MySpace Monday #3

The third in a series highlighting artists on MySpace.com every Monday

Juniper Lane
Photo by ShaLeigh Comerford

Further burying rumors of their break-up, Juniper Lane plays Arlington's IOTA Club and Cafe this Saturday, November 5. According to their website, the band will have "just have gotten back in town from recording, and will be eager to play some of the new songs..." The new recordings have not made their way onto Juniper Lane's MySpace page yet, but four songs off 2004's Sirens From A Mile Back are available there. The band's longtime producer, Ted Comerford, will open Saturday's show with his band Elevator To Space.

Check them out on MySpace: [Juniper Lane]

This next part is a shameless plug, but I spend a lot of time here writing about other people's music, so I'm going to mention a show that I'm playing. This Sunday, November 6, I'll be playing a solo set to open Janine Wilson's CD Release Party, which will also take place at IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington. At the link below, you can stream all four tracks from my new EP, Level, which was produced by the previously mentioned Ted Comerford. The show gets started at 8:30pm and Janine will be joined by special guests Eric Brace of Last Train Home, Ruthie Logsdon of Ruthie and the Wranglers, and Michelle Walker.

Check them out on MySpace: [Janine Wilson][Mike Holden]

Random Music Notes

-- On Tap magazine released their annual music issue this weekend, which includes articles on D.C.-based musicians Karl Straub and Brandon Bulter, 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz, local record labels and other aspects of the D.C. music scene. A portion of the issue is available online and the print edition can be picked up at various locations around town.

-- Springfield, Virginia-based internet radio station Mansion On The Hill has information on their website about a DC-area group called Alternative Broadcasting who has begun efforts to "bring you everything you loved about the late 99.1WHFS" and get a "commercial-free station on the FM airwaves" in the Washington area. According to their website, Alternative Broadcasting plans to get started as an internet radio station in November.

-- Honor By August were the winners of the online contest to open tonight's Hanson/Pat McGee Band show at the 9:30 Club. Four of the bands songs can be heard on their MySpace page.

More Wammies News

The Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) Music Registry has grown significantly in the last few days, as artists who released CDs in the past year have continued adding their products to the list (You can still register products here). The Registry is intended to serve as a guide to voters when they nominate and then vote on the Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) each year. The Registry webpage also includes links to The Washington Post MP3 page, and now to MySpace.com and the WAMA CD Baby Gallery. These links are meant to give voters easier access to music by Washington area artists.

No date has been announced for the 2005 Wammies, but nomination ballots were sent out last week. Once those are tabulated and verified, the final ballots go out to WAMA members and the awards are usually held in the early part of the new year.

Blogging on the Wammies
In other Wammies news, Here's A Hint--an anonymous D.C. Music blogger--has offered up his Wammie picks for 2005.

D.C. Music Calendar

Music fans can find upcoming shows on the new D.C. Music Calendar. The next ten scheduled shows on the calendar also appear here on the righthand sidebar menu of MetroMusicScene.com. Anyone with an Upcoming.org account can enter D.C. area shows into the calendar. To get a free account, click on the previous link to the calendar and then on the link on the righthand side of the calendar, under "Sign In" where it says "...or Sign Up Now!"

Well-Read & Half-Dead #2: "Just the Basics"

Just the Basics Benefit Concert
Sunday, October 30
Austin Grill Silver Spring
7:30 PM

Well, only my second column, and already I'm pimping some gig. But it's an unusual show.

First, this marks a rare chance to see both reclusive roots-rock genius Karl Straub and crowd-pumping Americana supergroup the Grandsons in a single show. It's also the first time either has played on the stage at the Austin Grill Silver Spring. Newly expanded, lit, and wired, the stage will accommodate the full bands of the Grandsons, the Karl Straub Combo, and rockabilly master JP McDermott, who has graced the spot many times and will be charged with keeping the other musicians happy.

Secondly, all three fine bands are donating their time and talent to help the Silver Spring Moose Lodge collect basic supplies needed by displaced families in New Orleans. The Lodge, under the leadership of Thomas Kenney, has collected and shipped almost 100,000 pounds of water, diapers, aspirin, and other essentials to Louisiana since the flooding, and their efforts continue even as the ongoing disaster fades from the front page. The bands and the Grill aim to push collections over the top.

That's where you come in. It's easy, too. Sometime between now and going to the show, pick up a few basic supplies from the list below. Bring them to the Moose Lodge and get a ticket as your receipt. That little ticket gets you 20% off food, thanks to the Grill's generosity. But wait, there's more! Other local businesses are kicking in prizes, like free passes to movies at the AFI Silver Theatre, and your ticket automatically enters you into the raffle. You don't have to do a thing: Just sit there with a beer and some delicious Tex-Mex and wait for the musicians to announce your fabulous prizes. It's like being on the Love Boat!

Better yet, the Lodge and the Grill are both directly across the street from the Wayne Avenue Garage [MAP] in the heart of the new Silver Spring. On Sunday, you can park once, drop your stuff at the Lodge (926 Wayne Avenue, (301) 589-5491), and walk right to the show. In other words, we are trying to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for you to donate a few basic supplies. You can get these things at the corner store. The folks in demolished neighborhoods can't. The Moose Lodge will load the truck and drive everything down to where it's needed. All you have to do is grab something from this list:

BASIC SUPPLIES NEEDED

Diapers & baby wipes

Baby food & formula

Cases of drinking water

Blankets, towels & bedding

Aspirin, band-aids, & other medicine-cabinet basics

Duct tape, rope, work gloves

Five-gallon buckets

Building materials, hammers, nails

Gift certificates to Home Depot

Bleach, soap & detergents

Brooms & mops

Toilet paper & tissues

Soap, deodorant, shaving supplies

Set times:

7:30 - The Karl Straub Combo

8:30 - JP McDermott & Western Bop

9:30 - The Grandsons

Three outstanding bands. Good food for cheap. Beer. No cover. Convenient parking. What more can I do? Come on out and join us.

-- Joel

Wammie Nomination Ballots Out

The 2005 Wammie nomination ballots went out in an e-mail to WAMA members today. Along with links to an online ballot and information about the nomination process, there was also an invitation to members of the media to participate:

"In an effort to expand the reach of the nominations, WAMA will accept nominations from certain non member experts and members of the press on our media list. We have done this in the past and we've decided to reinstate this process."

The email went on to tell members:

"the more people who participate, the more representative the results. Your nominations are very important. Even if you are only familiar with a handful of artists in just a few categories, send in your ballot - it counts. Sometimes only a few votes can make the difference of an artist being added to the final ballot."

And it continued with some guidance on self-nominations:

"...it takes many nominations to have your name placed on the final ballot. One nomination or a few nominations is not enough to qualify for the final ballot. Many people who nominate themselves receive only one or two nominations and therefore do not qualify for the ballot. Those nominations could have been put to better use. Do you have a realistic chance to be a nominee? If not, nominate the artist(s) you believe have made the most significant career gains. Your nomination could possibly be the deciding vote for another nominee. That will go a long way toward maintaining the integrity of the voting process. WAMA strongly encourages you to nominate more than just yourself."

A PDF version of the ballot is available for download here from the WAMA site. Anyone can still join the organization and submit a nomination ballot. Membership information is available here.

Also, any D.C. area artist who released a recording between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2005 can register their product in the WAMA Product Registry. While a product does not have to be submitted to that list to be nominated for a Wammie, WAMA has put that list together for voters to use as a guide. To view the list of products that have been registered thus far, click here. For more information on this, you can also refer to the "Register Your D.C. Music" story that was posted here on MetroMusicScene.com on October 16.

Grammy Winner Shirley Horn Dies at 71

Washington D.C. native and Grammy winning jazz singer/pianist Shirley Horn passed away on Thursday at age 71 from complications related to diabetes. Richard Harrington of The Washington Post offers an appreciation for Horn in today's paper. For more on Horn, there are stories online, including these from The Washington Post and CNN.com.

Performing at the Capital Fringe Festival

Like other fringe festivals throughout the world, the District's newest arts festival can trace its heritage to Scotland's Edinburgh Festival Fringe -- a 58-year-old alternative, open to all performers, to the Edinburgh International Festival. U.S. cities with fringe festivals include New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco as well as Orlando, Cincinnati, Boulder, Colo., and Des Moines.

For 10 days in late July of 2006, downtown DC will come alive with hundreds of performances by adventurous and innovative artists from Washington DC, Baltimore, the United States and overseas during the Capital Fringe Festival. Performances will take place in more than 20 traditional and non traditional performance venues and will include performing artists producing in theater, dance, music, poetry, spoken word, puppetry and art forms that are simply unclassifiable.

If you are interested in becoming a festival performer, additional information, including the application and a Frequently Asked Questions section, can be found on Capital Fringe's web site.

Over the next year, the festival will also be looking for help in festival administration; with all technical aspects of the festival; and in the festival Box Office and House Management. Some positions will be paid, but many will be volunteer and paid through tickets to events.

Thank you to the Washington Post for this information.

MetroMusicScene Weekly Music Calendar

Wednesday
930: Chris Isaak w/ Brandi Carlile
DC9: Cornel West Theory, Chioma & Damu the Fudge Munk
Black Cat: Gina Young & Pamela Means (spoken word)
The Birchmere: Lisa Loeb w/ Josh Joplin
Iota: Open Mic
Velvet Lounge: Joti
Jammin Java: Tish Hinojosa, The Drams (formerly Slobberbone), The High Strung
Asylum: Official w/ Bleeder Resister & Porch Mob

Thursday
930: Senses Fail & Saves the Day w/ The Early November
DC9: Paul Michel, The Black (features former members of And They Will Know Us From the Trail of the Dead), Goes Cube
Black Cat: Leela James, Sol Elder
The Birchmere: Hal Ketchum w/ Meghan Hayes
Iota: Mary Gauthier
Velvet Lounge: American Sinner, Hopewell (formerly of Mercury Rev), Alec K. Redfern and the Eyesores
Jammin Java: Toshi Reagon, Megan Slankard
Strathmore: Kenny Rogers

Friday
930: Son Volt w/ Fruit Bats
DC9: Liberation Dance Party
Black Cat: Nikka Costa, Driveblind
The Birchmere: America w/ David LaMotte
Iota: Brindley Brothers, No Second Troy, Taylor Carson
Velvet Lounge: Assrockers, Decibators, p:PClub
Asylum: The Whips w/ The Sentiment & Velvet
Strathmore: David Grisman Quintet
State Theatre: Steve Kimock Band, Robert Walter, Rodney Holmes, Reed Mathis
Warehouse: Pig Destroyer, Transistor Transistor, Pygmylush

Saturday
930: GWAR w/ Devil Driver, A Dozen Furies, Mensrea
DC9: Monopoli, The Sketches, Justin Jones
Black Cat: Ambulance Ltd, We Are Scientists
The Birchmere: America w/ David LaMotte
Iota: The Pharmacy Prophets, Run Silent Run Deep, The Alphabetical Order
Velvet Lounge: and A few to Break, The Voids, Moan
Jammin Java: Jess Klein, Dean Fields; Caroline Herring, Rockwell Church
Galaxy Hut: Rambling Shadows, Spoils of Northwest
State Theatre: Yonder Mountain String Band
Warehouse: Notes LP/CD Record Release, A Day in Black & White, Navies, Hugh McElroy (formerly of Black Eyes and No Go's and currently of Horses), I Control The Dinosaurs, Night Rally and DJ Fabletooth

Sunday
930: Death Cab for Cutie w/ Stars (sold out)
DC9: Alcian Blue w/ Five Four, Loaded Dreams & Rob Motejo (formerly of Smashing Orange)
Black Cat: Local H, Riddle of Steel, Skyline Drive
The Birchmere: Rene Marie
Iota: Los Strait Jackets, Big Sandy
Velvet Lounge: Rebirth Brass Band
Jammin Java: Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods
Galaxy Hut: Physics of Meaning, Carol Bui

Monday
930: Death Cab for Cutie w/ Stars (sold out)
DC9: The Dullards w/ Roscoe, Kid Goat & Lucas Rix
Black Cat: Juliette and the Licks, Karmella’s Game
Iota: Chris Knight w/ Ben Arnold
Jammin Java: Open Mic
Galaxy Hut: Aligning Minds, Katastatik
Warehouse: Suckdog, Dame Darcy, Alzo Boszorjemyi & the Acid Achievers

Tuesday
930: Social Distortion w/ Bullets and Octane & The Dead 60s
DC9: The Planet The (Kill Rock Stars/5RC), USAISAMONSTER, Kites, Facemat
Black Cat: Jello Biafra & the Melvins, Haram
The Birchmere: Jake Shimabukuro w/ The Greencards
Iota: Eric Brace (of Last Train Home) and Karl Straub w/ Rose
Velvet Lounge: Swythe, Running with Scissors, Third Pulse
Jammin Java: Ted Garber, Brother Shamus
Galaxy Hut: Rumpwerks! DJ
Warehouse: Regulations (from Sweden, Havoc Records), Direct Control, the Spark, Time To Escape

Ticket Alert: Ben Folds And The BSO

Ben Folds
Originally uploaded by ntang.

As part of a series of concerts billed as "Pops Rocks," the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will be getting together with Ben Folds on Thursday, November 20 at Strathmore. According to Strathmore's website this will be "the U.S. premier of Ben Folds together onstage with a full-sized, Grammy Award-winning orchestra." As of this posting, tickets are still available here, although some sections are listed as having "Limited Availability."

FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD
If you'd like a little more time to plan an outing, rock legend Elvis Costello will be appearing at Strathmore, as part of this same "Pops Rocks" series with the BSO, on Thursday, April 20, 2006. As of this posting, tickets to that show are still available here.

For blues and gospel fans, GRAMMY Award winner Taj Mahal and Mavis Staples perform at Strathmore on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. This is not a BSO show. As of this posting, tickets can still be purchased here.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
Finally, Strathmore continues its Artist in Residence Program, with performances in the Mansion by GRAMMY Award winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer in October, singer/songwriter John Jennings in November, Andrew Luse on classical piano in January, Frederic Yonnet on harmonica in February, singer/songwriter Laura Burhenn in March, and Keith Killgo on jazz percussion in April.

MySpace Mondays #2

The second in a new series highlighting MySpace.com artists every Monday

A t-shirt from the Eric Hutchinson collection
Image from the eric-hutchinson.com.com store

Back when I was working as On Tap's Music Editor in 2003, I got a press kit in the mail from a guy I'd met previously at a music conference. The artist's name was Eric Hutchinson and his press kit consisted of a short note on a torn out piece of notebook paper and his EP, titled that could've gone better, wrapped in newsprint. It was far different from the colored folders and various forms of packaging most other artists sent to the magazine. But the presentation didn't matter because the music was some of the best I'd received while in that job.

Hutchinson, who has called Takoma Park, Maryland home at times, has a quote on his MySpace page from the On Tap review I wrote on his EP: "Hutchinson has vocal range he probably has not even used yet ...It is clear that Hutchinson has a lot to say and it is unlikely that we have heard the last of him. For the sake of pop music, let's hope that is true."

Two and half years later, he's still making pop music and rolls into town on Thursday, November 10 in support of Austin's Bob Schneider at The State Theatre in Falls Church. If you can't catch them then, the night before they'll be at Baltimore's 8x10 Club (Changing the name back to that was a wise decision. The name "Funk Box" rang with cheese). Hutchinson will also be back in the area to play the 8x10 Club again on December 6, as he opens for Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.

Check them out on MySpace: [Eric Hutchinson] [Bob Schneider] [Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers]

Currently Stuck In My Head - "Letter Read" by Rachel Yamagata
You won't find that one on her MySpace page as of this posting, but there are three other songs available there by this RCA Victor recording artist who "bounced between Maryland, D.C. and upstate New York growing up."

Register Your D.C. Music

In recent years, the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) has compiled a list of DC-area music recordings released in the past year (CDs, cassettes, vinyl records, VHS tapes or DVDs) to be used as a guide for voters in the organization's annual awards program, the Wammies. Any DC area musicians can register their music, both WAMA members and non-members, and you do not need to be a member of the organization to be eligible for an award. For a product to be eligible for the 2005 Wammie awards it must have been released between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2005. No date or location has been set for the 2005 awards, which will be the 20th year for the program, but the event usually takes place in the early part of the new year. So, just to clarify, that means that the 2005 awards will actually be held in the early part of 2006.

To register a product, click here. A list of all products registered to date for the 2005 awards can be viewed here.

Clarendon Day Saturday

Billed as a "festival of food, art, music and fun, celebrating the unique offerings of Arlington's original downtown," Clarendon Day takes place this Saturday, October 15, from noon to 6pm in Arlington, on the streets around the Clarendon stop on Metro's Orange Line. The full music line-up is posted below, with some other activities--such as a burrito eating contest--also in the mix.

RadioClarendon.com Stage
at Wilson Blvd. and Highland St.
Noon - Stooges Brass Band
1pm - Richard Marcus Band
2pm - Maple
3pm - Koshari
4pm - Taylor Carson
5pm - Bicycle Thieves

Commuterpage Stage
at Clarendon Blvd. and Highland St.
Noon - Billy Coulter
1pm - Onestop
2pm - Jumpin Jupiter
3pm - buritto eating contest
3:15pm - Practically Einstein
4pm - ice cream eating contest
4:15pm - Brother Shamus
5pm - The Grandsons

Clarendon Alliance Stage
by Washington Blvd. and Wilson Blvd.
Host: Richard Rached
11:45am - Geppetto's Wüd
12:30pm - A Taste of Morocco Belly Dancers
12:45pm - Janna Audey
1:30pm - Dr. Dremo's Comedy All-Stars
2:00pm - Margot MacDonald
2:50pm - Jazala's Dance Extravaganza
3:00pm - The Constituents
3:45pm - Gold's Gym Ballston GGX
4:15pm - John Aaron of the Lost Dog Band
5:00pm - Cold Hard Cash

New Emerging Washington Songwriters Workshop

The New Emerging Washington Songwriters (NEWS) Workshop 2005, sponsored by the House of Musical Traditions, Recording Arts, and the Institute of Musical Traditions, was created by several local artists who wanted to inspire others to come out of their songwriting shells and join the party. The workshop, taking place on Saturday, October 22nd, is geared toward new songwriters but is open to all levels and styles of music. Participants will have the opportunity to work all day with other aspiring songwriters as well as an amazing group of local professional musicians including: Billy Coulter, Greta Ehrig, Mike Grebb, Meghan Hayes, Kuku,Verlette Simon, Michelle Swan, and Phillip Taylor…plus Nashville’s own hit songwriter Marc-Alan Barnette.

Registration costs $85 and can be paid online by visiting: www.emergingsongwriters.com. The workshop price includes free admission to the 8pm concert at the Grand Opening of the Takoma Park Community Center featuring Marc-Alan Barnette with a rare “songwriting set” by Brian Gundersdorf of ‘We’re About 9’. Registration is from 9:15am to 9:45 am and the workshop will take place from 10:00am to 5:30pm. For additional information, you may contact Katie Roberts, the Workshop Coordinator, at gypsykatie@hotmail.com.

Video iPod Is Here

Apple unveiled its new video iPod today.
Photo from apple.com

The rumors mentioned here on MetroMusicScene.com earlier today are true. Apple unveiled their new Video iPod today. Sterogum.com has more details about the new device and you can also find plenty of information in the iPod section of Apple.com.

The device is available in 30 and 60 GB sizes and holds up to 150 hours of video. One of the features on the new device is video out, which will allow you to plug your iPod into your TV with an S-cable. So, you can download your favorite music videos or t.v. shows and then watch them anywhere on your iPod or through a TV. The device can also hold up to 25,000 photos. And it still plays music, holding up to 15,000 songs.

The Video iPod Today?

ThinkSecret.com is reporting that an announcement coming later today (10am PST) from Apple could unveil their new video iPod. AppleInsider.com has news on the coming product as well, saying:

"sources who claim to have seen the new iPod describe it as being similar to Apple's 60GB iPod photo player, but several millimeters thinner.

The device reportedly sports a smaller click-wheel akin to that of the iPod nano's, making way for a larger, higher-resolution color display that extends further down the face of the device.

The release of the iPod video is expected to be accompanied by a "major update" to Apple's iTunes music store that will include a significant number of music videos and other short video content."

Apple has only sent out this "One More Thing" invitation to today's event at the California Theatre in San Jose and has not confirmed or denied any of the rumors. But, as AppleInsider.com (and many bloggers) are reporting, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has often "used the phrase 'One more thing...' to indicate a surprise product announcement towards the end of his keynote presentations."

Thanks to Jon Kaplan of Bicycle Thieves for the tip on this.

WELL-READ & HALF-DEAD #1

This is the first in a series of columns by Joel Sparks, also known as Mr. Joel to the readers of his DC Shows List. He also writes for On Tap magazine and BigYawn.net.

In The Dark

Character, they say, is what you are in the dark. In that case, local bandleader J.P. McDermott has the character of a true professional, and the voice to match. At Saturday night's CD release party for his first full-length, Last Fool Here, the heavy rains knocked the power out half an hour before showtime, but the show went on nonetheless.

At 9 PM, the Half-Moon BBQ sat square in the middle of a two-block stretch of Georgia Avenue where the only lights came from passing cars, plus plenty of fire trucks, cops, and ambulances. At 9:30, owner Marc Gretschel stood on the sidewalk in the misting rain, assuring curious patrons that yes, the power was out, yes, the beer taps worked, and yes, in the back room, J.P. McDermott & Western Bop were playing -- very unplugged. Stepping into the bar provided a rare glimpse into a previous time and place -- say, Appalachia before the great rural electrification projects of the 1930s. Patrons gathered in the twilight glow of a few candles. Cups and bottles crossed the bar one way and handfuls of cash went the other, to disappear mysteriously, without the normal chime of a register. Beer in hand, you followed the sound of acoustic guitar up the stairs to the back room and into another level of darkness, away from any windows. You knew the room was packed -- you could hear the people, you could sense their mass, you could even smell them. But the darkness was deep, palpable, dreamlike. It was like having your head under the covers in a winter midnight. Here and there, someone groping for room to stand or a place to set a drink would flick a lighter or open a cel phone -- intermittent fireflies. As your vision adjusted, you could see a little ambient light through the open back door, outlining the silhouettes of people dancing. And through the dark cut a mighty voice: barking, yipping, crooning, howling, and vibrating with all the controlled pathos and bon vivance that the soul of rockabilly could demand. Drowning out the acoustic guitar of Bob Newscaster and easily dominating even the full drumset and upright bass, McDermott's voice boomed out of his torso and knifed to the back of the room, soared up to the balcony, and even stretched all the way down to the front bar. He belted out Johnny Cash and plenty of Elvis Presley from the Sun Sessions and his own utterly authentic compositions, and he wasn't about to let a little thing like a failed power grid stop him. At 10:30, someone returned from a long trip to fetch a generator, and staff prepared to start taking the set apart and rebuilding it with this gas engine plugged in. But JP shook his head, said, "We ain't stopping now," and played on in the campfire night. His thoughts must have been on the troubadours of a previous century as well, because he introduced "the first country song ever recorded, in 1902, a hundred and three years ago," and the quartet launched into a reverently rocking "Wreck of the Old 97".

At 10:45 the lights came on, to general cheering. The band finished out the unplugged set and took a well-earned break, and the fully-wired third half of the show kicked off at 11:30. "This is easy now," said McDermott. Andy Rutherford joined Newscaster, drawing fireworks from dueling casters, and three old-fashioned mics caught the backup vocals, now able to compete with Louie Newmayer's bass and Tom Bowe's drumming. Feet visible, more folks braved the dance floor, including one young woman who treated the insistent honky-tonk beats as a personal aerobics track. The crowd stayed heavy throughout, enthusiastically greeting every song, including a heartaching rendition of the album's jukebox-perfect title track. Many took the opportunity to get McDermott's autograph on the CD, a masterful collection of rockabilly five years in the making and worth the wait. Try listening to it in the dark.

Random Music Notes

Kathleen Edwards at The Commodore, June 1, 2005
Originally uploaded by Hanson.

Occasionally, one of us may find various music news items and post them here as "Random Music Notes":

-- Last night's 9:30 Club show with My Morning Jacket and Kathleen Edwards was available via a live webcast on NPR's website (notice the concert shots on that NPR page are by Joel Didriksen of DC's Kingpin Photography). The concert will be archived and available on the NPR site. Thanks to Neil Young News and Thrasher's Blog for this information.

-- In other 9:30 Club related news, according to Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post, the club's co-owner, Seth Hurwitz, joined Bob Mould on drums Friday night at the club "on a version of the Monkees' "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" that concluded 30 minutes of encores."

Check out Richard Harrington's Washington Post review of Mould's new album, "Body of Song," here. Currently calling DC home, Mould has been keeping a blog for quite some time.

-- Coolfer.com points out that "Nirvana's 1991 classic Nevermind has joined 150 other recordings named to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry."

-- The next Bluestate, where "your favorite bloggers become your favorite DJs," takes place next week on Thursday, October 20 at Cafe Saint-Ex. Bluestate's set for Champagne Socialism at Asylum last month featured music from DC bands Monopoli and The Hard Tomorrows.

MySpace Mondays

In a new feature, we'll be highlighting MySpace.com artists every Monday.

Nethers perform Thursday at Warehouse Nextdoor
Photo from myspace.com/nethers

NETHERS - Bringing a throwback sound reminiscent of the Mammas and Pappas at times, with some new edges added in, Nethers are fresh off a performance at Pop Montreal and will release their new CD at DC's Warehouse Nextdoor on Thursday, October 13. Based in DC, the band features members of The Carlsonics. Make A Rising and Wunderground are also on the bill that night.

Check them out on MySpace: [Nethers] [Make A Rising]

SHANE HINES AND THE TRANCE - Shane Hines is one of the best guitar players you'll find in the DC area and his tight, road-tested band, the Trance, add even more power to his act. With a heavy touring schedule ahead of them that includes stops from Michigan to New York to Florida, the band first celebrates the release of their new CD, Zoe, at IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington on Saturday, October 15. Granian, another band with an impressive set of shows under their belt, as well as accolades from the New York Times, open the show.

Check them out on MySpace: [Shane Hines] [Granian]


Currently Stuck In My Head - "Tired of Being Sorry" by Ringside

October MP3 Bunch Of The Month

Going forward, each month we’re going to give you a little MP3 taste of who’s playing around the area during the next month or so. If any of these songs sound interesting, definitely go see the band.

**I first saw Matt Nathanson open at the 9:30 Club what seems like eons ago. He’s a crafty bastard live, pulling in the crowd with his witty banter and catchy songs like “Suspended.” Anyway, he’ll be back at the 9:30 Club on Friday, 10/14, and I’ve got tix.

**The boys from Speechwriters LLC are hitting Jammin Java Friday October 14th. Yeah, it’s the same night as Matt Nathanson, but it’s also out in Vienna, VA, so feel free to do some shopping at Tyson’s, and then go listen to acoustic bounciness and tight harmonies, like the ones in “Anodyne.”

**I could write a bunch about Butch Walker, but you’re probably getting bored of all of this text. I’ll just say that he puts out some “well-produced rock,” he’s playing the Black Cat Thursday, November 3rd, and I can’t wait to see this show. Take a listen to “Maybe It's Just Me,” and judge for yourself.

**By November 14th, all your Halloween candy should be gone, so you can get your power pop-rock sugar fix at the All-American Rejects 9:30 Club show. They’ve got extremely catchy choruses w/ great harmonies, as evidenced by their first single, “Dirty Little Secret.” But sssshhhhh….don’t tell anyone.

A Mid-Sized Venue For DC?

Music Center at Strathmore
Photo by mholden.

In today's Going Out Gurus chat on WashingtonPost.com, one participant wrote the following about Monday's David Gary show at Constitution Hall:

Washington, D.C.:
"Saw David Gray at DAR Constitution Hall on Monday -- great show!! But it's my third time at Con. Hall and it is HOT there! I've never sat in the floor, always in the tier, and each time I've been sweating, even when I wear summer clothes. Everyone around me was fanning themselves. Is this a known problem with DAR - everyone just suffers for a good show?"

David: "Yes, it's a known problem with DAR. The last time I was there was to see The Pixies last December, and it was like a sauna. Between that and the, um, inconsistent acoustics in there, it really hammers home D.C.'s need for a good mid-sized venue, something in between the 9:30 Club and the Patriot Center. Constitution Hall just wasn't built for rock concerts. But this isn't a new revelation..."

The Sigur Ros show at Strathmore
Photo by angellt.

Though smaller than the 3,702-seat DAR Constitution Hall and maybe not classifiable by some as mid-sized, the Strathmore Hall Music Center, a 1,976-seat concert hall opened this past February and located just outside the beltway on the Red Line of the Metro, could be one answer. With excellent acoustics and stunning design, the venue received rave reviews right from the start. While the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra calls it their part-time home and the venue has hosted many orchestral performances, could a recent Sigur Ros show presented by I.M.P. Productions--the production company of 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz--and another I.M.P. presentation this coming Monday with Dead Can Dance, be a sign of things to come?

Dr. Dremo's: Safe for Another Year

It looks like Dr. Dremo's may be safe for at least another year. As many of you may already know, the owner of the Dr Dremo (and Taco Bell) property has a potential buyer. Recent development plans called for the bar and music venue to be demolished in order to make room for a 10 story building with 170 residential units and 36,000 sq ft of commercial space on the bottom floor. But first, the property would need to be re-zoned, as two-story commercial property is all that is currently permitted. The buyer submitted its plans to the county for approval in March and sources at the county estimated that it would be a year before the plans were approved or denied.

During the September 17th Arlington County Board meeting, the future of the Dr. Dremo's property was discussed. Carried by a vote of 3 to 2, the Board denied the buyer's plans. If the buyer chooses to continue its pursuit of the rezoning and development of the Dr. Dremo's property, it will not be eligible to revise and resubmit its plans to the county board for another full calendar year.

There are more details regarding the board meeting on the county's website. The Dremo's property (2000 Wilson Blvd.) is item #58C under "Regular Hearing." The meeting can also be viewed via video provided on the county's web site.

Post Starts Pop Talk

The Washington Post launched a new online chat today called Pop Talk, where Washington Post music critic J. Freedom du Lac discussed "the latest on the music scene: hip-hop, pop, alternative, country, alt-country, rock, reggae, reggaeton, R&B and whatever it is that Ashlee Simpson does." Read the chat here.

A Song In The Key of DC

Steve Key
Photo from stevekey.com

Washington area-based musician Steve Key will have his song DC featured on WJLA Channel 7's Metropolitan Edition this Friday, October 7 at 8pm.

With lyrics like, "Six hundred thousand people in limbo in DC, While we go over the ocean preaching democracy, We fought for independence over a tax on tea, We said "'Taxation without representation, that's just tyranny'," the song focuses on DC statehood and the District's lack of voting representation in Congress.

Several of Key's songs are available from The Washington Post's MP3 site and you can keep up with his full music schedule, which incudes his own shows and many that he presents, at stevekey.com and on his MySpace page.

Thursday Night: Women In Rock

Niki Barr performs Thursday at the State Theatre
Photo by Amy Jones

This Thursday, October 6, the State Theatre in Falls Church hosts Women in Rock featuring performances by Niki Barr, Laura Burhenn and Kristin Diable. Doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are $12. The State Theatre box office is open from noon to 5pm, Monday through Friday, and until 11:30 PM on all show nights. Music from all three artists can be heard free on MySpace.com: [Niki Barr] [Laura Burhenn] [Kristin Diable]

That same night, down the street at IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington, two other notable women, Laura Tsaggaris and Robin Wynn take the stage, as Tsaggaris celebrates the release of her new CD, Proof. That show starts at 9pm and tickets are $10. Music from both artists can be heard free on MySpace.com: [Laura Tsaggaris] [Robin Wynn]

Stones Concert Stinks, And It Wasn't The MusicBlack Crowes Open Two-Night Stand At 9:30 Club

The Rolling Stones concert at Washington D.C.'s MCI Center stunk last night...literally. According to this report from WTOP, a portion of the floor on one concourse was soaked with sewage water, due to a blockage in a sewer line outside the building, causing a stench that "could be smelled for blocks." But by all accounts, the fans were happy with the music. Here is one blogger's write-up on the show and this review by J. Freedom du Lac ran in today's Washington Post. The unconfirmed Stones setlist from last night:

Start Me Up
You've Got Me Rockin'
She's So Cold
Tumbling Dice
Rough Justice
Back of My Hand
Beast Of Burden
Bitch
Mr.Pitiful
--- Introductions
The Worst
Infamy
Miss you
Oh No Not You Again
Shattered
Honky Tonk Women
Sympathy for the Devil
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Brown Sugar
Satisfaction
You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
Jumpin' Jack Flash (encore)

Up the street at the 9:30 Club, the Black Crowes played two sets, filling nearly three hours, in their first of two nights at the club. DCist offers this review of the show and their setlist comes via CrowesBase.com:

- Set One -
Greasy Grass River
Stare It Cold
Jam -> Black Moon Creeping
Pre-Road Downs
Soul Singing
Space Captain
Trouble
Pardon My Heart
My Morning Song
Lay It All On Me

- Set Two -
Don't Do It
Gone
Cancel Everything
Hard To Handle -> Jam
This Is The Way
Girl From The North Country
Another Roadside Tragedy
Wiser Time
Twice As Hard
Jealous Again
- encore -
The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down

"Hell Or High Water" Fundraiser At State Theatre

ABOVE: The Grandsons Performing at IOTA
Photo by furcafe

Eleven different acts--including Chuck Brown, The Nighthawks, The Buck Hill Quartet, The Grandsons, Tom Principato Band, Big Joe & The Dynaflows, Tommy Lepson Band, Rhodes Tavern Troubadours, The Junkyard Saints, Chopteeth, and a Tribute To The Band--will perform at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia on Thursday, October 27 as part of a fundraiser for musicians displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

ABOVE: Tom Principato at the State Theatre
Photo by danspix

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with all concert proceeds benefiting the MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm. The State Theatre box office is open from noon to 5pm, Monday through Friday, and until 11:30 PM on all show nights.

Benefit Tonight In Bethesda

Marwood performing at NYC's Bowery Ballroom
Photo by rjs2005

Benji Rogers of the New York City based band Marwood, who performed at this year's Six Points Music Festival in April, is back in town tonight to play a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team In Training fundraiser in Bethesda. The event takes place at the Harp & Fiddle (4844 Cordell Ave., Bethesda) and gets started at 6:30pm, with a suggested $5 donation at the door. The Harp & Fiddle has also agreed to donate 10% of the evening's sales to the fundraising efforts.

Rogers will also play acoustic this Wednesday night, October 5, at Clarendon Grill and on October 20 he'll be back at the Arlington venue with the full band, as Marwood opens for Emmet Swimming.

Brice Woodall Named Northeast Region Finalist For Independent Music World Series

An Arlington, Virginia resident until a recent move to Chicago, musician Brice Woodall has been selected by Billboard Magazine and Discmakers as a finalist for the Northeast Region in the Independent Music World Series. The showcase for the Northeast finalists will take place on Thursday, October 22 at The Knitting Factory in New York City.

Woodall was also recently selected as one of fifteen artists for woxy.com's first unsigned program, which aired on September 29. He was featured alongside artists such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Preston Clarke.

Beck at the Patriot Center This Wednesday

Beck at New York City's Maritime Hotel
Photo by darkshapes

On Tap Magazine still has tickets left for their bus trip to see Beck with Whirlwind Heat this Wednesday, October 5, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The $45 ticket includes your bus ride there and back and a floor seat to the show. Tickets can be purchased here.

Reviews of Beck's latest CD, Guero:
Rolling Stone
The Washington Post
Pitchfork

3rd Annual Dave Daly Fund Benefit Concert

Jess Klein is one of four acts performing that day.
Photo by rogerzmusic.com.

With music from Jess Klein, Dean Fields, The Amity Front and Oneside, the 3rd Annual Dave Daly Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert takes place at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Virginia on Saturday, October 22 from 1pm to 4:40pm. Dedicated to the memory of Dave Daly, the fund raises scholarship money for Holy Redeemer School in College Park, MD. Tickets to the event are $12. Click here to listen to an MP3 promoting the show, featuring music clips by the four acts playing that day.

Time For A Name Change

Even though the name of this site has been ArlingtonMusicScene.com for almost five years now, it's been a long time since it served just the scene in Arlington, Virginia. In fact, even early on, this site attracted musicians from many parts of the D.C. area and the information posted here on the blog and in the Yahoo Group has often been about more than just what's happening in Arlington.

Sometimes the name ArlingtonMusicScene.com has caused confusion as, occasionally, people will post something to the Yahoo Group and ask if it's ok for them to participate even though they "don't live in Arlington." It is definitely ok for anyone to participate, even if you don't live in Arlington, and this site needs a name that better describes what this site is: a source for music news and community for the whole D.C. Metro Area.

And so, this site will now be called MetroMusicScene.com. In the short-term (and maybe the long-term), not much will change as far as the appearance of the site, but it now has a name that's a better fit. So, thanks for reading this, thanks to everyone who keeps this site going, and you may now go about your regular reading and message posting just as you always have.

ArlingtonMusicScene.com will still point here for a while, but eventually that will stop. Please update any bookmarks, links, etc.

Dewey Music Fest Underway...IOTA Benefit Today

Click here to see more festival pictures
Photo by mholden

Pictured at right, Arlington's Shane Hines fronted his band--Shanes Hines and the Trance--as they played the Bottle and Cork on Friday night at the 2005 Dewey Beach Music Conference and Festival in Delaware. With 175 acts on 17 stages, the festival runs through Sunday. Hines is back in the D.C. area today to play IOTA Club and Cafe's Red Cross Hurricane Relief Benefit. 17 acts will play from 1pm to 6pm at the club in the Clarendon section of Arlington, with Hines going on first.