The Coats: A to Z of DC Love

May 20, 2008 by Svetlana  Send to a Friend

The Coats (still sans myspace! but with a live review from us) are playing a show tonight at DC9 (along with Call me Lighting and BYT’s super sweetheart Carol Bui).

Since not only are Karl, Rocio and Jesse talented music mongers but ALSO awesome and as big of fans of DC as we are we decided to bring back the beloved “Alphabet of DC love” column (as inaugurated by Chris Richards’ seminal piece) and let them at it. They obliged and did not dissapoint. Enjoy.

The Coats’ A to Z of DC, by Jesse

Arboretum - I work by Union Station, and the National Arboretum is just across the street. It is a great spot to bring your lunch to and get away from people for a few minutes. Rocio also names this as her favorite spot for public sex - ’nuff said!

Botanical Gardens - Is the US Botanic Garden a museum? If it is, it’s the Coats’ favorite one. Karl in particular is a gardening fiend, and thinks it’s pretty dope that you can go to a full-immersion rainforest in the middle of DC. I give rainforest cafe the edge for the animatronic gorillas, but, hey, different strokes.

Cycling - All of us Coats get down by bicycle. Karl’s Bianchi got stolen at the big Gold Leaf party in November last year, but he dug up a beater that was laying around the studio and got it working. Evidently, DC was voted “most improved” city for biking in 2007, and hopefully that trend will continue in the future. Let’s just get the cabs out of the bike lanes and we’ll be doing ok.

Disco City - Chris and Max’s dance party is a DC institution at this point, and with Chris and Ed’s offshoot This Ain’t No Disco, these dudes are bringing those weird cosmic disco vibrations to this town like no one else. Stay deep, gentlemen.

E-Street Cinema - If they would have just shown Step Up 2: The Streets here instead of down the block at Gallery Place, E-Street would have been a lock for best movie theater.

Fever - DC is lucky to have these party boys making that sweet raucous noise around town. They’ll do all they can - just to lend a helping hand.

Gold Leaf - The Gold Leaf studios. Also known as the Hosiery, this is the best place to practice, record, hang out and party in DC. Home to Fever, U.S. Royalty and the Coats. Home to some of the wildest parties with the most positive vibes that I’ve ever seen in DC. Former home of DC legends Trans Am. Performance space. Art gallery. Do not pass on any event that takes place at the Gold Leaf - this spot is magic.

Hot Summers - Thankfully, DC has some pretty good public pools. The one by Georgetown is particularly decent (save a deck chair for me). It’s a good thing because it’s hard to sneak into hotel pools here, and no one has one in their backyard. And does anyone know how far you have to go to find a decent waterpark? Preferably one that comes with miniature golf, go-karts and/or an arcade. Hook us up, BYT readers.

Ian Svenonius - You can end all those lame “New York is cooler than DC” arguments with this one: Svenonius lives *here*. Here’s to hoping for new Weird War music in the near future.

Justice - Karl feels that the molarity of justice in DC must be higher because of our proximity to the highest court in the land. He also has a thing for men in robes.

Karaoke at Banana Cafe - Tucked away in Capitol Hill, this place hosts amazing Karaoke on Sunday nights. After a couple of their amazing Margarita pitchers, you too will be butchering hits from the deep songbook. Expect to hear everything from Steely Dan to the Venga Boys. Boom boom boom boom, I want to double boom!

Lode Runner - Scott, Brock, Eddie and Ken deliver the dark, angular synth-rock that you know you’ve been craving. No one is doing it like these guys.

Mike Abrams - Mike is the godfather of the Gold Leaf complex. He has been hosting shows, art exhibits, painting and sculpture classes, studio space for artists and practice space for musicians for years. Mike is a lynchpin of DC’s cultural life.

Nouveau Riche - Much ink has been spilled about Nouveau Riche, and with good reason. When I tell people that DC parties hard, this night is what I have in mind as evidence.

Oval Office - Rocio thinks it’s awesome that the president does his business while ensconced in a giant ovary. How can you disagree with that?

Pharmacy Bar - The second bar I ever walked into in Washington DC. I had such a good time at this place that when I moved to DC, I judged all prospective apartments by their proximity to the Pharmacy. I thought “this Adams Morgan place is pretty cool; that’s where I need to be at”. I fucked up that call, but I was dead-on about this place

Q Street - Specifically Karl’s house at 9th and Q. This neighborhood has been good to Karl and the rest of the Coats. It’s a perfect spot to have a neighborhood barbecue, and it’s close to the best grocery store in DC, the Shaw Giant. Why? Two words: chrome zone.

Rasputniks - Also known as Ra Ra Rasputin. These dudes make people dance. I saw them transform a room of sullen college kids into fist-pumping maniacs at Georgetown University. Bear in mind, the hardest drink in the place was a powerade, so this was a straight reaction to the music. These guys deliver.

Swann Street - The prettiest street in the city. And at the end of its tranquil, tree-lined way? The not-pretty-or-tranquil Black Cat. Contrast is good.

Tune Inn - A cool Capitol Hill spot and an NRA member’s dream. The place is absolutely stocked with taxidermied forest creatures, which is kind of disturbing, but also kind of awesome. I am going to go out on a limb and say that bars in DC could use more stuffed moose heads and less “sleek” chrome shit all over the walls. Even if you don’t give a crap about any of that, the Tune has Natty Boh in cans. Tite!

US Royalty - Four of the most dapper dudes in Washington DC, who also know their way around a rock song or two.

Velvet Lounge - Our favorite venue in the city. We love playing there and just coming to see shows. We miss Rob on sound, but he’s doing good things at the Rock N Roll hotel these days, and the Velvet keeps chugging along. We hear that the new owner has good things in store. Like Wayne and Garth, I fear change, but I have a good feeling about the future of this place. Two words: upstairs bar.

Waffles and Chicken. - When is it not a good time for chicken and waffles? Breakfast? Check. Four in the morning, wasted? Check. It seems like more and more DC spots are getting on board with this essential. Oohs and Aahs, the Florida Avenue Grill and Marvin all serve up amazing plates of this cardiac-arresting stuff, but I can’t say I’ve ever had some that I didn’t like. Fried chicken and waffles. How do you screw that up?

eXpatriates - DC has tons of people that are not from DC, and that’s a pretty cool thing. It’s kind of like a bigger version of college, where everyone needs to make new friends, so you just go out and do it. While this leads to some regrettable institutions (kickball), it makes the place pretty accessible for a non-native like me.

Young Professionals - These well-scrubbed people in khakis keep coming to look at the house next door to me. Whoever buys it better know how to party or else there’s going to be some Ernest Goes To Camp/Scooby-Doo/Pacific Heights-style hijinks with me trying to get the “stuffy neighbors” to move out. Take that, you crusty old Dean!

Zone System for Cabs - R.I.P. I just had a $20 cab ride in a new metered cab that would have been $12 a few months ago. Zones, you will be missed.

AND THAT IS THAT.
Picks your favorites and DEFINITELY stop by DC9 tonight.

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