Tag Archives: Marvin Gaye

• Does the DC music scene suck? The Washington Post published a letter this weekend from Sean Roussy of Arlington with the headline The Rant: D.C. must face the music. We had some serious problems with the link to the article last night (it kept coming up as “Page Not Found”– seems to be working better now via this link), so we’re reprinting the whole thing here:

The Washington music scene is just awful. Do not get me wrong. There are many fine local bands across various genres in the District, and a plethora of legendary acts for audiophiles in 31 flavors. It is not the music; it is the scene. I specifically mean all of you. Including myself. The reason I know this is that it is something I see myself and that people and bands from other towns tell me, because I have seen many bands in many towns since I was sneaking out to punk matinees at the age of 13. I also watch tour schedules, and there are plenty of awesome acts that skip this town. This is the Imperial Capital. One would think that this would be an important place to showcase talent. However, time and again I end up driving to Baltimore, Richmond or Philadelphia for music. The reason is, simply, that people do not come out on school nights.

The District works too hard and rocks too little. The transient population of this town is comprised of 50 states worth of former safety patrol captains and class presidents who all came here to conquer, and the suburbs are littered with the descendants of a couple generations of their offspring. These are not the kids who made high school fun by hosting all-day jam sessions in their garages. These are the kids who were busy with their eagle Scout badges and their Key club, whatever that is. This particular population of Washington of which I write works too hard to close the club on a school night and show back up for work at 7 a.m. with three hours of sleep. They have their careers to think about and their brains to use. However, I would posit to all of the readers for whom I may have touched a nerve that the world might be a better place if the music scene of Washington visited the music of D.C. once in a while on a school night. Whether you work the hall or scream at the wall, music is the language of the soul. If the pinnacle of power cannot converse at that level, I am afraid the whole American experiment is in trouble.

• On May 1, 1972, Marvin Gaye had a homecoming performance of What’s Going On at the then-new Kennedy Center. To remember the event’s 40th anniversary, the Ken Cen is recreating the show– with John Legend, the National Symphony Orchestra Pops, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (the shows are sold out, by the way). Roger Catlin writes about the original show, that almost didn’t happen [Washington Post]. There’s also a cool map of DC sites with links to Marvin Gaye.

• What happens to old punk clubs when they vacate the building? Apparently they become J.Crew stores– or, at least, that’s what’s happening to the former 9:30 Club at 930 F St NW [Washington CityPaper].

• Interview: Valerie Paschall chats with Trophy Wife [DCist].

• Listen: DCMusicDownload presents a nice selection of local tunes.

• Preview: Nancy Dunham on Nick Lowe [Washington Examiner]. Tonight at the Birchmere.

• Maryland Deathfest is releasing 30 additional tickets for the sold-out Thursday 5/24 night show. Tickets will be available on marylanddeathfest.com at noon today.

• Speaking of DeathFest, Metallomusikum continues her countdown to MDF with profiles of Tsjuder, Confessor, Winter, Backslider, Morbid Angel, Horna, and Morbid Saint.

• Sarah Godfrey on The Weekend at the 9:30 Club [Washington Post].

• Erica Bruce’s photos of Lucero at the 9:30 Club [Washington CityPaper].

• Stephanie Williams’s photos of Ted Leo at the Black Cat – Friday night show [DC Music Download].

• Stephen Bradley on Bad Brains at the Howard Theatre [Washington Times].

• Joe Banno on Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra at Strathmore [Washington Post].

• Cecelia Porter on Joyce Yang at the Barns of Wolf Trap [Washington Post].

• The Rogers Revue on Mac Miller at Pier Six.

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