03/28/ladies-to-the-front-meet-the-emcees-igniting-d-c-s-hip-hop-scene/

Funk Parade 2018 is back on, thanks in part to $25 thousand from Mayor Bowser and DC government

City Winery opens in the old Love club on Okie Street NE at the end of April. The neighborhood has changed. They'll be narrowly booking mainly acts that appeal to over 50 mainstream white folk-rock fans

TroubleFunk recorded a Tiny Desk today.

Meanwhile Events DC told me they didn’t have a go-go band at S x SW this year because the stage they used was too small.

https://local.washingtoncitypaper.com/publication/best-of-dc/2018/arts-and-entertainment/best-street-corner-percussionist

That's Malik Dope Drummer Stewart (whom you should follow on Instagram)

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/21000633/being-a-woman-in-the-gogo-scene-is-an-uphill-battle

Interesting read

Malik Dope Drummer Stewart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_JZR5hX0Sc&app=desktop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_JZR5hX0Sc

Friday the 13th-- Pretty Girls Crank Too (women in go-go event) with Beladona, Ms. Kim, Michelle Blackwell, Pretty Nikki, Lysette, Kee Kee and more at Paradigm Lounge in Upper Marlboro, MD

Messthetics at Black Cat

* Ezko at Songbyrd (rap)

* Backyard Band and TOB at Aqua in DC (go-go and bounce-beat go-go)

RE at 4 for free today Saturday at Freedom Plaza Emancipation Day Concert after parade

curmudgeon - sad news about Rory Felton

Sure is. He played sax with RE and Little Benny

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/man-fatally-stabbed-early-friday-in-southwest-dc/2018/04/20/c2cd23f8-4489-11e8-ad8f-27a8c409298b_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0e1b9f1895be

Betty Green has passed away (after being sick for awhile). She was the self-proclaimed bass-playing Grandmother from r'n'b/funk cover group Mother's Band and Show. For a brief period in the 80s they were managed by Jeff Krulik. The band frequently played gigs for the mentally impaired patients at St. Elizabeth's. There's a Youtube video of an indoor gig there. I went with Jeff to a Mother's Band outdoor on the grounds gig there, once. She was a sweet, nice person.

Tony Java, a DC reggae/ dancehall promoter who did a Reggae Awards event circa 2005, has passed away too.

WPFW interim PD K. Stitt just dumped the Saturday 4 pm to 6 pm soul oldies show "Baby Boomer Boogie " , hosted by onetime Roadhouse Oldies clerk Scooter Macgruder and soul music filmmaker Beverly Johnson. No announcement of what will replace the show. Rumors of other changes.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/21003804/rip-rory-dc-felton

Go-go musicians talk to Alona W. about the influence of the recently deceased Rory DC Felton, go-go sax and cowbell player with Rare Essence and Little Benny & the Masters and others. He was recently killed

So Funk Parade needs help to better recruit DC high School marching bands (Ballou marched in first one in 2014, but not since. Eastern High has been in a few. But they only had Phelps this year) for next year, but I still had a good time. Eleanor Roosevelt High from MD step squad were great in parade, while on stages around U I saw a crazy set from bounce-beat and more band TOB, solid go-go from all female band Be'la Dona, old-school sax man Ron Holloway (he's played with both late nut Root Boy Slim and jazz cats like Sonny Rollins) ; Crush Funk Brass, Malik Dope Drummer, and jazz-go-go hybrid band Jo-Go Project (led by Elijah Balbed)

Funk Parade should also reach out to the old DC Caribbean Carnival crowd and get them involved. Plus they need to better reach the WHUR and other old r'n'b outlet types to get more old-school DC folks there. It was cool that some Howard graduates in caps and gowns stopped by.

Had a fun night Friday at Artes de Cuba at Kennedy Center too. They have art everywhere, a cool old car outside, and on Thursday nights through Saturday nights from 9:30 pm to 12 midnight a Noches Cubanas room on the atrium level with great free music and mojitos for sale (with cool Cuban movie posters and more on walls and other Cuban sculptures and art)

It's that time of the year: Fort Reno

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1950118003/fort-reno-concert-series-50th-anniversary-fundrais

Nice John Kelly article in W Post on the return of DC rockabilly musician Tex Rubinowitz. He's gonna perform at the sold-out Billy Hancock tribute on Sunday.

Hamil Harris, who wrote about gospel well for the Washington Post for years, just did a nice City Paper cover story on DC gospel quartets (who mostly perform out in PG County MD now) . I went to a big national act gospel show at Scripture in Maryland. Those bills are mentioned in article. I follow the promoter on Facebook now so I can keep up

DC based Palestinian oud player and singer Huda Asfour debuted her new album Kouni at Atlas last night. Wow. She had a guest string section, guest jazz horns, and others plus great video visuals behind her. Ambitious. Some was classic Arabic Music, some rocked, some jazzy ballad like

Busy weekend. I also saw Los Van Van from Cuba at Kennedy Center, and the Billy Hancock tribute with Tex Rubinowitz and others at Pearl Street.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/oldies-are-goodies-at-the-monthly-music-fest-at-gees-club/2018/04/23/c258db2a-4708-11e8-827e-190efaf1f1ee_story.html?utm_term=.600d83cd5ceb

I used to go to the old Gee’s at 4400 Rhode Island Ave. The current Gee’s in Hyattsville has a soul oldies event on the 4th Sunday of the month

Hardway Connection play at Lamont's down in Pomonkey, MD every other Sunday from 6 to 10 (3 sets). Had fun there seeing them Sunday do a mix of original southern soul and 60s and 70s soul covers (Al Green and Sam & Dave)

On June 7 the lawsuit by the non-profit associated with the Howard Theatre against the company hired to run the place (a DC based entity associated with the Blue Note out of NYC) goes to hearing in DC. The defendant is allegedly 1 mil behind in rent (per J. O'Connell of Washington Post tweet)

Earlier this year the DC Attorney General, Karl Racine, had brought a lawsuit against the Howard Theatre non-profit for its alleged negligence in allowing the entity running the theatre to get behind on rent and bills. I wonder what is happening with that lawsuit?

WAMU Arts reporter M. Lefrak has a story out about Arena Stage and in it says that pre-Wharf all DC southwest had other than Arena Stage was a "couple of nightclubs" and the old fisherman's wharf. Ugh, no names for the clubs and no elaboration on their cultural and social importance. Zanzibar had African, Caribbean and African-American music; H20 (once Hogates) had big name Latinx acts; Channel Inn had old-school DC r'n'b.

The old seafood wharf remains important too.

Here's a 2010 piece I wrote. 8 years later many don't know this.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/13074513/zanzibar-on-the-waterfront-closes-down

Nena Perry-Brown on Michelle Blackwell go-go and r'n'b album

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arts/music/blog/21008175/on-her-debut-album-michelle-blackwell-puts-her-unique-stamp-on-gogo