I don’t even know where to begin. I could just link to this article from georgetowner.com, and let you all roll your eyes on your own, but I’ll point out some of the highlights with sarcastic comments.
Arguably, the 1980s indie scene in Washington D.C. was pivotal in changing the outcome of punk and indie rock for decades to come. Bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi, and Rites of Spring helped to shape the sound of underground music for years.
Ok, at least they name dropped Rites of Spring who usually get left off that list. But, then comes this amazing paragraph:
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Now, 20 some years later, a new indie scene is cropping up right in our midst. And at the City Tavern Club in Georgetown of all places. Four nights of music featuring some of the most talented musicians in the DC area. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated for the benefit of local DC independent muscians. You MUST RSVP.
No way! After 20 years DC finally has another indie band? Get outta town! (no seriosuly, get out of town) |
Let’s face it, the nation’s capital is lacking a sanctuary for our musicians, writers, poets, and artists. DC’s artisans are often marginalized, under appreciated, and under promoted. The result of this neglect is a tragic mass exodus from the tri-state area. What is even more alarming is that DC’s music, fashion, and art world are eclipsed by other major U.S. Cities including New York and Los Angeles. It seems only logical that the most powerful city in America should have an artistic footprint influencing the entire nation. A footprint to rival London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and the other great cities of the world.
Right, it’s pure logic that drives the argument that DC (population 600,000) should have a scene rivalling London (population 7.5 million) or NYC (population 8.5 million). I mean, we had Minor Threat 20 years ago!
And dude, City Tavern Club is *the* new indie hang out. For real. Check out this pic from their website:
There are those that dismiss the independent art world as catering to the common people. But let us not forget that some of the most celebrated works of William Shakespeare and Mozart played in the common theatre houses during their lifetimes. At times, their work was not widely accepted by the power elite of their day. It was often viewed as subversive, offensive, and a direct challenge to those in power. It is only years later that we realize their artistic contributions are a preservation of the politics, struggles, and social ideologies of the age. Are we marginalizing the next great commentator of our time?
WTF. WTJTDCF are you talking about? (What The Jesus Tap Dancing Christ Fuck) Mozart? For real?
DC INDIE Music strives to promote local DC independent musicians and other artists by providing them with the exposure necessary to launch themselves to the next level. They provide a salon style atmosphere with live music, fine art exhibitions, and fashion shows featuring DC’s local artisans. Their mission is to provide lines of communication between DC’s power elite and DC’s creative visionaries. DC INDIE was created by founder Danielle Gentges. She realized that several local promoters would use local artists without giving them proper publicity and with little care for their personal welfare. Secondly, she realized that DC’s power elite were searching for a richer environment than the local night club to while away there evening hours. There were no lines of communication for an intimate, intelligent dialogue between artisans and DC working professionals. It is DC INDIE Music’s intention to build a platform, where both social groups can mingle and expand perceptions of the world around them. Our artists should be celebrated, encouraged, and offered patronage.
I’m so confused, so the goal of this organization is to try to get hipsters and LNSers in the same room to have intelligent dialogue instead of calling each other faggot or douchebag in blog comments?
Ok, here’s the lineup…
March 6th
7:00pm DJ Boris Gluck
8:30pm Adam’s Eden
9:30pm Japhy Ryder
March 8th
7:00pm aphrodisia femme
8:00pm Yoko K
9:30pm Kayaz Kollektiv (Tim Kenney)March 12th
7:00pm DJ Ross Lara
8:30pm Measax
9:30pm Los (Da Bloc/Bad Boy records)
March 13th
7:00pm DJ Neekola
9:30pm Aligning Mindsand
wheee! DJ Boris Gluck? He killed it at Ft Reno ‘97.
And the cover charge for this indie spectacular… wait for it…
Tickets $40 in advance, $60 at the door.
Finally, I checked the dress code for the City Tavern Club:
Great Hall: Jacket and Tie required
Tap Room: Collared Shirt required
Entire Club: No Jeans, Shorts or Flip Flops
Cellular Phones are strictly prohibited throughout the Club
In case you forget your collared shirt, Banana Republic is located next door…
KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHER FUCKERS!!
Wow, their article is so full of it.
“DC’s artisans are often marginalized, under appreciated, and under promoted. ”
Not the good bands.
It’s just because there aren’t that many great bands here, or bands that know how to operate themselves.
The only thing I would say is musicians are under compensated and that live music on a whole is under appreciated today. Yeah there are bigger music scenes, but just like you said about population, those places have more people like us that go to shows. All together, the amount of venues to amount of (good) artists to amount of ticket buyers, I think we’re big enough to be self supporting.
DC just has a small scene, and I’m fine with that.
March 11, 2008 at 8:53 amIf there is anything that makes our shitting writing at BYT look spectacular, it is the uber-shitty writing of this article (full disclosure: I have written shit this bad for shitty weekly papers).
Fugazi and Bad Brains as indie bands? That means Avril Lavigne is the Queen of Crunk.
March 11, 2008 at 9:11 amIf there were any justice (or sense of history) they would hold the shows in the old Haagen Dazs where Henry (Garfield) Rollins scooped it for the tourists.
I am pretty sure every college newspaper has some pretentious article like this once a year. The difference is that they don’t hold their shows in a “jacket required” venue. Classic.
March 11, 2008 at 9:13 amjust like cale did not know where to start with writing this, I don’t know where to start with commenting on this.
March 11, 2008 at 9:13 amYou know what, perhaps someone should do a series of outdoor summer concerts featuring local bands two nights a week (I don’t know let’s say Mondays and Thursdays just to randomly select a couple of days.) Yeah, it should be in a big open field next to an old fort in the Tenleytown area or something. Yeah! That would be great! That’ll really help these indie bands that have been sitting on their hands for the last TWENTY YEARS just waiting for a cool new venue to provide them a forum with which to play their “rock and roll” music.
No longer shall snooty, upscale venues like the Black Cat, DC9, Velvet Lounge, The Red & the Black shut their doors to this bustling NEW local indie music scene! Enough is enough! To Georgetown everybody!
Just leave your t-shirts, jeans and cell phones at home.
March 11, 2008 at 9:25 am…also
FORTY DOLLARS?!?!?! I thought April 1st was NEXT month.
March 11, 2008 at 9:28 ammy (Almost) favorite part:
There are those that dismiss the independent art world as catering to the common people. But let us not forget that some of the most celebrated works of William Shakespeare and Mozart played in the common theatre houses during their lifetimes
Who even says “common people” anymore?
Aside from Jarvis?
$60 at the door!
March 11, 2008 at 9:39 amI’m not sure what this says about me, but the last time I spent $40 for a show was bright eyes at constitution hall. Oh, but I do think this would be a good laugh, almost worth the money… almost.
March 11, 2008 at 9:40 amOne last thing: only about three of these “bands” even have MySpace pages. And from what I can gather ALL of them are electronic artists.
March 11, 2008 at 9:46 amCareful Amanda, they make it very clear on the evite:
“We reserve the right to deny entry to any person to the event and the right to eject any person we deem necessary to preserve the enjoyment of the evening by our other guests.”
March 11, 2008 at 9:46 amCale: I think I missed the $60 dollars at the door part because I was laughing too hard at the “in advance.”
March 11, 2008 at 9:48 amI’m surprised no has blamed Vampire Weekend for this…
But I wouldn’t. I love those lads. :)
March 11, 2008 at 9:48 amOf course its expensive. Peons aren’t invited. This is for the DC snobs to mingle with the common folk artists. They won’t come unless it’s expensive.
March 11, 2008 at 9:48 amSvetlana you left off the next couple sentences, “At times, their work was not widely accepted by the power elite of their day. It was often viewed as subversive, offensive, and a direct challenge to those in power.”
does this mean that they are referring to themselves as the “power elite” of our day? And if so why would they now be recognizing those that (if history repeats itself) are a challenge to that power? hmmm…
March 11, 2008 at 9:49 amHere’s the bama responsible for this revolutionary event.
March 11, 2008 at 9:51 amOH CALE! you had me going. I could easily find something to wear, I mean outfits like the one in the pic Reggie linked are not hard to find. In fact I’m sure there’s one on sale right now a JCPenny’s - just don’t tell her that.
I’m a snob. I could totally fake a sneer and fit right in.
March 11, 2008 at 9:59 amI guess the DC media was too busy with bush 1, merrian berry’s drug use, clinton getting head and then W and the war to remember that propaganda wasn’t the only form of entertainment in town from 1989-2008.
But whatever. As misled as they are they think they’re making a difference, so good for them… I guess. But $60!? stfu!
March 11, 2008 at 10:03 amIndie Bourgeoisie.
March 11, 2008 at 10:09 amI feel a photoshop contest a brewin’
March 11, 2008 at 10:12 amI couldn’t even finish reading this. Disgusting. I wish things like this made me laugh instead of punch the wall… But it sucks when you’re working so hard in the DC music scene and you see all the great amazing bands we have and then some Georgetown douchebag says this is a bad place to be a musician.
March 11, 2008 at 10:31 amThe real reason that DC gets overlooked? It’s the capital of a federalized country. London and Paris are not only political capitals, but also cultural capitals that have dominated their respective countries with an iron fist.
In other words, DC resembles Abuja and Brasillia: Political capitals with a marginal cultural influence, when compared to other major cities. This is not to say that DC has not great things, it has. But when put into perspective, it explains a lot.
As per this new “DC Indie” thing. Who the fuck is going to pay $40-60??? Of course DC artists are marginalized. No dope warehouses, no grants, no nothing.
And finally who are these bands and DJs? I’ve only read about Yoko K, the rest….who are you?
March 11, 2008 at 10:32 amI think if you had a song called ‘Don’t Tase Me Bro’, it’d be really popular with this crowd.
March 11, 2008 at 10:35 amYou hipster proletariats wouldn’t know good indie rock if it paraded naked down H street. The Walkmen went to St. Albans. And so did a good deal on the list at SP. Deal with it.
March 11, 2008 at 10:53 ampower elite?
makes me want to stick my power fist up their power culos
asshats
i do believe indie rock and those that listen to it have paraded down H st. maybe not completely naked, but mostly naked.
March 11, 2008 at 11:23 amActually I think their point is to be aristocratic, not bourgeois.
March 11, 2008 at 11:30 amwhatever. instant dismissal.
March 11, 2008 at 11:41 amDid anyone catch Mozart and William Shakepeare’s killer DJ sets the other night? The mash-ups were transcendent.
also funny is the fact that minor threat, bad brains, rites of spring and fugazi wouldn’t have been associated with this event. This is also looking past the other fact that if these bands were around and just starting out RIGHT FUCKING NOW the organizers would have NO FUCKING CLUE of their existence.
March 11, 2008 at 11:58 amCorrection:
Hipsters are not the proletariat. If anything we are the bourgeoisie. I think someone needs to re-read their copy of “The Communist Manifesto.”
March 11, 2008 at 12:29 pmPatrick -
You smell like a proletariat
March 11, 2008 at 12:43 pmAgreed, in DC the hipsters usually are more educated and have good jobs.
March 11, 2008 at 12:46 pmedit- As compared to the average hipster.
March 11, 2008 at 12:47 pmdoes anyone else see the irony in that despite wanting to create a conversation between the two types of people, the people behind this event are highly likely to not give a shit about our opinions?
March 11, 2008 at 1:10 pmI think what should be taken from this interview is that the word indie has been bastardized to the point that it means nothing anymore. There’s nothing indie when your songs are in an ipod commercial.
March 11, 2008 at 1:17 pmHipster Bougousie, indeed!!
::jaw agape::
March 11, 2008 at 1:26 pmJian: I think its much less irksome what the organizers of this event think. The BIG problem is that the Georgetowner - which purports to be an outlet for D.C. news - is reporting this as the resurgence of a music scene in D.C. I work in journalism and find the Georgetowner’s complicity entirely insulting.
March 11, 2008 at 1:33 pmHow do they hope to justify hosting an event when the very acts they’re promoting typically don’t fit their own dress code?
March 11, 2008 at 1:49 pmI don’t know, I can think of some legends that would be perfectly comfortable in this situation…
And if this event is successful, who knows what the future might hold???
me thinks that some of dc finest and scruffiest indie bands should show up and pass out CDRs to those attending this shindig, oh wait that means those attending this might actually attend shows the rest of us go to… scratch that thought..
March 11, 2008 at 1:57 pmPerhaps this event is a wry comment on the state of indie rock. I mean let’s face it, the reason why most of us went to school and have day jobs is because society, and ultimately the economy is no longer supportive of individuals who wish to post up and be full time musicians, or artists. Everybody has a side hustle.
Our favorite bands, past and present, are selling their songs to Apple and “Grey’s Anatomy” because we can no longer escape the fact that the rent needs to be paid, and our bellies need to be filled.
So what do we say? Do we dispense with our “bourgeoise-bohemian” ways? Do we start rockin’ nice polos and adopting inoffensive Anglo-Saxon last names? Or do we pretend to continue fighting a fight that our grungy older brothers and sisters lost in the mid 90s.
Who cares about selling out!
March 11, 2008 at 2:06 pmPedro - I think you need to modify her scarf into a kaffiya too
March 11, 2008 at 2:12 pmWait a minute, I just figured out what’s going on here…HOLY CONFLICT OF INTEREST BATMAN…
Pedro, nice work, but looking at your image file name, that’s 90’s wigger nerd guy not gay 80’s guy. Get it right, or pay the price.
March 11, 2008 at 2:31 pmthis is the lamest comment thread i’ve ever seen. governors are fucking hookers in our fair city, ladies and gentlemen, right under our noses, can’t we find something more interesting to talk about than a girl with a really gigantic forehead and her attempt to gather a bunch of people to a mansion in georgetown? p.s. i just saw grace in the background of that photo above. brilliant. now can we talk about whoregate 2008?
March 11, 2008 at 2:34 pmlol look at caley’s girl
i hope nobody is bothered by all of this. to think that any band that’s worth seeing would take this venue seriously is just laughable. they know it would be a douchebag jamboree and that playing there wouldn’t help them in what they were trying to do musically in any fashion.
March 11, 2008 at 2:35 pmSorry boss, I got confused…Is ‘the price’ a dock in my pay?
Would it help if I uncovered the reason why this chick hates the indie scene so much?
Y’all keep blowing up her spot!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l228/geo-gia/mcain4prez.jpg
March 11, 2008 at 2:40 pmfound a website for this event
http://dcindiemusic.com/
Eddie-
I disagree. Rich douchebags like music too, I think if anything they are more likely to buy merch. I think that discriminating audiences is bad for an artist. If you’re trying to get your art out there, not playing because its “not your scene” is pretentious.
I grew up in the area and because of that I know a ton of these “LNSers.” These people don’t care about the local DC music. They care about Journey and what song they can aggressively fist pump to. Get your panties out of a bunch and stop freaking out about some stupid, poorly researched article.
I think its hilarious how everyone is responding. Laaame.
March 11, 2008 at 3:05 pmi’m just going to hope that she made this email up specifically for this shindig: dgentgesuscongressman@hotmail.com
… or she has a thing for us congressmen? likely.
March 11, 2008 at 3:06 pmHave any of you looked at the artist’s information for any of the people listed for this event. There’s nothing remotely subversive about any of these DJs or bands. They may be “independent,” but they’re certainly not “indie.”
*Japhy Ryder—Jam band from Vermont.
*Adam’s Eden—?
*DJ Boris Gluck–From Falls Church, VA. Tiesto, Van Dyk wanna be
*aphrodisia femme–?
*Yoko K—”laptop composer/vocalist” YAWN
*DJ Ross Lara–DJ from Tyson’s Corner
*Kayaz Kollektiv–just go to the MySPace, you’ll start laughing.
*Aligning Mindsand–?
*DJ Neekola
You want a real subversive and destructive night in Georgetown? Get some of the real tight bands who are killin it at Black Cat or RnR or Velvet or DC9 (I won’t name names, but these cats know who they are) Throw in 5 kegs of good beer, an open bar, and a dress code that calls for obnoxiously bright colors and BOOM. Lo-fi post-punk explosion!!!
And if Jesse Bishop shows up, call the riot police in advance. Cuz then you know it’s on.
PS Jeff, everybody’s talking non-stop about Hookergate. If anything this should be a nice little break.
March 11, 2008 at 3:09 pmMozart was, in his defense, a filthy-minded impoverished, indebted, drunkard who enjoyed the company of prostitutes, other drunks, and fellows in the billiard halls. His letters were full of references to shit, shit eating, farting, and so on, and, to the best of my knowledge, he is the only person to write a canon about analingus: K. 231 “Leck mich im Arsch” or, literally, “Lick me in the ass.”
My contention is he’d have much more fun at the Cat than in Georgetown, though the denizens of the Cat would probably be just as disgusted by him.
March 11, 2008 at 3:19 pmthis event is going to kick ass
I forgot K. 233 Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber or Lick me in the ass, fine well and clean.
So there are two Canon for analingus.
March 11, 2008 at 3:36 pmMichael you also forgot “Lick My Love Pump” which could go either way to be honest.
Just in case anyone thinks that email address is a coincidence, check out this incriminating file photo from her last “Indie” soirée…
i still would like to see someone implement King Kurt’s dress code of “all male concert-goers must wear dresses.” , it was put in place during the band brief run in the early 80s to keep a certain element out of their shows.
March 11, 2008 at 4:25 pmi really want to know how/where she found out about these artists. i’ve never heard of any of them.
after listening to them (yes, all of them, i had to) i see no connection between any of them.
it’s like she’s a mom trying to do something “cool” for her kid’s birthday, so she looked up some musical acts in the area and hoped for the best.
answer me this: what’s up with the soundscapes? who listens to this stuff?
March 11, 2008 at 4:55 pm“DC’s power elite were searching for a richer environment than the local night club to while away there evening hours.”
THERE evening hours?
I guess when you’re addressing the power elite, grammar skills aren’t necessary.
Also, the “fliers” on their web site look like someone vomited text and photos onto the screen. Really classy looking.
Ugh.
March 11, 2008 at 6:08 pmShannon: didn’t you get it? those fliers were “indie,” not “classy.” obviously.
March 11, 2008 at 7:09 pmI’m a DC native. I saw Minor Threat live (in a community center or something, for five bucks of course), wrote a review of the Bad Brains album “I Against I” published in my high school newspaper, and spent more than enough time in ol’ Georgetown during the ’80s (anyone else remember that cantankerous skinhead woman ‘Lefty’?)…. and all I can stammer out at this point is to say WTF!!?!?!! Or, in your words, WTJTDCF are you talking about? (What The Jesus Tap Dancing Christ Fuck)!!!?!?#???#
PS: Poseurs (the nightclub) — not quite indie but still legendary
PPS: love those ‘Exorcist Steps!’
March 11, 2008 at 7:30 pmReads like a really bad, self serving press release
March 11, 2008 at 7:39 pmThe best part - No really. The best part - The people playing aren’t getting paid and have to bring their own gear….says the rumor mill.
March 11, 2008 at 7:59 pmAhhhh yes. Maybe I should go back to school and learn this new, elite style of indie design so I can get a job doing fliers for things like this. I mean, if I’m ever going to get to the top…
March 11, 2008 at 9:59 pmDamn. Just damn. Now I’m firmly against the “you have to look how we look and dance how we dance and think how we think in order to appreciate our music” bullshit. But what the… HUH???
“She realized that several local promoters would use local artists without giving them proper publicity and with little care for their personal welfare.”
It’s true! I saw one local artist begging in the filthy gutters of H Street the other night. “Oh me!” he cried. “Those filthy promoters! They forced me to play for hours! They promised me gruel! They promised! Won’t some rich powerful, Georgetown douchebag support my artistic endevours?”
I’m so glad to know that he’s finally being taken care of.
March 11, 2008 at 10:21 pmMaybe they’re trying to be ultra ironic? Hipsters like irony, right?
oh, whatever. It was an entertaining read.
(Though I will submit that SF and Austin, both not much bigger than DC, have far more active music scenes. We just need to aim lower. Forget London or Paris. How about Des Moines?)
March 11, 2008 at 10:37 pmWhen did it become okay to call artists “artisans?” Especially, several times in quick succession?
I mean, they’re playing instruments, not throwing a pot.
March 12, 2008 at 9:14 ami (briefly) worked freelance for the georgetowner, and i would say that this caliber of coverage seems typical for the flakiness that is the georgetowner’s organizational structure, journalistic integrity and inability to connect with the young adult population of DC.
March 12, 2008 at 2:09 pm“patronage”?! /BRASILIA/?! What the fuck happened here?
March 12, 2008 at 4:40 pmso, i play in a local band, and cale is right. DC is a DIY place- we get NO support from promoters or venues. perfect example: the grog & tankard, who are renowned for not giving bands their share of the money. not surprisingly the grog is the only venue in georgetown open to young experimental musicians. we have learned not to depend on ANYONE for help. we do EVERYTHING ourselves- from flyers to promotion to artwork to recording. the georgetowner is so full of shit i dont know what else to say. BUT one thing i CAN say is this: DC’s indie & music scene suck balls. and frankly its YOUR (the readers) fault. you are the ones responsible for keeping this scene alive. we play music bc we love it- its up to you all to actually participate. so quit bitching like a bunch of little spoiled brats & get out there & start going to shows & demonstrating support. i hate pseudo intellectual indie bitches who insist on whining & pointing out problems when THEY are the source of them. get off your asses & do something if ur pissed. if not, shut the fuck up & get out of MY scene….
March 13, 2008 at 10:04 amBill, you are lame.
I’m pretty sure i can personally account for 75% of the posters on this article and say they are in bands, go to shows, promote shows, DJ shows, design clothes for gay 80s dude, are gay 80s dude, or write stuff up about shows on the intranet.
i think you’ve got it all wrong with your “pseudo intellectual indie bitches who insist on whining & pointing out problems ” attack. I dont think you realize the extent of the help and support BYT offers to up and coming bands. Perhaps this might be the wrong forum for your tirade.
March 13, 2008 at 11:13 aminteresting. Says:
Indie Bourgeoisie.
more like bourgoeindie.
March 13, 2008 at 12:08 pmWhat’s indie? Sounds like some pussy stuff to me.
March 13, 2008 at 5:39 pmThis thread needs a cockshot.
March 13, 2008 at 7:05 pmActually I’ve heard of Janel & Anthony and they’re pretty awesome. Got dangit…
March 17, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Sweet spot for a fugayzi reunion.
March 11, 2008 at 8:34 am