Will ggdc be able to return to her life of groupieism?

Stay Tuned In 2006

"Just the Basics" benefit

"Just the Basics" benefit

show on October 30.

WHAT: Concert to help the Silver Spring Moose Lodge reach 100,000
pounds of basic supplies for displaced families in New Orleans.

WHO: The Grandsons, JP McDermott & Western Bop, and the Karl Straub
Combo

WHERE: Austin Grill Silver Spring
919 Ellsworth Dr.
(240) 247-8969

WHEN: Sunday, October 30
7:30 PM - 10:30 PM
(daylight savings time ends)

HOW: Admission is free. Making a donation of supplies to the Moose Lodge (right across the street from Austin Grill parking) gets a ticket that entitles you to 20% off food and a chance to win AFI tickets and other prizes. Donations can be dropped off any time between now and 9 PM Sunday night. Moose Lodge: 926 Wayne Avenue, (301) 589-5491.

Check out Joel's show list below for more info on what to bring. Thank you!

Joel Sparks
On Tap Magazine or BigYawn.net
DC Shows List: http://originalcopy.com/shows

hi there, I am still going to see music, don't lose faith. Like Anna Egge at the Deej this Saturday (deej.ORG) you should go too!

The Deej promoted a night at a new restaurant in Petworth this past Wednesday. The restaurant is called Domku and bless my heart, has Polish food. How many other people agree that this is the barometer for DC finally having 'arrived'? (just kidding) Anyway the food, while a little precious, was extremely delicious. And the environment seems like even with a PA system set up, it will be a nice music venue. Dan & Maria you know we want the Grandsons there ASAP (and if you need our help with anything just ask!!)

FYI get ready I am having my first official gallery show opening June 24 at DCAC, it's group show, but still a huge deal! I'm working on a 400 square foor sculpture, top that! & stay tuned.

Happy New Year! I shamefacedly admit that I almost forgot to write this, even though once again me and the other ggdc’s spent another lovely New Year’s at Iota with our extended family of ‘music friends’. The line up was Sweetie Pie Jones and Last Train Home again. Both had nice tight shows-a nice way to welcome 2005. I don’t know if you agree, but I think 2004 was a bitter pill for more than just me. I have continued to keep up with my favorite artists and keep an eye on new stuff in DC, but it has gotten increasingly difficult to keep up the pace I was keeping up the past two years.

I have been doing a thankful lists the past few new years on this blog. It is a good thing there is a precedent, because I really need to do it this year as I fear I am harboring more resentfulness than usual about my tripartite life-go be an executive assistant from 6 AM to 4 PM, 5 PM to 8 PM go to my wonderful art studio make art and pursue the heartbreaking, poverty inducing artists career I was trained for, then 9 PM to 5 AM go to see live music, meet new people and then write about it - a passion that I stumbled into that is one of the most fulfilling parts of my life that I would like to parlay into something more tangible and lasting. Of course, if I were really achieving all this, notice I would never sleep. The fact that I can’t do all this makes me sad.

So what makes me happy?

Iota turned 10, and although I was not there at the beginning I still feel like it’s an amazing thing. It is so cool to share love for live music with such a cool group of people, musicians and patrons.

This year I really hooked into two bands not form this area, but from where I hail from. 4 Way Street from Philly, PA - my birthplace. Their 4 part harmony and song writing knocked my socks off. From the outside they seemed to have a golden year, opening tour stops for The Proclaimers and Glen Tilbrook, a decent amount of gigs in our area and touring up north. Then they went their separate ways. Dudes, that sucks but I am happy to have known you. The other band from New Jersey/New York is Joss. Joss opened for Exit Clov in September and I broke my local rule and fully posted about Joss, well ‘cause I think they rocked and want them to play here more and I know the lead singer from art school. It was totally cool.

Art-O-Matic made a nice showing in the music department from what I can tell. They produced a CD that I am totally enjoying after the fact. Unfortunately I saw almost no live performance due to my own undoing of participating in Art-O-Matic as a visual artist at the same time that I was starting a new job. 2004’s run was only about 3 weeks too which did not leave much wiggle room for me. I think there was music scheduled everyday, which is the way to be! What really needed to be was a timely posting of the music calendar. I realize Art-O-matic is far from a perfect venue, but the first week the show was open I could not get a schedule or calendar or anything online. The only schedule I got was 3rd hand from a ggdc reader that emailed a schedule to me that seemed like it was from one specific organizer/promoter because it was for such a limited range of days. I thought the 2002 music calendar kicked ass, I don’t know if it was the coding or the data entry, but I know it stopped me from seeing things I wanted to.

Arlington Music Scene (AMS) made a showing at Art-O-Matic, which was good for broadening their influence I think. They have a once a month happy hour at Iota now, too, before the open mike which I’ll have to check out sometime.


DC9 is a new club that opened on 9th Street in the spring that I finally popped into the 3rd Sunday in December to buy my Art-O-Matic CD’s. I always enjoy seeing live music at bars on Sunday, there is usually a really good vibe because the place is full of “The Regulars” and I’m pretty sure that the bartender chit chatting to me about some grocery store in Dulles VA that sells radial tires was an owner. Like now that is down to earth owner talk, my favorite thing in a club-like talking to lice Despard at Galaxy Hut. Anyway, at this Art-O-Matic CD Re-Release, due to the fact that I had to get up at 5 AM for my dumb job the next day I only heard sound check, and mostly hearing it from the downstairs bar at that. But faith & begoragh for a new place I am guessing this club laid down some green on the sound system, the sound is HOT. I look forward to seeing a show there as soon as I can. Unfortunately I think most of the live music is confined to week nites which sucks for me. The neighborhood location of the place triangulates Velvet Lounge and 9:30 Club, which pretty much completely describes the vibe. A dark no frills bar on the ground floor, many of the bands it features local like Velvet, but it’s bigger than Velvet and the and sound systems better. Definitely check it out, I hope they manage to hang in there.

For all my complaining about my job and my hectic life, on a world scale too many disasters, natural and manmade, scarred the year and will continue to rest heavy on my mind, as I know they do on yours. It is really, really important to make time in your life for practicing and sharing your passions with others. The communicatory potential of art, music and theater is as sheltering as it is expressive. I know that a few of you in my ‘music friend’ family (ie. recognize the visages of Jenn & Debbie and I) have also experienced births and deaths very close to you this year. I feel like being an artist I am always remaking myself but when confronted with a life altering events like the above, I don’t know that if as an artist I am better or worse at dealing with them because of this tendency. At my young years, I still think I can say that if you are doing it right, the ‘artistic remaking’ is first and foremost about exploration and self-critical honesty. When it’s real life remaking itself around you we often tend to focus on the the pain and the fear part instead of the growing, learning and changing part. For the past decade while we may be just acquaintances, the frightening truth is that because of proximity, I see you, the music friends, much more than I see my blood relatives who live hundreds of miles away. You are like a surrogate family and I am thankful that you have chosen to share some of your depths with me. The whole point of this rambling? Groupiegirl loves you and believes in you and knows that it’s possible to become a stronger and better person than you already are. Love and Luck in 2005. ggdc

So, In the interest of regaining momentum for this blog, I saw a new band!(of course it has taken me a week to post, but I've a lot to say) Really I SAW two new bands. Joss and Exit Clov, and you see, Joss is NOT from DC. Exit Clov IS, (in as much as all the members being enrolled in university in DC counts as being from somewhere.) I’ve made a tiny exception before, writing up Molehill Orkestrah (coming all the way from Arizona for a pirate radio benefit and the ottobar-rock on) and I’m going to do it again, write up Joss (just a bit bigger.)

Starting backwards, Exit Clov played second set on the backstage at the Black Cat. They had a lot to live up to for me. I'd seen a blurb in On Tap waaaaaay back in May ‘03, and took notice because I respected this Nevada person that wrote it for calling Clov out. Here at groupiegirldc, we struggle with the aphorism "If you don't have anything nice to say....etc." all the time. Then about a year later I saw the WP-Express nut and thought bubbled : "wow, that band’s still around" and "Great, they seem to be getting their shit together" and "I better go see this band." By then I think either Vivian from Cowlick Lucy or Mr. Joel had told me that Exit Clov was a major kickin 5 player with multi-instrumental, harmony singing lead singer sisters (phew!). I also think it was Vivian or Joel or both because I clearly remember Jenn being there and saying "Exit CLOV, C-L-O-V, that is the coolest band name, ever!" I can't tell you how much Jenn, Debbie & I bitch about good band names vs. bad band names, so this exclamation (even given that Jenn is a major theater geek) once again raised the bar for Exit Clov to be good.

A year and half later I have finally seen Exit Clov live. My summary on one helping of Clov: I challenge them to keep raising the bar. It seemed to take this band an inordinate amount of time to warm up to the set, like 4-6 songs, it was like Hsu sisters tangled in a rhythm section. Then, don't ask me what song it was but, in the middle of it the sisters both whipped out violins and played this synchronous dopler-ing drone for a goodly amount of time and rhythm did it's own thing and everything worked and there was a glimmer of the future. Susan & Emily (uh "the sisters" aka "do you know their twins?") are the ones responsible for all the instrumental multitasking I saw. I can speak for them being tight, at least at this show. (rah! girl power!) Keyboard, violin, and guitar power, it’s hard to resist.

I normally don't have much excitement for "pop", (I have almost no knowledge of pop music from 1984 to present, due to personal beef that signaled the end of free radio in this country for me...see me after a show if you need to know. This was before clearchannel got within 700 miles of NJ. Remembering moments like this make me think we are letting a free country slip out of our fingers. sigh. Anyway, back to pop music, right?) ggdc harps on experience at live shows, but in this case, cumon Exit Clov, with the artsy fartsy name I have to admit to having to check out their MP3's to thereby see what it was they were trying to do on that stage.

Listening to the MP3’s everything does sound tight and syncopated, Both practically and theoretically, they are trying to do an awful lot. In the studio they turn on a dime, live and on stage they are still just mortals. It will be interesting to see how long this band or at least some form of this band and all these nascent ideas sick around to amount to something.

(Now folks, you are about to witness what will seem like ggdc contradicting herself, but she is not. Figure out what I am talking about and go home with a certificate in karenese.)

Having been real familiar with Joss in recording I was pretty anxious and excited to see them live. Even right now I am struck by wanting to drop the CD in the player so I can write something all technical sounding, but really, why do that? Live, I walked away from Joss having noticed a hundred more rock n’ roll hooks in the music. It was cool to click with the visceralness of hearing a band live for the first time in awhile. Getting one’s ears back to virgin is not easy but worth it.

For only 3 instruments drums, bass & electric they make really rich and complex music. Mike, bassist, has a mike, (hah) for nice, subtle harmonizing. Another thing I like to hear, a bassist playing the song. It’s a hard thing to notice for me sometimes, but I think it’s brilliant when bassist's do it. What a super solid playa Joss’s drummer is too. Turns out Chris was in some version of the band Speed the Plough, which by way of website, I have just learned is somehow once removed from The Feelies. Hmm, Chris is really good and partly explains why he’s really good at doing more than just driving the song. There’s a call & response going on alternately with the drum & bass, drum & the electric. Drum & drum? Work's for me.

Then there’s lead singer Ambrose’s seeming ability to play the electric guitar partially via mind control, like Riley McMahon or Karl Straub-which I suppose must be like driving a formula one race car. Know exactly what you need to do, and you do not harbor even a flicker of realization that you are going at 220 mph, ever - cause then - pow - you crash. (Of course I’ve neither experience of driving a race cars or playing a guitar, but plug vicarious into this site’s search engine and see how ready I am to admit that as much as 50% of what I appreciate about live music is vicarious participation and it ability to breed great analogies like the above.)

You know, shoot, I need to say something about that wicked (to use a dated word) slide work Ambrose pulled out on the song Mojave Desert Highrise, too. Yum. I guess I’d heard him playing it on the CD, but it makes me feel like seeing is really hearing. How powerfully theatric. As I write this site mostly for people I know....you know how theatrical Jon Spottiswoode can be musically, gesturally and vocally? Well just imagine, Ambrose brings this to the table too, and he may be a slightly better technical player (though Spotty has really upped the ante with his playing ability in the past few years. Just check out his new CD, Building a Road.)

I really, really, really want to see Joss and Spottiswoode & His Enemies double bill. I’m kind of surprised they have not run up on each other. They both play the same round of joints in NYC: Candystore, Mercury, Knitting Factory and the like. I’m pretty sure they have never even heard of each other. It would be an art rock orgy, but maybe that’s just me.

So, umm, In the interest of full disclosure, now that you’ve read all the above, studio audience - if you’ve been playing along at home you may recall from earlier posts I know Joss’s lead singer, Ambrose. As I finish writing this, it strikes me now that I probably met Ambrose Liu and Jon Spottiswoode, (who I was also aquainted with in college) within about 6 months of each other, between the Summers of 1991 and 1992-when I was barely hanging onto my tender flower teen years. One was in school to become a film director, with a capital ART, the other was well on his was to becoming a recluse painter. Now thirteen years later, “what the hell?” They are rockstars. Yes, rockstars. They really are in my mind. Just as much as all the people I gush about on this blog that I have NEVER known personally. Is that sappy or what? On that note, I can think of no more beautiful way to end this post, having of course begun by talking about Exit Clov, a band that is at this present moment slogging through and trying to survive the same crazy ass time of life that I just got all reminiscent about.

Hello nice people. I miss talking to you and seeing you around. I can't believe the last time I posted anything was in May, more than 3 months ago. While I've been to some token shows, I have been to no where as many as I wanted too. I have seen no new local bands - not because they are not out there, but because of the stuff that keep all of us form going out on occasion - health issues, home issues, money issues, employment issues, and fear, loathing and exhaustion issues. I am hoping at least some of the above issues are behind me because this Summer it seems like I got a little of all of them.

A few weeks ago I received an email from someone I have not seen in person for 13 years (YIKES). We'd kept in touch by U.S. mail and then email once they invented that. In thirteen years our paths only came close to crossing once. If I remember he got a last minute gigs in NOVA a weekend I was on vacation in Boston.

Unlike then, Ambrose's band Joss is playing at the Blackcat on Thursday, September 30 with locals, exit clov and I will be able to be there. I think this is a smashing, smashing, smashing omen for a better Fall with lots of meaningful music moments. Don't you?.

I am committed to groupiegirldc, being about, duh, dc music, but if you approached me in person I would say there is a small number of out of dc groups that I would make an exception for. Joss is one of them. I've also been wanting to see exit clov since last Fall, so I will be killing two birds with one stone and the cat in a few days. It should so rock!

new CD label District Line, brought to you by Henry Rollins. This link was brought to me by Debbie with the simple tag 'I love Henry Rollins'.

What's not to love, he's a master of many lost arts, like public oration and speaking the truth. (The lack of truth speaking I come across in a day frightens me, it's not just on TV - but with real people everywhere, it's like they have someone else's eyes in their head, alas I digress) Anyway, "30 Seconds over DC" and "Troublefunk: Live and Early Singles" I am guessing will be essential, essential, essential material for research and pleasure. Mr. Rollins has already warmed my credit card, hope I have time to report back to you about it.

It's an On Tap DC Music Timeline. I don't have time to scrutinize this timeline, other than I found it because they give a nod to what I thought was just Mr. Brace's record label. Turns out Top Records was also run by Brian McGuire (now of 52 Pickup and quite the promoter hisself) and one W. Van Hall, whom I've never hear of. I soooooooo want recordings of Frontier Theory, B-Time and The Beggars. Wow, I thought thistuff was recorded in the 90's, but not quite, turns out it's the late 80's. I found it even more interesting that 1986 coincides with when I as an 8th grader stopped listening the radio and stopped buying 'records' by anyone that made over 1,000,000 a year. Yet as a 15 year old sheltered, not-even-a-little-punk-at-the-time ingenue with no internet, I never got to hear Dischord, harDCore, or even Top Records which would have rocked my world. I did buy and listen to a ton of Folkways and S.I. source recording and listened to my mom's and grandparent's old records, so I just came to my present musical taste and education backwards of most other people.

Listen...and weep

For my birthday, Karen gave me three Kevin Johnson and the Linemen CD's (Memphis for Breakfast, Parole Music, and The Rest of Your Life). It should tell you something that this is the first time I've been motivated to actually write something on this blog even though I've had the opportunity to since the very beginning.

All morning I've been listening to these CDs and I just want to cry. Partially because some of these songs are just achingly beautiful, but primarily because the only chance I'll get to hear these songs live is if Scott McKnight or the boys of Last Train Home perform covers. And that is a crying shame.

I'm not sure if it's my mistaken impression, born of Eric, Scott and Bill being Linemen before moving on to the incarnations we know and love them in now, but I feel like Kevin Johnson is the grand-daddy of all the music Karen and I have come to love over the past ...what is it three years now? (My lord, that was a long sentence.) And these albums totally live up to that impression.

Parole Music is one of the best albums I've ever heard. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and brilliant. This album is everything that all of these other musicians we listen to are aspiring to be. The song The Killer Pillow could easily be a Karl Straub tune (this may be the highest compliment I could pay a songwriter). Stay in Trouble is an absolutely beautiful song, totally heartbreaking. The arrangements on all the songs are great. His lyrics are great. This album rules.

I feel like I did when I discovered Karl's music...totally awed and delighted and desperate for more. I wish I'd known when I saw Kevin at the Americana Motel release show at the Birchmere what a rare treat I was experiencing. Kevin -- please come back! I want to hear these songs live! You're breaking my heart!!!

Get your own copy: sam records

This is a blogging service announcement. Once again, my life is out of control I am loosing my job due to contract fanagling, I am renovating an efficiency apartment almost single handedly which I must move into my April 1. So writing the blog is a wash, sorry there will be no schedule update this month either. I am seeing shows though, all this stress and tension needs to get released somewhere. God, I love live music.

Look at this schedule for March at IOTA?!?!?!?

Amazing, I think Steve & Jane are trying to drive my insane (or broke) - but more power to them! YAY! I always forget that Iota's birth sign is also Pisces, just like me! (My question is the club a Leo rising as well, just like so many of my friends. How does one go about figuring out what the rising sign of a business establishment would be? )

So, if you don’t know already, Chief Ike’s is where I first became a diehard Grandsons groupie. Chief Ike’s has not changed much since I was there last. Funny to hear myself say, but it’s refreshing that it hasn’t. It’s always been a fairly unpretentious place- it’s really a testament they are still there. I guess it popped up around the same time as Dante’s, 15 Minutes and the Insect Club, and they are all gone. How old does a club have to be before you can start talking about it’s history and how old it is?

Let me warn you, I’ve written a book here, it’s been a while since I focused on a new band.

So on like Feb 6, I go to hear The Shooters, a band from Virginia via Texas, a band I thought would sound reminiscent of my beloved G-Sons. I guess The Shooters did remind me of The Grandsons a little, I wrote down after seeing the show “The Shooters sound like Mike Holden & His Band had a test tube/petri dish baby with The Grandsons” (I fully realize I am one of maybe only 2 people in the entire Metro Area that understands this analogy-The Grandsons and Mike Holden are two very divergent bands that seem have very different clienteles).

To explain, The Shooters song choices are very melodic with heavy hooks and vocal runs like The Grandsons, but The Shooters lead singer, “J.R.”, delivers the goods with what I perceive to be a solo/singer songwriter voice. Like Holden, powerful and competent, but ultimately not an Issak, Orbison or even a MacEwen. I really lust after those warble-y, complex, cowboyish voices - I was a teensy bit disappointed, “J.R.’s” voice is not that. There was plenty else to make me want to watch this band in the future, for instance the freakin’ song “Whisper” . (You can get it on Washington Post MP3. I’m getting addicted to it. Talk a about a song with hook, I think it's yummy)

Also, their lead electric guitar, “Scooter”. This guy is young and hands down is the cleanest most classically trained "looking" player I have ever seen outside of 1960’s documentary films featuring Segovia himself. Maybe I am making this up, I didn’t talk to him, but the shows I go to I just don’t see anyone with that kind of technical form, EVER. Everyone I listen to taught themselves to play or were virtuosos on air guitar before they ever took a lesson. Amp/PA problems did hamper hearing all Scooter’s ‘clean’ riffing that I am making a big deal of but honestly, just watching him play was pretty. I’m anxious to hear this “Scooter” guy run through a real sound man.

Typical, to talk about the rhythm section last. A few months ago, I was all into noticing real sparse drum kits-well, I’ll be cow kicked, not for this band. They’ve got a beefy kit, not quite “hair band” size, but I lost count at four. Two were toms, and Smack Daddy Dave used them all. The bass player was mic’d for back up and had a good voice from what I could tell. Let me tell you, this bass guy ”Stub” was one of the most energetic bass players I have ever seen live around here. His playing pretty much kept step with his antics too.

Truly, this whole band comes prepared with antics and chatter built in, I was kind of surprised. Going into this show, I knew about the band members over the top stage names but was not prepared for the comedy. Like a spoof on the Janet/Justin Super Bowl booby incident. Weird, but then again one person’s weird is another's gravy. Like what I thought was sincerely cool was the fact that “J.R.” wrote an original song for ukulele inspired by his mother. I am self-aware enough to realize most would find the second situation weird, I don't.

Putting how I subjectively define weird aside, Debbie really hit the nail on the head:

“The Shooters remembered the first rule of schmoozing: get to know the crowd -- they are potential fans. I appreciated that J.R. and Smack Daddy took the time to introduce themselves and sit and talk with us. Attention, rightly placed is always welcome. I don't like going to shows where the band seems more interested in your wallet size than in you as a person. Making people feel special and not neglected is the cardinal rule of REAL hospitality, which translates into fans wanting to see or hear you again.”

If the above isn’t in groupiegirldc’s top ten, it should be. It’s real important, being nice and engaged with everything that is going on at your show will never, ever hurt and The Shooter’s on first viewing seem to have this covered. They’ve got the instrumental skills, they have original material and they did some really interesting covers, tweaked just enough to their sound, U2-I mean who does U2 covers? David Frizzell's Wino, and Depeche Mode song too, I think-? There’s not many bands you could check out and hear all that in one night. I’m going to keep my eye on them and see what happens. You can see them at Grog&Tankard on the 27th.

Speaking of being nicey, nice, here's a transcript of
Mike Schreibman, President and Executive Director, Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) talking about the Wammies Live Online on February 11, 2004 It seems a lot of Mike's pictures found their way onto WP-MP3's Opsasnick's Capitol Rock review pages too. Just reading some of the questions & comments in this online chat makes me quiver with giddiness. I have to get to this Wammie show one day and meet this Mike guy.

So the below is a wash, no recording of a live show this weekend, but at least there are shows.
I suppose it would be remiss of me not to mention how excited we are that LTH has decided to lay down track for a live album very soon, the last weekend in February to be exact, on my Birthday weekend too! yay!

Sunday February 8, I'd have to say the Little Pink show Black Cat backstage is a no misser, love the backstage, when it's done right, as we know it will be by Little Pink. Spoils of NW has been checking themselves out on ggdc, they did a District of Ladies show last month that I missed - but they still get hits on my site, so I should write something. I very
much want to see the whole show.

Updating my template and even blog entries has been hell recently, I don't know what I need to format to stop having these problems.