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Washington DC Music Scene |
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:. Where to Catch a Local Band |
Glover Park venue on Wisconsin Avenue. Typically has a young
or mixed crowd. Main criticism (fair or unfair) is that the
Grog isn’t selective, or in other words: show up on Monday
and see a sixteen-year-old punk rock band, show up on Tuesday
and see a mid-thirties bluegrass/folk band. The layout isn’t
bad and the Grog has some decent pool tables, but they are
not a venue that promotes music. They simply let people play.
Go if you have friends playing, but show up on a random night
at your own risk.
Adams Morgan venue on 18th Street. Staccato occasionally
gets a notable local band, but typically they are considered
(fairly or unfairly) as a sort of first step or spring board
for local bands. You can certainly catch some good music,
but if you do, there’s a good chance they won’t be playing
at Staccato again as they progress in the area.
The Velvet Lounge is located on the block of 9th Street and
U Street in Northwest DC. With a bright white martini glass
to mark its space, the large front window is deceptive because
it’s about the biggest thing in the place. If you’re generous,
you’d call this place "intimate", if you’re not,
you’d call it cramped, smoky, and overwhelming. That said,
there is some charm to being so close to the bands and music
that gets played here, and the Velvet Lounge will typically
get some notable local bands, and occasionally some decent
national acts. And if you are particular about your aural
experience, the sound system and soundman do a pretty good
job of maximizing the sound quality.
Right across the street from the Velvet Lounge and relatively
new to the local music scene, DC9 has become a choice venue
in just over a year. They’ve surprised in their ability to
get some great local acts and some prominent national acts
to play (how they once got the former Smashing Pumpkins drummer
to play in such a comparatively cozy place is beyond me).
The layout is nice. Unlike the Velvet Lounge, it has a bar
upstairs so you don’t have to miss any part of the music
to grab a drink, and there’s some seating for those who are
only half-interested in the music or don’t prefer smashing
into other sweaty people. Sound is good and the stage is
only about a foot higher than the floor, so it feels cozy
but not cramped.
For most independent rock music and bands, this is the gold
standard. Co-owned by Dave Grohl (of Foo Fighters and formerly
of Nirvana) it is a sizeable venue that mostly deals only
in nationally acclaimed acts on the main stage and dabbles
with the locals mostly on the backstage. It has a large capacity
but will still sell out rather easily if a big enough band
comes through. It’s a nice balance of local and national
music acts, and they even have popular DJ and dance nights
on the weekends, depending on the schedule. It’s on 14th
and S or T St. in Northwest DC.
The Warehouse is an interesting venue because it’s tucked
away next to the Convention Center in historic Shaw and Mount
Vernon Square area...And because the music is part of the
greater Warehouse entity which includes performance arts
and plays, and visual arts and galleries. The music area
is small, but isn’t overly-restrictive. It’s a relatively
new venue, but it’s already established itself as reputable
place to catch a band and the integration of the arts makes
it more appealing.
In Arlington, VA, Iota is a sizeable venue that has a large
room and an established reputation and crowd. It can get
crowded quickly if a large enough band comes through. Iota
gets some prominent musicians and some of the larger local
acts in the DC-metro area. They tend to get bands or musicians
in the lighter, more pleasant sounding rock, and dabble in
the more experimental acts. But you probably won’t find anything
terribly heavy or hard.
The largest largest venue in DC short of stadia or arenas.
Just a block from the Velvet Lounge and DC9, this is the
venue where you will find the music that you’re most likely
to hear on the radio, on iPods, and in television commercials.
It has two levels, is spacious, and provides an excellent
area to view and hear the music. But with these amenities
come substantial costs: Tickets can be pricey (not including
the scalping that is destined to occur when large bands come
through), drinks can be exorbitant, and it can get rather
loud. There’s seating on the second level, but given the
size of the venue, there’s a good chance you’ll be standing
far away and packed in with scores of elbows and bodies.
It’s a worthy place to catch great music acts and if you’ve
got a favorite band, there’s a good chance they’ll show up
here if they aren’t booked at a pavilion or a stadium. Moreover,
the diversity of music here is notable: mostly rock of all
types (light, heavy, metal, and indie), but frequent hip-hop
acts pepper the schedule.
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:. Local Music Critics, Blogs, etc. |
Drill down for music happenings.
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:. The DC Blues Society Festival |
See the D.C.
Blues Society’s website for more info on the festival
and after party, or to volunteer at the show.
The 16th Annual D.C. Blues Festival, "Cookin' Homestyle," was
held on Saturday, September 4, 2004 from 1 to 9 PM at the
Carter Barron Amphitheater. What a blast it was. See
our pictures from the 2004 festival!
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:. Love Jazz? |
DC is home of Jazz legend Duke Ellington. U Street has played
a prominent place in Jazz history. Here are some excellent
places to enjoy some of the finest Jazz in Washington DC,
or just have a laid back time with local performers.
(Georgetown)
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW
202-337-4141
Arguably the best jazz club in D.C. Frequent performances.
Columbia Station
(Adams Morgan)
2325 18th St NW
202-462-6040
This cozy bar/restaurant offers a relaxing, easy going experience.
Plenty of locals hang out here.
(Read FindOutDC.com
Review)
(U Street)
2001 Eleventh Street N.W
202-299-0801
(U Street)
1344 U. St. NW
202-234-0072
Lots of great jazz talent plays here - tickets are a good
value. You might be able to catch a name here that you would
have to pay much more to see at Blues Alley.
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:. Great Performances |
Offers some of the world's best programs all around the year.
Tickets go fast so plan ahead.
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:. Free Concerts |
Concerts are held at the West Garden Court and seating starts
at 6:00 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Concerts
begin at 7:00 p.m. For further information, please call 202-842-6941.
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