Brightest Young Things

All words by Shauna Alexander
All photos by Shauna Alexander and Ben Droz

This past Saturday was the Saturday of legends... there were a trillion things to do on the event calendar and not enough Coke Zero to keep my body moving from location to location, or so I thought.  After getting a wicked buzz on at a friend's birthday barbecue, I cabbed it over (with fellow BYT photog Ben Droz) to All Souls Unitarian Church just in time to catch Loose Lips playing the Done & Done Festival.  With gear in hand we set to work snapping photos of the energetic band playing dark, aggressive indie rock with a little bit of pop sensibility.   They're a favorite of mine, to say the least, on the DC Scene.

Between sets patrons of the Festival, enjoyed the beautiful outdoor courtyard which played host to PBR sponsored games (cornhole, anyone?) and a whole lot of cigarette smokin'.  Some of us even wandered around the beautiful church to revel in the mystique of drinking beer and sitting in pews. Not a bad way to spend the beginnings of your Saturday, I'll say.

The festival itself is curated by Patrick Kigongo (of Ra Ra Rasputin/The State Department/The Last Tide), Matty Taylor (Tennis System) and Erin McAuliff.  The premise: Six bands from DC and six bands from New York playing on each other's home turf.  Some of the notable DC acts included Laughing Man (who played a killer set, even though I was totally distracted by frontman Brandon Moses' homeless garb), Connect The Dots (you've made a new fan in me gentlemen),  Exactly, Last Tide, Rosy Likes Red and Ra Ra Rasputin.  The New York bands that came down to show off their musical prowess included Byrds of Paradise (who I am incredibly bummed to have missed),  Seamonsters, Mt.McKinley, Esque, Darlings and Pregnant.  Needless to say many many props go to Patrick, Matty and Erin for showing the DC scene is alive, well, and incredibly cooperative.

This weekend the Done & Done caravan packs up and heads to Astoria, Queens to play Bohemian Hall on Saturday, April 17th.  Go get your beer garden drink on.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/22: Live DC: The Dead Milkmen @ U Street Music Hall
• 2/22: $40 Fashion Challenge Is Back: Make Me Over
• 2/21: LiveDC: ZOLA JESUS @ U Street Music Hall
• 2/21: PHOTOS: Emilie Autumn @ Recher Theatre
• 2/21: LiveDC: Burlesqu-a-pades @ Birchmere
• 2/18: PHOTOS: Slow Club @ DC9
• 2/18: PHOTOS: MIXTAPE @ TOWN
• 2/16: LiveDC: This Will Destroy You @ Red Palace
• 2/15: LiveDC: Jack's Mannequin/ Jukebox The Ghost/ Allen Stone @ 930 Club
• 2/15: LiveDC: All Things Gold w/ Summer Camp/ Gigamesh/ Ghost Beach