Hello, a snowy day in DC, ya'll. I have found something online by accident that I in awe of at the moment. A labor of love discography of Country Music records from 1951 to 1964, called Rockin' - Country Style
I'm not quite sure how I would use this yet, but shoot-I mean shoot - look at all those songs, and you can see those 50's/60's record labels even by geographic region (like checkin' out DC). I've finished Opsasnik's book, (but have to collect myself to write about it) and imagine that he would want to know about this site, so fans, this is why I post it. (Well that, and so I can find it again)

A correction, The Shooters show at CHIEF IKE'S MAMBO
ROOM is on FRIDAY Feb 6th, not Saturday Feb 7th. So
catch them as part of your extended happy hour on Friday
the 6th. and check it out, a web site for Chief Ike's.

This entry will be known as "Become a Shooterfan."

(caveat emptor: I have not seen this band live yet)

Take a look at this email I received from "J.R." of the "carefully selected nickname" entitled "Your new favorite group in DC..."


THE SHOOTERS!


I stumbled over your page in the yahoo groups, and I
simply must have you as a fan. I MUST! I WILL!


So we're a half texan, half virginian twang-banging
band called The Shooters. We sound like Chris Isaak
with attitude. You can read up about us and get show
info at
http://www.shootersite.com


Be a fan!



J.R. Royall

The Shooters



So for your benefit "J.R." behind the scenes this is what the founding members of ggdc say- "hilarious. the boy definitely deserves our attention!" and "Oh my gosh, that's so cool." So much enthusiasm in such a succinct email. And look how 'neat' their website is, by which I mean clean type faces and animation that doesn't crap out my dial-up, and what may be real artists drawings on the show page. Nice. I can't believe I'm posting these shows with out seeing the band first, but it's so neat and organized and easy to copy, I can't resist.



* Wednesday, January 21st .............Velvet Lounge

Doors at 8:00, us at 9:00

915 U Street NW, Washington DC

(202)462-3213



* Saturday February 7................ Chief Ike's Mambo Room,

Special Valentine's Day Show!

Doors at 7:00, us at 8:00-ish

1725 Columbia RD (between 17th &18th streets) Adams Morgan, Washington DC

(202)332-2211


(awwww, it's Chief Ike's, Anyone know what band I used to go see here ever other Wednesday in the 90's? If you do, you win a lollipop! Well really we all win 'cause look, it seems Ike's often does live music again and other live performance stuff too!)


and lastly,

* Friday, February 27th .............Grog and Tankard

On at 11:00 pm

2408 Wisconsin Ave, NW

Georgetown, Washington DC

(202)462-3213



FYI, This is going to sound petty, the Grog is in "Glover Park", not Georgetown. It's like saying the Black Cat is in Dupont Circle, close - but no cigar.



PHOEBUS is also playing at the Grog in March, maybe. hmmmmm, infamous old Grog, shoot, that place has been around awhile. I am inclined to "go off" on the Grog, but honestly I've seen a lot of shows there. And while they have spruced the place up, it's got a residual DC funk (as in smell) circa 1980 to 1998 that I thought was gone when the 9:30 moved and the Bayou closed. Now the Bayou and the 9:30, while smelly, had almost from the beginning featured national acts. You won't see so much of that at the The Grog, occasionally, but not in the same class as those DC classic clubs. But like I said, I have seen lots of shows at the Grog in 14 years and generally I like to think I don't listen to trash, otherwise you would not be reading this. The Grog's, got the smell, the look and the college students and the fact that the place is so close to richy-rich Georgetown yet (I assume) still between two strip clubs is priceless. Checking out any band at the G & T is time machine for me. If researched before attending a trip to see a band would be worthwhile for anyone.

Girls Against Boys line up at the Velvet Lounge is posted now. Partyline, Spoils of NW, Rose and SHORTSTACK all playing on January 16th. I'm very psyched, I wonder how mobbed it will be?

Junestar, a swell band I've seen a couple of times and not written about yet, they don't seem to get DC side much. So sad.

Check this out, the Paste
Magazine 2003 Readers Poll.



OK, I'm not a reader yet, but I took the poll anyhow. I got hipped to this by Debbie b'cause it seems that this magazine has a soft spot for Spottiswoode and his Enemies. Their building a road is listed by the mag with people like Dave Matthews, Radiohead, Kathleen Edwards and Beth Orton. Jenn found Paste online as they put a Spotty single on one the CD's that goes to subscribers of the print mag. Totally cool, non? The great thing about this poll is you see the results after you've taken it, S&hE is doing quite well in the "Paste Poll" and hey they give you comment boxes too - like "what was the most overrated CD of the year" in my world "The Complex" Blue Man Group's collaborative release, blech. Such a disappointment after their first CD "audio" which was amazing. Go buy "audio" if you can. If you need to hear "The Complex" my copy is probably under a table leg to keep a table top from wobbling, go and take it.

Happy New Years bands and fans! Where did this year go?

More importantly, what do I have to show for it? This time last year, I was still a fresh-faced blogging-newbie, naively thinking ggdc would become a chat room or someone would throw money at me for starting a magazine etc. Thinking it would happen in 2003 was the naïve part, realizing the real reasons I try desperately to keep up this journal has been a complex and rewarding journey.



Trying to keep my show-going notes current online has given me new respect for those in the performing arts that also keep a day job. As a visual artist, I am used to locking myself up in the studio until ready to present my work to the world like a batch of freshly baked cookies. Not so with performers and journalists, you have to be out there multi-tasking , growing the cocoa beans, milling the flour and preheating the oven – all while performing. Knowing that many of these actors and musicians also punch a 9-5 time clocks like myself, is truly mind-boggling. For those of you that have made the redoubtable move of kicking the 9-5 safety net to the curb take heed of this thing a 40’ish male friend of mine said after seeing LTH at Carter Baron Amp this summer: “It does my heart good knowing that there is someone my age going to work with their shirt untucked.” While I am not a 40’ish male, I know exactly what he means. I sometimes enjoy the “untucked shirt factor” as much as the music.



What else has this obsession got me? A ‘beater’ of a car. For most the only way getting a beater would be of mention was if proceeded by four letter words. Having lived in DC for over a decade without a car by 2003, (I had not even been behind the wheel since the mid-nineties) the decision to actually buy a car was formidable. While I’m still not sure it was a great idea, and as I’m still afraid to drive on highways and parkways having been nicknamed “the threat” by at least one person. Embracing the rock & roll world started me questioning my slavish attachment to the DC subway system that has yet to move into the 20th century and stay open 24/7 and made me re-visit driving as more than a spectator sport. While I’ve not been on 95, or even close, I’ve been known to wear a path Clarendon like a Conestoga wagon trail. For you readers prone to worrying, this driving thing has reduced my bar tab to all time lows. While this may not be rock & roll, it’s got all kinds of benefits like health and money in the bank (sort of).



I said these exact words last year, but it bears repeating. To all the musicians, club owners, bouncers, bartenders, musicians’-significant-others, and fan friends THANK YOU for sharing your gifts, your love and your livelihood with me and all the groupie girls and boys. If I didn’t live it everyday, I would not believe that hard ass rock n’ rollers and club owners could be unjaded, all around fantastic human beings. Please don’t ever loose sight of that.



I also want to thank those behind the scenes at ggdc. In no particular order



Debbie & Jenn are #1.




Ask Mike at Crosstown Arts who took my suggestion for the new WAMA Members Calendar-visit it often.


to Mike of Cheap Date for linking to me.


To bands who took time to read ggdc, while I am still trying to find time to see them perform Juniper Lane, Junk Food, and The Issue, Mark Helm, and
Mike Shupp.


And to Mike Holden for starting
AMS that sends me plenty of hits.


To the deej and
Hungry for Music for doing more than the next guy for the right reasons even when they don’t have too.


And Mr. Joel for keeping his calendar up and running when I don’t have time to update mine.


And my greatest hope is that my brother’s Wigilia (Polish word-look it up) promise to me comes true: to help me work out my IT problems and try to find time to possibly be my webmaster, so cross your fingers.





Love & Luck & remember enthusiasm doesn’t cost a cent


ggdc

The nice people at the DC nightlife Coalition bring you the DCNC AUTOSEND. Tell the government what you think, get DC the live music venues it deserves!

So I left off with the dynamics of stage sharing, who gigs with whom and whatnot. I'll Start with the bene at Iota because it is fresh in my mind. Can I just tell you the biggest most pleasant surprise of the Alejandro Benefit was Karl Straub singing harmony with Mary Batiata on a new song of hers. Whoa, harmony is an understatement, they sound great together! Karl has played guitar live with Little Pink on more than one occasion and I think he produced her first album, oi vay, why did it take so long to discover how great they sound together?

Other funzies at the bene, hearing the band June Star. They had opened for LTH, like over a year ago at The State - I remember them as being interesting. They totally hung together at this benefit, even with what was a sit in drummer (I think?). And this sit in drummer, he rocks - he played electric and sang a number of lead vocals with Lee Wilhoit & Phoebus in a band that is yet unamed, or so they joke. Anyway, gotta find out what this talented youngster's name is. Another treat was Bill Kirchen, rockin solo with some old bluesy stuff then sitting in on Jumpin' Jupiter's set. These are really fun things that just don't get a chance to happen day to day-yay for benefit show mentality!

Hello, so it's been a good old fashioned groupiegirldc kind of week. We'll have been to Iota 3 times in 7 days by Sunday. There are good shows at Velvet Lounge and Staccato this weekend. Check out Mr. Joel's calendar, it's got most of what I have not had time to add to mine.

Especially take note of the Alejandro Escovedo Benefit little promos for this show have been popping up everywhere. It's my kind of line up-LTH, Little Pink, Bill Kirchen, Jumpin Jupiter, Bill Kirchen, Brandon (whose last name I can't remember, from Canyon, Karl Straub, Lee Wilhoit (hmmm that's now all the members of the former Graverobbers? Reunion anyone?) It will be a lot switchin' around, but it should rock! I'm sure there may be other players I've missed to so come on out. If you have not heard of Alejandro Escovedo, search him on the net you will find gracious tribute to this still living artist who needs a lot of help with medical bills.

Now the super groupie thing to do is always keep tabs on 'developments', like who shares stage with whom and who gets posted on what message board or list serve etc. I am going to try and map out some of these new developments next as I did make it to the Holden/Rotoscope show and got visuals now on some of the AMS postersand Brandon whats-his-face from Canyon is playing at this benefit Sunday....hmmm, must digest

this is a post for me only, remember this name, Malcolm Holcombe, from North Carolina. wow. real. very very real.

Hi people. Well the least I could do is update the calendar for November, right? Well, I have a number of times, but the template doesn't want to save or publish, which is maddening. My life has really gone to hell in a handbasket lately, I don't feel like half the groupie I used to be, only time will tell. Let's hope I can at least get back to posting the dates of shows I would like to see, if Blogger cooperates.

Can I just tell you how thankful I am for Mr. Joel. Check out his October/November calender, droppin' science on A possible B-Cat gig for Spottiswoode. Mr. Joel certainly suceeds in keeping us informed on shows even the one's not in the papers yet-that means his hiney is AT shows. sigh.

Here's a show at AU this Saturday the 8th. First band on is Los Hermanos Rodriguez. They are the only band I've seen in this lineup of Lunchbox, Red Line Index, Paper Doll, and The city The sea who are scheduled to appear in this order. I saw LHR at Velvet a year or more ago, at one of their first playing out gigs. It was a fundraiser gig and Arblemarble's last one I think. Anyway I am curious about this lineup. LHR was 3 piece I think and loud and tight when I saw them. Is there one of those music monikers out there called speed punk? If so, that's probably them . Somehow they resemble a metal band in sound, with political messages wrapped in. They were a happy surprise when I saw them last year and I think you should go see them now and report back to me, especially after that cruddy Citypaper article on Fugazi ruining the rock scene in DC-go listen to LHR-hopefully AU will represent and get some more shows for them.

Do you know this guy?

It make's me believe that the internet was not developed for clandestine defense purposes - instead the internet came into being to provide immensly talented artists, like this jazz drummer, with an income to live on. Sigh, I need an income.

Oh Mi Goodness.


It's almost October and this site is in a shambles-sorry about that folks. Cyberspace is not that forgiving when you try to use both a mac and a pc for working on the same template, I'm guessing that's the problem with my calendar. I will try to fix it up soon because October seems to be lining up a lot of fun shows.

It was great to see the Dustbowlers out and about, even better to hear them. The gig took place above Politiki at a place called "Top Of The Hill", no tiki's there. it sounds stuffy, but it was comfortably laid back. I was most struck by the fact it was a Saturday night and there was no yelling, puking or passing out observed. But more about the band.

My oh my, they do know a lot of songs. This Tim Penney fellow is a very, very prolific songwriter and he's go A LOT of guitars. Let's see there was a pretty 12 string that he was playing as I walked in, your friendly neighborhood telecaster, a lap steel, and something my friend Peter refered to a gold top Les Paul with action, which I can't prove or deny, I had never seen the likes of it up so close. Again, pretty. Very, very pretty.

So, what Tim stocks in guitars is karmically accounted for by the sparse drum kit of Mike Magor. I don't know how I didn't notice months ago when I saw them for the first time. Perhaps he's pared it down even more, his kit was almost as small as Shortstack's. A bass, a snare, a highhat, and somekind of reversoid highhat setup I've never noticed before. Additional percussion in the the form of a tamborine thingy on the highhat and a set of double bongos was whipped out and played on the side too, so I suppose while the set up looked small there was more there than met the eye.

The other Mike, Mike O'Malley plays bass and upright and is quite facile at both, which is nice. I wonder how the songs have been arranged for this trio as Tim writes all of them I think? The choice of upright vs. electric bass for each song was really spot on.

And again sooooooooo many songs. For a trio they really weave in some beautiful complexity that is very understated and appropriate to the songs. I hate making comparisons, but there is a Guthrie-ness and a Wilco-ness and a Cal-i-forn-i-a-ness to what they are doing. Not like a "Wilco is cool" or "I want to be Woddie Guthrie" thing, but a laid back, honesty, simplicity and clarity that makes Wilco and Woody so cool. The Dustbowler lyrics are short and often subtle and poetic, but they are about NOW, nothing retro rooty about them, if you really pay attention. Even if you are not going to pay attention, don't worry, they just sound good.

Many apologies for the short notice, hope you can make it to hear the(drumroll)

DUSTBOWLERS

play this Saturday night at 9:30, at Politiki, 319 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. If I have time I will refresh your memory about this Californiaesque Trio

Hello there groupiegirldc readers, missing me? I'm sorry, my bread & butter job is kicking my butt - so I have barely been able to see shows, let alone write about them, but check out what landed in inbox this Labor Day weekend the below is from Brian McGuire, the point man for 52-pickup and the Bop 'n' Bowl.



Hello Bop 'n' Bowl fans:


Well, there's good news and bad news...


Bad news first! In case you had heard of this show previously, let us clue you in that the Bill Kirchen/Cigarbox Planetarium/'52 Pickup Bop 'n'Bowl originally scheduled for this Saturday, September 6 is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!CANCELLED! Sorry, but the alley management, in their infinite wisdom, decided to close the lanes for the first two weeks of September!

The GOOD news is that the latest proposal by the big money interests to demolish the historic duckpin sanctuary to make way for luxury condos has been sent packing by the Falls Church City Council! Wow! This is how government is supposed to work! The City Council, for at least the second time in a row, is more concerned with the public good than money! So the duckpin lanes keep rollin' on for the time being! Read the laughably-biased pro-development coverage by the Falls Church News Press !

That is so freakin' cool, super-duper yay! Since I will not have time to update the calendar anytime soon, I will mention that Spottiswoode & his Enemies are gigging the Velvet Lounge in DC on September 10, I think, I saw it in the City Paper, I hope it's true.

number 5

Tee hee, I just read a plug for this book on the AMS list. Check it out, so for 'maximizing' your blahdee blah as a musician this guy says you need -

1. Personal Manager

2. Attorney

3. Business Manager

4. Agency

5. Groupies

Then he says "With respect to number 5, you're on your own." Wow, how life affirming for me-I'm part of the master plan. More later.