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Nightwatch -- Live
Hosted by Eric Brace
Washington Post Nightwatch columnist
Friday, Dec. 7, 2001; 3 p.m. EST
Where's the best karaoke joint in town? What's the best brewpub around? Who was that band that rocked at the Black Cat last week? For the answer to any going-out-in-Washington question, just ask Eric Brace -- our resident nightwatchman.
From backstage at the annual Wammies (Washington's own Grammy Awards) to karaoke at Galaxy Hut to swing dancing at the Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom, every week
Post staff writer Eric Brace throws himself on the front lines of the bar-n'-music beat in the Washington area. A Washington resident for nearly 30 years, Brace started with the Style section in 1990, where he wrote live music reviews and filed longer feature stories on the likes of Fugazi, Jawbox, Pearl Jam, Stephane Grappelli and many others. Then he created the Nightwatch column, which appears every week in The Post's Weekend section and on washingtonpost.com's Bars and Clubs page. He also sings and plays guitar for the country-rock band Last Train Home.
The discussion ended at 4:20. The transcript is below.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Eric Brace: Dear You.
It's been many weeks since I've been able to do one of these here chats, and what a pleasure it is -- I must say -- to be back!
Here's what I'm wondering... since the first year of the new millennium is winding down, what is y'all's take on Washington nightlife this year?
What have your favorite shows been this year. What's your favorite new local band. New local clulb? Club you'll miss most now that it's closed? And finally.. what are you doing for New Year's Eve??
Let's roll.
sw, dc:
eric! we've missed you! bit of a quandry. too much going on the last weekend of december. i want to go the prince party at the metro, at least one of the dismemberment plan shows at the black cat, check out that new club "dream", and catch yo la tengo at the 9.30 club. what do you suggest?
Eric Brace: That's a fine list of events. And why, pray tell, can't you go to them all?
You can stagger your stops at all those places. Go to the LoveSexy party (that's the D.C. area Prince fan club.. they throw a mean party) at Metro early-ish. Then catch Yo La Tengo for a while, then head to Black Cat for the last 40 minutes of Dismemberment Plan, then drive to Dream, which doesn't get started (really, y'know)til way after midnight.
Of course that's if you WANT to spend about 50 bucks or more on cover charges in one night. If not, then I'd hit, LoveSexy and the Plan.
tysons corner, va:
eric,
can you make some suggestions for christmassy shows coming up? i know there are lots of places doing charity shows (saw a few in today's post), but i'd love to know a little more about who's playing.
Eric Brace: As far as the charity shows, the two best re: local bands are the Hungry For Music (www.hungryformusic.com) show Saturday at IOTA, and the various shows for the Santa Cause (www.thesantacause.com).... don't know why those are com's and not net's, but whatever.
There's GREAT xmas music that's NOT for any charity's benefit at Blues Alley: Tuesday, Eric Felten's excellent swing band plays Ellington's Nutcracker, Thursday it's the Capital Bones brass band (led by local trombonist Matt Neiss.. coincidentally Eric Felten's a bone player too)will be playing Stan Kenton's holiday music arrangements..
More brass: TubaChristmas at Kennedy Center millennium stage on monday.
oh gosh.. there's more, but those are the ones that jump at me.
DC ex London:
Eric: Which bars/cafes/restaurants are frequented by DC's successful 30-something women? This recent English import wants to know!
Eric Brace: This is one of those questions... Here's my thoughts on this:
if you're looking for a specific thing, put yourself in the shoes of a particular "dream woman".. what would she do??
Hang at cool bars of favorite restaurants or hotels in town. hang at clubs that book bands or DJs playing music that 30-something women might like. Coffeshops.. bookstores... Nightclubs in general aren't geared toward 30-somethings, so you'll have to scout around.
Arlington, VA:
I haven't been around this area too long and I'm looking for places to hear good Jazz (from bop to experimental) apart from rooms like Blues Alley & Bohemian Caverns. Somehere dark and smokey with character.
Eric Brace: Dark and smokey...
hmmm. HR-57 should be your first stop.. not very dark or smokey , but it's very very cool. 1610 14th st., then Twins Jazz on U street has been having lots of great acts lately.. lesser known folks, but really good. ellington's on capitol hill has nice small combos, as does Columbia Station and Cafe Toulouse in adams morgan.
Washington, DC:
Could you recommend a great wine bar in the District? I had the fortune of going to Bin36 in Chicago, where they offer 9 tasting flights and (as you could guess) 36 different types of wine by the glass (all of which could be bought in their store up front). Anything like that here? Thanks...
Eric Brace: My two favorite wine bars are:
Bardeo in Cleveland Park (right next to Ardeo) and the lounge upstairs at the Evening Star in Del Ray, Alexandria (definitely worth a drive). Both have tasting "flights" (why does that term bug me so much? perhaps because it smacks of cutsey marketing departments...) and the choices are extensive, the people are smart, the environments are good and prices pretty dang reasonable.
Kensington, Md.:
Eric, I'm thinking of opening a Christmas- and Hanukah-themed restaurant and bar in Kensington, with a huge neon Santa Claus and Menorah out front, each about 40 feet tall, and with ample notice to everyone that anyone can smoke cigarettes inside the establishment, as much as they want, wherever they want. Think it'll go over?
Really, what's up lately with Montgomery County officials!
Eric Brace: I think you'd do very well.
Inclusiveness/Political Correctness/Civil Liberties/community rights. The arguments on all sides will be with us forever. I just wish Montgomery County would expend some of this energy on improving the business climate for night clubs.
SW, Washington, D.C.:
Eric! We've missed you!
Do you think the new club, Dream, will have staying power? It's a bit of a hindrance that it's in an out-of-the-way area. Can't walk there and there is no Metro. Was that to make it more exclusive? If you don't have the Benz to drive there, we don't want you hangin' at the club?
Eric Brace: Why thank you. I've missed you too.
I think Dream has tons of staying power.
I don't think out-of-the-way has ever been an issue with nightclubs. people drive to them, for the most part...
Back before downtown was cool, the old 9:30 club was "out of the way".. Trax was always out of the way and always packed. People will drive to Dream, becausehe's made it such a "destination".. Owner Marc Barnes says his first improvement to the place will be teh creation of a ground floor dining room so that people can come to dinner early, and stay late to "club". He knows what he's doing.. and you can drive your beat-up Camry station wagon or your dodge dart and still get in, as long as you dress the part. Be proud of your hooptie (ok, i don't know how to spell it).
Watch it!:
I resent your comment that nightclubs aren't geared towards 30-somethings. If that is the case, why are we all getting night-life advice from a 40-something? I know many women inlcuding myself who are in their thirties and like to go to nightclubs. That was a really stupid remark!
Eric Brace: Just because clubs aren't GEARED toward 30-somethings doesn't mean 30-somethings don't go out. I'm glad you DO go out to clubs, and I hope all your friends do too. I wish more clubs would realise that non-20-somethings DO go out still, then we'd have clubs where everyone is comfortable, like those you find in other countries, where 19 year olds are hanging with 60 year olds.. I've seen this in France, England, Australia, but not in the U.S...
So where do YOU go? And how comfortable do you feel at those places?
As for me, I just go to observe. I certainly don't feel most clubs are geared toward me, geezer that I am, but I think I can look at a place objectively and see how it approaches its goal. Clubs open these days knowing pretty clearly who's going to show up at them. I look at places with that in mind. I'm not going to write mean things about Buzz for playing music that 40-somethings mostly don't get, nor would i holler at Polly Esther's for not playing Trance music... Nor would I saw that Blues Alley doesn't do its job by not booking jam Bands.. you know what I mean? I approach things on their own terms.
One More Oops:
Capital Bones is wednesday, not Thursday, according to the Blues Alley website. Thanks for picking up on this shows. Your eclecticsm is appreciated by this 40-something, who will be taking his eleven-year-old to hear the Eric Felten show.
Eric Brace: You're right.
Eric Felten is Monday and Capital Bones is Wednesday.
And I hope you're kid loves the Ellington tunes!
Greenbelt, Md.:
Hey, Eric. This is a discussion about local nightlife, but the death of George Harrison must be noted. In a way, so many local musicians owe so much to George Harrison and the Beatles. And, in terms of local nightlife, we can't forget that the Beatles made Washington one of their first stops when they hit America. So, yes, George Harrison and the Beatles hold a landmark place in Washington nightlife. We'll all miss George Harrsion, of course.
Eric Brace: yes yes yes.
George.... I miss him. Last Saturday I drove from here to philly. I had the radio on..94.7 here did lots on him all weekend, and a classic rock station in Philly was playing some of his stuff. But out of range of those two stations there was NOTHING.. all the stations "modern rock" "classic rock" "oldies".. they were playing random stuff, not George or Beatles.. it made me mad and sad and want to scream. George was amazing.
On Feb 11 1964 the beatles played the Washington coliseum, their first live show in the U.S... now that place is a trash transfer station...
NW Washington, D.C.:
What do you think of Queens of the Stone Age? They certainly rock hard, but seem to have as much of a following from electronica fans as rock ones.
Eric Brace: I think for that kind of stuff they're about the best, most creative band out there.. nu-metal meets electronica stuff with just the right attitude. Good for them if they can "crossover" to those two camps.
Dupont Circle:
Isn't First Friday tonight or do they not have one during the holiday season?
Eric Brace: It is indeed tonight. First Friday is an event organised by 25 dupont Circle area galleries, and from 5 to 8 pm on the first friday of every month (including tonight if you want to do some art christmas shopping)they are open with wine and cheese cubes (ok, maybe they offer more than that, but maybe not..)
College Park, Md.:
Can the Post PLEASE publish, somewhere, the results of the recent Songwriters Association of Washington songwriting contest? Is it asking too much to get some additional coverage of local music in The Post these days -- in addition to and aside from the great work you and others do in Weekend, of course. By the way, folks, the Songwriters Association of Washington hosts a great songwriting contest every year. It's cheap to enter, qualified judges review the entries, and there's some exposure, feedback, prizes and a place on a compilation CD if you win one of the categories. This is a great contest for blooming songwriters. Thanks, Eric, for the plug, but I feel this relates well to a discussion of local nightlife. This area is full of talented songwriters who aren't getting regular gigs!
Eric Brace: Well, THAT'S a passionate note.
I know S.A.W. well, and Iknow the contest well. I don't think the Style section would cover something like that, and I haven't done much on it, because it's not REALLY a local contest. People from all over can enter their work. And several of the big winners the past few years have been from out of town. Having said that, yes, many of the winners ARE local artists who deserve to be heard. I try to approach artists on their own merits, not on what awards they win. and for me to write about artists, they have to be performing so that the readers can actually go to see them. Lots of the people who submit songs to S.A.W.'s contests aren't active performers, and perhaps that prejudices me against them, but there are so many great performers who ARE getting up there and playing every week or two that I haven't written about yet, i feel those are the people I should write about first...
Ok, now, having said all THAT, yes, i'll try to cover the SAW contest better next year.
Meanwhile, if you want a list of the winners, go to the site (which I'm sure you already know): http://saw.org/saw/
Montgomery Village, Maryland:
What happened to Fairmont Bar and Dining? Why did they close? I wanted to check out their new lounge.
Eric Brace: Boy, they came and went in a hurry, didn't they? I only just got a otice about its opening about two months ago, and when I finally got by there, it was closed. Don't know what the deal was , but i'll ask around.
Funland:
What's up with Lewies in Bethesda?
Eric Brace: Lewie's is the live music space across from the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda that shut down for a good long while.. (year and a half??). they've just reopened as a live music club..they hope to have bands there 5 nights a week. It's a simple space.. stage/lights/bar. It's adjacent to Chrome, a loungey place that seems to be doing well. when there's a band playing, you have to pay the cover even if you're goign to Chrome (I hear), because there's a door to go back and forth between the two places. I'm heading by there this weekend sometime to check it out. Have you been yet?
Rockville, Md.:
I am a HUGE Pete Yorn and Coldplay fan. But unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the HFS Nutcracker. Do you know when these artists are coming back to town?
Eric Brace: I haven't heard about either of them coming back anytime soon, but I'd bet Coldplay will have a new CD out in the spring and will be coming back around then.. they'll want to capitalize on their "yellow" momentum, momentum that british bands seem to have a hard time sustaining over here in the STates. I think Yorn will be on the road a lot the next few months, so he may be back while he's the buzz guy.
Bethesda, Md.:
Two must sees for me:
Jerry Seinfeld at Kennedy Center, I was lucky enough to score tix for the addred show on Jan. 6 and Nils Lofgren at The Barns of Wolf Trap on Feb. 7 and 8. I'm looking forward to both shows as I have never been to either venue. I've seen Nils a bunch of times, most recently at The Birchmere in August.
I recommend checking out the Nils shows, he's awesome and I was very impressed with The Birchmere when I was there and hope to catch another show there soon.
Eric Brace: never been to the kennedy center or the Barns? Did you just move here?
No offense, truly, it's just that those places are two of the best to see live shows. Great acoustics, sightlines, amenities, sound systems, parking.. Neither is very "rock 'n' roll", but if you understand that going in, it's fine.
Nils still rocks. no question.
20009:
Hey Eric:
I'm looking to hire a local New Orleans-style band for my wedding. I'm thinking more Dr. John/Professor Longhair than zydeco. Any recommendations?
Thanks
Eric Brace: congratulations.
but as for music, you may have trouble.
no local bands really fit that bill, though there's a Lousiana transplant, Sugar Jones, whose band is a louisiana funk band. They played this week at Velvet Lounge, and will be playing out more.
Anyone out there know of a Dr. John-esque local act???
Washington DC:
Believe it or not I've got a date lined up (been a looong time) I love the Evening Star Cafe but my hooptie is out of commission and my guy don't have wheels. Any place in the district with that Evening Star vibe?
Eric Brace: well, congrats to you too!
Dump the guy 'til he gets wheels.
Just kidding.
Have you tried Bardeo?
That is, if you're looking for a wine bar.
Two other wine-y joints:
Arbor Restaurant & wine bar in Adams Morgan (kalorama and 18th, i think??) is cool and has good wine "flights".. and mendocino grill at the east end of georgetown is good for that too.
sw, dc:
for the coldplay fan, i dont think they'll come back here if they can avoid it. they have had bad reception due to the nimwit crowds at the hfstival, where chris martin got hit in the head with a full water bottle and also, the nutcracker where the crowd paid them no attention and just body surfed the whole time. you could see that the band was visibly annoyed and wondering why they were asked to come play again when most of the crowd (dumb, drunk underage you know whats) didn't give a damn. i was probably one of 10 people that came to the hfstival and the nutcracker just to see them and one or two other bands.
when they come back, plan on heading to philly to see them. they hate this place.
Eric Brace: ahh damn. Poor sensitive fellers.
can't say I blame them....
Washington, DC:
Eric, I think you may have been a little harsh to the person who has not been to either the Kennedy Center or Wolf Trap. Events at both places can be expensive and getting out to Wolftrap can be difficult. Not even is as lucky as you and has a job where our employers require (and pay) for us to go to events at these places.
Eric Brace: Mea culpa!
BUT: the kennedy Center has FREE shows every single day of the year, 365. on the Millennium stage. One of the absolutely best things about this city's entertainment scene.
And the person who wrote HAD been to the Birchmere which ain't cheap and requires a car, so I was really speakign directly to him/her about that. Not saying necessarily that EVERYONE needed to drop everything and go to those places.
DC:
For the earlier poster in Rockville Pete Yorn just played a show out show at the 930 with Remy Zero and JJ72 about a week ago. I think may have missed the boat. I know Pete played the 930 about 6 months ago as well cos i saw that show.
Eric Brace: Yeah, I knew about the Yorn/RemZero show. Heard it was good. But I'd still bet his booking agent will have him back through here soon.
DC:
FYI, for all soulful House fans......Doug Smith/95North is going to have a CD release party for his new mix CD at Red this Saturday night.
Eric, please write about DC's AMAZING house scene soon.....Doug, Sam Burns, Oji/Pope, etc. The Sanctuary is a great place to write about as well. Thanks!
Eric Brace: Those are all on my list... gonna try to get to Sanctuary tonight.
Doug is a great DJ. Listen to his mixes and remixes. They're pretty deep. Lots to listen to.
Thanks for the heads up.
Washington, D.C.:
I may have sent this last week, but wanted to get it in.
I'm planning my 30th birthday party. Need a fun, inexpensive spot to host the gathering. Looking for a private room, preferably, with a cash bar. Pool or a dance floor would be great. Any suggestions in the District or Virginia that aren't Buffalo Billiards?
Thanks!
Eric Brace: hmm
Blue, Felix, Chi Cha, GuaRapo, Whitlow's, Childe Harold,
Perhaps my esteemed colleague Fritz will send out the post.com's URL to the story he wrote on just this topic?
DC Not a State:
Nils Rocks incredibly! And you will be very pleased to see that show at The Barns because it is the Birchmere show X 10! The accoustics are incredible, the crowd great, the scene of the legendary Live Acoustic disc...
I got on Nils' listserve, and read about each of his shows where he tore up Britain. They love him incredibly there (electric shows, those were). Now Nils can't even get a company to have picked up his latest disc (reports about which are great), so he's selling it solely on line and after shows -- it's not in stores. Shame on the record industry, but the margins are probably better for Nils (even if the sales are smaller).
Nils is a treasure -- can't wait for that show!
Eric Brace: testimonial.
Fairmont:
Fairmont was open for a few years (2 at the VERY least)
Eric Brace: ahhhha.
Ok then, I guess I'm refering to some p.r. I got over the summer implying some kind of re-launch, re-design, sumthin' like that. I've been so frustrated with Bethesda's nightlife, I haven't been paying enough attention, i reckon.
Washingtron (formerly Arlingtron):
Some good New(ish) local bands...
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Pocket Rockets
Calibos
Metropolitan
sure would love to see Beauty Pill play out, but I think that joke is too good to ever let the punchline go away.
Eric Brace: good calls. I too want live Beauty pill.
Those bands are all worth spending a cover charge on. CAtch them at: metro Cafe, Black Cat, Galaxy Hut, Velvey Lounge... Support your locals, y'all!
Alexandria, VA:
Eric,
I want to see Suttle Thoughts tonite at DC Tunnel. Where is the DC Tunnel club?
Thanks,
Lee
Eric Brace: The Tunnel is at 2135 Queens Chapel Road, NE
check it out at www.dctunnel.net
Lots of go-go shows, boxing events.
the wash:
What's the deal with the Crucible? I'd be going as, um, a spectator, but am a little apprehensive about the scene and neighborhood.
Eric Brace: Here's the description from the website. It's certainly not the world's best location, but i hear there's parking right out front... no, I haven't been. But do let me know what you find out.
"The Crucible is a for-profit Pansexual BDSM play event hosted at our new space (1816 Half Street, SW, DC). Anybody showing up and paying the cover who is 18 or older can enter.
There are strict Safe - Sane - Consensual rules enforced by DM's. We do have a core group of dedicated local players, and it is a caring fantastic environment in which to experience public play."
Eric Brace: I'm all done for now.
I hope to be back here in two weeks.
Let me know your New Year's plans by dropping a line to:
nightwatch@washpost.com
you can also use that address to tell me how the Crucible was... or any other joint you've checked out.
Gripes or props about area venues or bands or whatever? send em on.
Thanks much.
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