Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres of
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
Rhythm & Blues,
bluegrass,
punk rock and its locally-developed descendants
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
and
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
, and a local
funk genre called
go-go
Go-go is a subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience call and response.
Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area during the mid-60s to late-70s. Go-go has l ...
. The first major musical figure from District of Columbia was
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
, a military brass band composer. Later figures include
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musicians, such as
Duke Ellington,
Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years.
Biography
Rouse was born in Was ...
,
Buck Hill,
Ron Holloway
Ronald Edward Holloway (born August 24, 1953) is an American tenor saxophonist. He is listed in the ''Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' where veteran jazz critic Ira Gitler described Holloway as a "Hard bear-down-hard-bopper who can blow auth ...
, Davey Yarborough, Michael A. Thomas,
Butch Warren, and DeAndrey Howard;
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
musicians, including
Billy Stewart
William Larry Stewart II (March 24, 1937 – January 17, 1970) was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist who was popular during the 1960s.
Biography
Stewart was 12 years old when he began singing with his younger brothers Johnny, James ...
,
The Unifics, The Moments, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Van McCoy, The Presidents,
The Choice Four,
Vernon Burch, guitarist
Charles Pitts (OST "Shaft", 1971), and
Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul.
The District is home to the Washington Symphony Orchestra, the
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Perform ...
, the
National Symphony Orchestra (founded in 1931 by
Hans Kindler), the DC Legendary Musicians Inc. a nonprofit founded by Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler Truesdale (founded in 2002) www.dclmusicians.org and the
DC Youth Orchestra Program (founded in 1960). The
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
is a nationally important venue for a variety of musical performances, many of which are presented by Washington Performing Arts Society, an independent, non-profit organization founded by impresario Patrick Hayes. ''
Washingtonian'' magazine maintains a Washington Music Hall of Fame.
The
United States Marine Band
The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in th ...
, and
United States Navy Band are both based in Washington, D.C. The Marine Band is the oldest musical group in the United States (formed in 1798, before the District's founding). The U.S. Marine Band's most famous conductor is
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
, who composed many of the most famous American marches, as well as several musical comedies. The U.S. Navy Band's director throughout the 1960s was LCDR Anthony A. Mitchell who composed the march "Our Nation's Capital", the official march of Washington, D.C., as well as the "John F. Kennedy Cultural Center March", and the "National Capitol Parks March".
Music history
![JohnPhilipSousa-Chickering](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/JohnPhilipSousa-Chickering.LOC.jpg)
The
U.S. Marine Band was founded in 1798. Some fifty years later, in 1851, the District's first choral society, the
Washington Saengerbund, was formed. Other 19th century musicians included the
minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...
singer and songwriter
James Bland ("
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" is a song written circa 1878 by James A. Bland (1854–1911), an African-American composer and minstrel performer. It was Virginia's state song from 1940 until 1997.
There is some evidence suggesting that it i ...
"). In 1872, the Coloured American Opera Society formed.
Washington native
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
was conductor of the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 to 1892. He wrote 132
marches
In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of borderland, as opposed to a national "heartland". More specifically, a march was a border between realms or a neutral buffer zone under joint control of two states in which diff ...
, including "
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
" and "
The Stars and Stripes Forever
"The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America.
History
In his 1928 autob ...
". Sousa formed his own band after leaving the Marine Corps that performed 15,623 concerts worldwide.
Later groundbreaking musicians included
James Reese Europe
James Reese Europe (February 22, 1881 – May 9, 1919) was an American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer. He was the leading figure on the African Americans music scene of New York City in the 1910s. Eubie Blake called hi ...
,
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...
musician
Claude Hopkins
Claude Driskett Hopkins (August 24, 1903 – February 19, 1984) was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader.
Biography
Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his ...
, Lithuanian immigrant and
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
performer
Al Jolson
Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...
and
Lillian Evanti
Lillian Evanti (August 12, 1890 – December 6, 1967), was an African American opera singer. Evanti was the first African American to perform with a major European opera company Life
She was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Armstr ...
, who became the first African-American opera singer to perform in a foreign country. The most widely renowned musician from 20th century District of Columbia is undoubtedly
Duke Ellington, a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
pioneer. Later District of Columbia jazz musicians included
Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years.
Biography
Rouse was born in Was ...
(saxophonist, with
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...
),
Billy Hart (drummer),
Ira Sullivan (tenor saxophonist) and
Leo Parker
Leo Parker (April 18, 1925 – February 11, 1962) was an American jazz musician, who primarily played baritone saxophone.
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C., Parker studied alto saxophone in high school and played this instrument on a record ...
(
bop baritone saxophonist).
Ahmet Ertegun, a Turkish-born jazz fan, came to District of Columbia at age twelve and later went on to found
Atlantic Records.
Todd Duncan
Robert Todd Duncan (February 12, 1903 – February 28, 1998) was an American baritone opera singer and actor. One of the first African-Americans to sing with a major opera company, Duncan is also noted for appearing as Porgy in the premier prod ...
was a District of Columbia-born singer who made history by being the first to play the lead of the opera ''
Porgy and Bess
''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...
''; he later became the first black man to play Tonio in ''
Pagliacci''. District of Columbia was also a home (and recording stop) for
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...
,
Jimmie Rodgers
James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...
and
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
. Local stars of the early part of the century include the singer
Pearl Bailey.
![Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Duke_Ellington_at_the_Hurricane_Club_1943.jpg)
In 1957,
Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This po ...
recorded for the family that employed her, which included a number of composers and musicologists. One song, "
Freight Train
Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers.
A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) haul ...
", became a folk music standard.
Charlie Byrd, a District of Columbia-based jazz musician, recorded an innovative album in 1962 called ''
Jazz Samba'' with
Stan Getz, helping to launch the
bossa nova craze. By the middle of the 1960s, District of Columbia had begun to produce some major stars, like
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
singer
Marvin Gaye, who had 3 No. 1 Hot 100 hits including "
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...
" in 1968. Other musicians included
John Fahey, one of the first "folk" musicians to gain national appeal,
Peter Tork
Peter Halsten Thorkelson (February 13, 1942 – February 21, 2019), better known by his stage name Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the keyboardist and bass guitarist of the Monkees and a co-star of the TV ...
(of
The Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
),
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years. Buckley began his career based in folk music, but his subsequent albums experimented with ...
, guitarist
Link Wray, pop singer and songwriter
Billy Stewart
William Larry Stewart II (March 24, 1937 – January 17, 1970) was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist who was popular during the 1960s.
Biography
Stewart was 12 years old when he began singing with his younger brothers Johnny, James ...
, country singer
Patsy Cline
Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...
, guitarists
Gregory Gaskins played with Jersey Cities Manhattan's and later Elvis Presley
Danny Gatton
Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. (September 4, 1945 – October 4, 1994) was an American virtuoso guitarist who combined blues, rockabilly, jazz, and country to create a musical style he called "redneck jazz".
Career
Daniel Wood Gatton Jr. was born in ...
,
Skip Pitts played the famous riffs on Isaac Hayes's John Shaft
doo-wop bands
The Orioles
The Orioles were an American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.
The Orioles are generally acknowledged as R&B's first vocal group. Balt ...
(based out of District of Columbia, though from Baltimore),
The Clovers
The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/ doo-wop vocal group who became one of the biggest selling acts of the 1950s.The Guinness Who's Who of Fifties Music. General Editor: Colin Larkin. First published 1993 (UK). . The Clovers p77. They ha ...
,
The Rainbows Scott McKenzie
Scott McKenzie (born Philip Wallach Blondheim III; January 10, 1939 – August 18, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter who recorded the 1967 hit single and generational anthem " San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)" ...
(known for "If You're Going to San Francisco"),
Sinbad,
R&B singer
Ruth Brown, and country star
Roy Clark.
During this period, Washington began to develop its own music scene, with a number of styles evolving by the end of the century. Some popular singers from later decades include
Roberta Flack
Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...
(#1 hit "
Killing Me Softly with His Song
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credi ...
"),
Root Boy Slim & the Sex Change Band ("You Broke My Mood Ring"), singer-songwriter
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
,
Herb Fame
Peaches & Herb is an American vocal duo. Herb Fame (born October 1, 1941) has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966; seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches", most notably Francine Edna "Peaches" Hurd B ...
(of
Peaches & Herb
Peaches & Herb is an American vocal duo. Herb Fame (born October 1, 1941) has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966; seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches", most notably Francine Edna "Peaches" Hurd B ...
) who had the No. 1 Hot 100 hit "
Reunited",
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...
(
disco producer, No. 1 hit "
The Hustle"),
Toni Braxton
Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won ...
,
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic Records as a solo ...
,
Mýa
Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
,
Dave Grohl (of
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
and the
Foo Fighters),
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band, formed in Washington, D.C. Vocalists and guitarists Matt Scannell and Keith Kane started the band in 1991 when they were students at Georgetown University. The band have undergone multip ...
(#1 Hot 100 hit "
Everything You Want" in 2000;
Matt Scannell
Matthew B. Scannell (born February 10, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Scannell is the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and founding member of the alternative rock band Vertical Hor ...
attended
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
),
Starland Vocal Band (#1 Hot 100 hit "
Afternoon Delight"),
Joan Jett
Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
(rock singer with No. 1 hit "
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album ...
") and
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...
(guitarist for
Bruce Springsteen,
Ringo Starr, and
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...
).
Washington is also home to the
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts (established 1974) is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School syst ...
, founded in 1974 and part of the
DC public school system. Some other notable music education organizations which are located in Washington include the
DC Youth Orchestra Program, founded in 1960; the Blues Alley Jazz Society, founded in 1985;
Levine School of Music
Levine Music is a non-profit community music center serving the Greater Washington DC metropolitan area. Levine currently operates four campuses, in Northwest DC, Southeast DC, Strathmore MD, and Arlington VA. Levine welcomes students of all age ...
, founded in 1976, and the
DC Legendary Musicians Inc, founded by Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale in 2006.
Musical genres
Choral
The Washington metropolitan area is considered by many to be the choral capital of the nation.
[Midgette, Anne]
"New groups like National Master Chorale signal key change in the District of Columbia choral scene"
Staff Writer, ''Washington Post'', December 19, 2009. Retrieved: September 2, 2011. Some choral groups active in the District today can trace their origins as far back as 1851, with a Choral Society being established to produce concerts and oratorios at least as early as the 1880s. In the modern era, the District features several independently-established symphonic choruses, along with a very wide variety of mid-size choirs, chamber ensembles, and specialty groups. The District has been described as "the only locality in America where there is a chorus for every type of niche."
Opera
The first established opera company in the District of Columbia was the semi-professional
Washington National Opera active from 1919 through 1936; it performed in venues ranging from local school auditoriums to DAR Constitution Hall.
[McPherson, Jim, "Mr. Meek Goes to Washington: The Story of the Small-Potatoes Canadian Baritone Who Founded America's 'National' Opera," ''The Opera Quarterly,'' volume 20, no. 2, Spring 2004.] The present, entirely unrelated
company of the same name, resident at the Kennedy Center, was known simply as the Washington Opera until 2000; a thoroughly professional organization under the direction of
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...
, it has, among other achievements, been a rare advocate for
zarzuela in the United States.
[Holland, Bernard, "NATIONAL OPERA REVIEW; Domingo Applies His Personal Touch to an Operetta's Familiar Tale," ''The Washington Post'', November 9, 2004.] Among other, smaller-scale companies in the District of Columbia metropolitan area are the
Washington Concert Opera, which specializes in unstaged presentations;
Opera Lafayette, which specializes in French baroque opera; and Aurora Opera Theatre, formerly known as Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia.
Blues
Early in the 20th century, the District of Columbia was home to many bluesmen, such as
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...
and later rock and roll and
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
musicians such as
Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
and
Roy Buchanan
Leroy "Roy" Buchanan (September 23, 1939 – August 14, 1988) was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan worked as a sideman and as a solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career and two lat ...
. In the 1960s, a number of white youths formed local blues bands, including the Northside Blues Band and the
Nighthawks. Starting in the early 1960s,
Takoma Park
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called " Azalea City", is a Tree ...
native
John Fahey became a nationally noted blues and folk guitarist who established the
Takoma Records
Takoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by guitarist John Fahey in the late 1950s. label, which attracted a number of other blues, folk, acoustic and
fingerstyle guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plect ...
ists to the District of Columbia area. Another local
blues rock performer is
Tom Principato
Tom Principato (born 1952) is an American electric blues and blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
Principato has recorded more than twenty albums over the years. One of his most recent releases, ''Robert Johnson Told Me So'' (2013) ...
.
Bluegrass
In the 1950s,
Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys became a noted
bluegrass band that helped District of Columbia become known as the "Bluegrass Capital of America" in the 1950s and early 1960s. Later bluegrass bands from the District included the
Country Gentlemen.
Seldom Scene
The Seldom Scene is an American bluegrass band that formed in 1971 in Bethesda, Maryland. The band's original line-up comprised John Starling on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, Ben Eldridge on banjo, Tom Gr ...
eventually became the District's most prominent and longest-lasting bluegrass band. The Washington bluegrass community extends into outlying areas such as Western Maryland and the panhandle of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
which are home to bluegrass musicians who commute to perform in the area. There has been substantial overlap between Washington, D.C.'s
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
and bluegrass scene in the past several decades, in part due to the patronage of disc jockeys at public radio station
WAMU
WAMU (88.5 FM) is a public news/ talk station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by American University, and its studios are located near the campus in northwest Washington. WAMU has been the primary Nation ...
, including Mary Cliff, longtime host of the music show ''Traditions''.
Folk
Folk clubs began springing up in the District of Columbia in the late 1950s. One of the earliest folk venues was at the Hamilton Arms Coffee House, which was founded in 1939 in Georgetown at 1232 31st Street NW. By the mid-1950s, Hamilton Arms was hosting "poetry readings, live music performances, art shows, movies, green tea (marijuana), and sometimes even coffee."
After closing in 1957, other venues began to appear, including Coffee N' Confusion located briefly at 912 New Hampshire Avenue NW before moving to a basement location at 945 K Street NW. It has been noted that rock musician
Jim Morrison
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...
, who lived in Northern Virginia up until 1961, performed his first poems at Coffee N' Confusion.
In January 1961, the Unicorn Cafe Expresso was opened at 1710 17th Street NW, featuring abstract art, coffee, poetry readings, and music. Founded by Yuri Kapralof and Roger Kaufman,
the Unicorn became an important venue for up and coming folk musicians, especially after Kaufman and Kapralof sold the Unicorn to Elliott Ryan. With Hootenannys on Wednesday evening and more live performances, the Unicorn established its reputation as a music venue, where the likes of touring musicians
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
,
Erik Darling, and
Pete LaFarge often performed along with local guitarists like
John Fahey,
Robbie Basho, Pat Sullivan and
Max Ochs.
Another important folk venue in Georgetown in 1961 was The Shadows. A band called "the Mugwumps" formed, eventually splitting up. Two of the members,
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969[Zal Yanovsky
Zalman Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian folk-rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky (née Gemeril), who died in 1958. He played lead guit ...]
, became
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...
, and the other two,
Denny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty (November 29, 1940 – January 19, 2007) was a Canadian singer. He was a founding member of the 1960s musical group the Mamas and the Papas for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
...
and
Cass Elliott
Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group bro ...
, formed
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...
. Later, in Georgetown, then-folk singer
John Denver,
Taffy Nivert
Mary Catherine "Taffy" Nivert-Danoff (born October 25, 1944) is an American songwriter and singer. She is best known for being a member of the Starland Vocal Band.
Biography
Mary Catherine Nivert was born 25 October 1944 in Washington, D.C. She ...
and
Bill Danoff
William Thomas Danoff (born May 7, 1946) is an American songwriter and singer. He is known for “Afternoon Delight", which he wrote and performed as a member of the Starland Vocal Band, and for writing multiple hits for John Denver, including " ...
wrote a song called "
Take Me Home, Country Roads
"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two ...
", which launched Denver's career as one of the most popular singers in the country. Other popular folk singers include
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...
; the duo
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have been nominated for several Grammy Awards, for both folk and children's music.
The Cellar Door at the foot of Key Bridge, was a stop for many touring folk and rock stars from the mid-1960s into the '70s.
Jazz
![President Richard Nixon Presenting Duke Ellington with the Presidential Medal of Freedom](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/President_Richard_Nixon_Presenting_Duke_Ellington_with_the_Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom.jpg)
The District of Columbia has been home to many jazz pioneers, including the legendary
Duke Ellington, as well as singer and pianist
Shirley Horn
Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and ot ...
, pianist
Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...
, and saxophonist
Frank Wess. Ellington, Taylor, and Wess each attended
Dunbar High School with its prominent music program. Ellington's first group, The Washingtonians, featured drummer
Sonny Greer. They left for
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
in 1923.
Jazz great
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...
came from
, but took up residency in Washington as a regular performer at a club called the Jungle Inn in 1935.
During the first half of the 20th century, in a segregated District, the
U Street Corridor
The U Street Corridor, sometimes called Cardozo/Shaw or Cardozo, is a commercial and residential district in Northwest Washington, D.C., most of which also constitutes the Greater U Street Historic District. It is centered along a nine-block s ...
became the economic, cultural, entertainment and jazz hub of the District of Columbia, earning it the nickname "Black Broadway". The
National Trust for Historic Preservation defines walking tours that include the jazz venues where the greats such as
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
performed,
Duke Ellington's childhood homes, and other music-related places in the neighborhood. Historic jazz club
Bohemian Caverns launched many music careers, including that of R&B singer
Ruth Brown. Pianist
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album '' The ...
recorded his ''
The in Crowd'' album there in 1965. During the second half of the 20th century until the mid-1990s, a period that saw decline on U Street, jazz became associated with longtime venues in the
Georgetown area such as
Blues Alley
Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz nightclub in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Musicians who have performed at Blues Alley include John Abercrombie, Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Tony Bennett, Rory Block, Ruby Braff, G ...
and One Step Down; closer to the heart of the District was dc space. Subsequently, jazz saw a resurgence on U Street, with venues such as Bohemian Caverns and
Republic Gardens re-opening.
Local singer
Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her first album ...
, a native of
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous c ...
, died of cancer at the age of 33 but received posthumous international fame when several of her songs received
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
airplay, though she was already well known in the Washington area, after a farewell concert at
The Bayou
The Bayou was a music venue and nightclub located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The club occupied an old building at 3135 K Street, NW, in Georgetown, under the Whitehurst Freeway for forty-six years. The club opened in September 1953 on the ...
. A singer in multiple genres, Cassidy also notably performed a crossover album with District of Columbia
go-go
Go-go is a subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience call and response.
Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area during the mid-60s to late-70s. Go-go has l ...
artist
Chuck Brown
Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader and singer known as " The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the mid-197 ...
(see below).
Multi-instrumentalist
Andrew White has been performing and releasing records in DC since his debut record in 1961, The JFK Quintet, who released two monumental LPs on
Riverside Records
Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riverside ...
for
Cannonball Adderley. Since then he has continued releasing albums, books, transcripts, and other publications for his self-produced label, Andrew's Music.
Tenor saxophonist
Ron Holloway
Ronald Edward Holloway (born August 24, 1953) is an American tenor saxophonist. He is listed in the ''Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' where veteran jazz critic Ira Gitler described Holloway as a "Hard bear-down-hard-bopper who can blow auth ...
is a Washington, D.C., native. Ron began playing saxophone at an early age one of his first music experience was with
The El Corols, where he met another great DC saxophonist, Carter Jefferson. His journeyman years sitting in with local groups from every genre of contemporary music. In the mid-1970s, Holloway expanded his practice of sitting in and more and more he was heard sharing the stage with the likes of
Freddie Hubbard,
Sonny Rollins and
Dizzy Gillespie. In February 1982 Holloway joined
Gil Scott-Heron's group. In June 1989, he left Scott-Heron to join Dizzy Gillespie's Quintet. Known for his versatility he has toured and recorded with a wide array of musical artists including Gillespie, Scott-Heron,
Root Boy Slim,
Little Feat,
the Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...
,
Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule (pronounced "Government Mule") is an American Southern rock jam band, formed in 1994 as a side project of the Allman Brothers Band by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Fans often refer to Gov't Mule simply as ''Mule'' ...
,
Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and founder of The Derek Trucks Band. He became an official member of The Allman Brothers Band in 1999. In 2010, he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, blues sin ...
and
Susan Tedeschi
Susan Tedeschi (; born November 9, 1970) is an American singer and guitarist. A multiple Grammy Award nominee, she is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks’ and other musicians.
Early l ...
. He has released five CDs under his own name.
Progressive rock/psych
In the late 1960 and early 70s, a variety of DC groups pushed the rock envelope, forming bands and securing record deals. The
Fallen Angels were one of the first national psychedelic bands from DC, releasing two records on
Roulette in the late 1960s. Lead singer, writer, and musician Jack Bryant headed up a band that played up and down the east coast, as well as an occasional west coast show. Progressive metal band
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...
is from Washington, DC.
Soul and funk
The District of Columbia's Soul/Funk movement took shape during the mid-60s; about the same time Doo-Wop change to soul chorus group (The Temptations~), and "James Brown" became a big name. Parliament's 1975 song "Chocolate City," with vocals spoken by George Clinton, references and celebrates the District of Columbia as a majority black District. Artists such as
Marvin Gaye,
Black Heat
Black Heat was a 1970s funk band founded by King Raymond Green and discovered by Phillip Guilbeau. Their albums include ''Black Heat (album), Black Heat'' (with guest artist David "Fathead" Newman), ''No Time to Burn, No Time To Burn'' and ''Keep o ...
,
Experience Unlimited
Experience Unlimited (also known as simply E.U.) is a Washington, D.C.-based go-go/funk band that enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliot, the group has had a fl ...
(E.U.), The Moments,
The Unifics, Peaches & Herb, Terry Huff & Special Delivery, Act 1, The Dynamic Superiours,
Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Van McCoy, The Presidents, Anacostia,
Vernon Burch,
Ray, Goodman & Brown
Ray, Goodman & Brown is an American R&B vocal group. The group originated as The Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with hits including " Love on a Two-Way Street", "Sexy Mama", and " Look at Me ...
, True Reflection,
The Unifics,
Peaches & Herb
Peaches & Herb is an American vocal duo. Herb Fame (born October 1, 1941) has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966; seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches", most notably Francine Edna "Peaches" Hurd B ...
, Act 1,
The Dynamic Superiors, Skip Mahoaney & the Casuals, Dyson's Face, Bobby Thurston,
Charles Pitts (OST "Shaft", 1971),
The Choice Four,
The Fuzz,
Dane Riley, and
Billy Stewart
William Larry Stewart II (March 24, 1937 – January 17, 1970) was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist who was popular during the 1960s.
Biography
Stewart was 12 years old when he began singing with his younger brothers Johnny, James ...
were from Washington, D.C. 1980s funk bands such as Osiris, Wax, Waldo, Tyrone Brunson influenced go-go bands. Minor group Aggression released 2 singles (roots of go-go) from SRI Records. Producer
Maxx Kidd founded T.T.E.D. Records.
R&B
The soul and funk scene set the stage for District of Columbia's considerable influence in modern R&B. Besides Toni Braxton, District of Columbia is the hometown of mid-1990s crooners
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic Records as a solo ...
,
Mýa
Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
, and Tank (raised in Clinton, MD), as well as the more current J. Holiday,
Raheem DeVaughn and
Reesa Renee (who are both from the neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland). Central Heat, an East Coast touring R&B band based out of Northern Virginia originated in the late 1970s and features founding members Doug and Dennis Flynn, Mike Cavaliere and Bob Costlow. Central Heat remains active in the DC club scene today.
Johnny Gill
Johnny Gill Jr. (born May 22, 1966) is an American singer and actor. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released e ...
,
II D Extreme, and
Stacy Lattisaw
Stacy Lattisaw Jackson (née Lattisaw; born November 25, 1966) is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C., United States.
Career
The 1979 song " Ring My Bell" was originally written for then twelve-year-old Lattisaw, as a teenybopper son ...
are also from the District of Columbia. Also, independent recording artist
Dane Riley, who is the cousin to late legendary Washington, DC singer
Billy Stewart
William Larry Stewart II (March 24, 1937 – January 17, 1970) was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist who was popular during the 1960s.
Biography
Stewart was 12 years old when he began singing with his younger brothers Johnny, James ...
.
Go-go
![Chuck Brown (5340799981)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Chuck_Brown_%285340799981%29.jpg)
The go-go sound developed during the mid-1970s and began to take its current shape by the late '70s, and has become known as District of Columbia's answer to
hip-hop. Its characteristic formula combined simple
funk grooves with instrumental percussion and often
rapping. It is a blend of
funk,
R&B, and
early hip-hop, with a focus on
lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
percussion instruments and melodic
jamming in place of dance tracks, although some
sampling is used. As such, it is primarily a dance music with an emphasis on live audience
call and response
Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...
. Go-go rhythms are also incorporated into street percussion. Many District of Columbia soul & funk artists contributed to the characteristic go-go sound, but the main pioneers were The Young Senators, also known as "The Emperors of Go-go", known for their hit tune "Jungle", and
Chuck Brown
Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader and singer known as " The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the mid-197 ...
&
the Soul Searchers
Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader and singer known as " The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the mid-197 ...
, known for "
Bustin' Loose", which became a surprise national hit. Later go-go bands include
Rare Essence
Rare Essence is a Washington, D.C.-based go-go band formed in 1976. Rare Essence has been amongst the most prominent musicians of the D.C. music scene, producing numerous hit songs in the local D.C. market and several hits nationwide, including ...
,
Trouble Funk
Trouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, D.C. The group helped to popularize funk and the subgenre go-go in the Washington metropolitan area. Among the band's well-known songs are the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas". They re ...
,
Experience Unlimited
Experience Unlimited (also known as simply E.U.) is a Washington, D.C.-based go-go/funk band that enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliot, the group has had a fl ...
(E.U., whose hit "(Doin') Da Butt" was featured in Spike Lee's 1988 "School Daze"), Hot Cold Sweat, AM/FM, The Junkyard Band, Slug-Go and the Southeast go-go band Aggressive Funk. Bands such as Backyard, TCB, and UCB have gained recognition by being featured in music by the rapper
Wale.
Hardcore
The District of Columbia is primarily known in the rock community for its seminal influence on the evolution of
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
, known locally as
harDCore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
, particularly through bands such as
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...
,
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitar ...
, and
The Faith, and labels like
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release ''Minor Disturbance'' by their band The Teen Idles. ...
, but it had a vibrant musical community prior to hardcore's arrival with bands like the Razz,
Slickee Boys
The Slickee Boys were a Washington, D.C. area punk-psychedelic-garage rock band whose most-remembered lineup consisted of guitarist Marshall Keith, guitarist Kim Kane, singer Mark Noone and drummer Dan Palenski. The group was named after a GI sl ...
,
Insect Surfers
The Insect Surfers are an American band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1979. The group bills itself "Planet Earth’s Longest-Running Modern Surf Band," and has been based out of Los Angeles, California since 1986. Inspired by the psychedelic surf ...
,
Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and The Penetrators, putting out records on local independent labels like
Limp, Wasp, and Dacoit.
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...
, the frontman for Minor Threat, became an inspiration in part for the international
Straight Edge movement after the song "Straight Edge" was released. MacKaye went on to co-found
Fugazi, which attained international recognition under the Dischord record label, alongside
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in late 1983. Along with Embrace, and Beefeater, they were one of the mainstay acts of the 1985 Revolution Summer movement Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull ...
guitarist
Guy Picciotto
Guy Charles Picciotto ( ) (born September 17, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and producer from Washington, DC.
He is best known as the guitarist and vocalist in Fugazi and Rites of Spring.
Career
Rites of Spring ...
.
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...
, a native of the District of Columbia hardcore scene, moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to join
Black Flag.
Emo
In the mid-1980s, veterans of the
D.C. hardcore scene created a new punk subgenre called "
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
", meaning "emotive hardcore." This term has since evolved to become associated with a much broader group of musical styles. The most renowned District of Columbia area bands associated with the "first wave" of emo were
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in late 1983. Along with Embrace, and Beefeater, they were one of the mainstay acts of the 1985 Revolution Summer movement Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull ...
and
Embrace
Embrace may refer to:
* A hug, a form of physical intimacy
* Acceptance
Music Bands
* Embrace (American band), a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C.
* Embrace (English band), a post-Britpop band from West Yorkshire
* Embrace (duo), a Dan ...
.
Punk
In the 1980s, the District of Columbia, was rich with
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
new wave music
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...
. Bands like The Slickee Boys, Urban Verbs, Tiny Desk Unit, Mother May I, Insect Surfers,
Tru Fax & the Insaniacs, and Black Market Baby were popular at places like the
9:30 Club, The Psychedeli, dc space,
Madam's Organ,
The Bayou
The Bayou was a music venue and nightclub located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The club occupied an old building at 3135 K Street, NW, in Georgetown, under the Whitehurst Freeway for forty-six years. The club opened in September 1953 on the ...
(in
Georgetown). See also:
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...
,
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitar ...
,
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Roll ...
. In the 1970s and 1980s,
Georgetown had a diverse live music scene, and became known as a center for the early punk community. In the 1990s,
U Street NW in the
Shaw neighborhood became known as a new haven for
post-hardcore punk,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
,
acid jazz and
electronica, following the establishment of a variety of bars and clubs in the area, most notably
The Black Cat (which was co-founded by
Dave Grohl, another native of the
DC punk scene). The 9:30 club subsequently moved to the area as well.
Post-hardcore
In the 1990s, bands taking heavy influence from the
Washington, D.C., hardcore scene and the local
go-go
Go-go is a subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience call and response.
Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area during the mid-60s to late-70s. Go-go has l ...
phenomenon contributed to the
post-hardcore scene. Important players in this scene were
The Dismemberment Plan,
Fugazi,
Nation of Ulysses
The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply "Ulysses," the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kron ...
,
Trans Am, and
Q and Not U
Q and Not U was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C., signed to Dischord Records. Members John Davis, Harris Klahr, Christopher Richards, and Matt Borlik formed the band in 1998. After Borlik's departure following the release of their fi ...
. Currently, important post-punk/indie/dance-rock bands like
Supersystem (formerly El Guapo),
Medications, Metrorail,
Maritime
Maritime may refer to:
Geography
* Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps
* Maritime Region, a region in Togo
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prin ...
,
Edie Sedgwick
Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...
, Mass Movement of the Moth, The Fordists, and
Beauty Pill
Beauty Pill is an American rock band from Washington, D.C., based largely around the songs and ideas of singer/guitarist/producer Chad Clark.
Beauty Pill's music is generally characterized by cinematic arrangements, angular melodies, and electr ...
hail from DC.
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...
continues his involvement in the DC music scene with his two-piece rock group
The Evens. Record labels like
Dischord
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release ''Minor Disturbance'' by their band The Teen Idles. ...
,
DeSoto Records, Exotic Fever, and Amor Y Lucha have been and remain to be a crucial means of distribution for DC bands.
Hip hop
![Walle Georgetown (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Walle_Georgetown_%28cropped%29.JPG)
The DC hip-hop scene has always taken a back seat to the other more prevalent genres in the area. Even so, influential groups have planted seeds in the District for future generations to follow. Groups like The Amphibians & Freestyle Union laid the foundation for artists like
Asheru
Gabriel Benn (born December 29, 1974), better known as Asheru, is an American rapper, educator, and youth activist. He performed the opening and closing themes for the popular TV series, ''The Boondocks''.
Early life and music
As a youth, As ...
,
Wale and Low Budget to help put DC's hip-hop scene on the map. Wale was the first District of Columbia artist to really break out on the national scene. He was a member of ''
XXLs 2009 Freshman Class and released his debut album,
Attention Deficit on
Interscope Records. Representing the street-oriented side of hip-hop, District of Columbia-bred rapper Garvey "The Chosen One" released his debut album Hard Hat Area Volume#1, on independent record label Triple Team Entertainment and distributed by DTLR. When it came time to the video's shoot location for his single "Lock It Down," released 2010, he chose local high school Calvin Coolidge High School, alma mater of the video's director, Robert "Bob Smoke" Headen, did more than just provide the setting—members of the school's band, cheerleading team, step team and dance squad are all featured in the released video as noted by the Washington Post. DMV emcee Marky has been gaining national recognition for his song "Rasta Monsta," sampling
Aloe Blacc
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally by his stage name Aloe Blacc (), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known for his singles " I Need a Dollar", " The Man", which topped the charts in t ...
's "I Need A Dollar.". Underground group Diamond District represent the vanguard as well as an underground rapper from (Fairmont Heights/P.G.County) born name Micah Paschal rap name MIKE.P also represent DC hip-hop today.
The District of Columbia's hip-hop scene was notably featured in the 1998 film ''
Slam
Slam, SLAM or SLAMS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional elements
* S.L.A.M. (Strategic Long-Range Artillery Machine), a fictional weapon in the ''G.I. Joe'' universe
* SLAMS (Space-Land-Air Missile Shield), a fictional anti-ball ...
'', about a would-be slam poet's ordeal in the District of Columbia Jail. Pharaoh Jonez, an Emcee from Southeast DC is one of the most successful rapper/producers from the DMV's underground scene. In 2010 he managed to get his music into the hands of an A&R over at
Slip-n-Slide Records
Slip-N-Slide Records is an American record label, founded in 1994 by Ted Lucas.
History
Ted Lucas founded the label in 1994. Slip-n-Slide signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular albu ...
which did nothing for his career until 2012 when he landed a spread in Kapital Magazine alongside
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...
,
Drumma Boy
Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is an American record producer.
Early life
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova, Tennessee, he was exposed to music at a young age. His mo ...
, and fellow DC rapper
Wale, who of which Jonez has never met before. In 2013 Pharaoh Jonez signed a management contract with Lawrence Mooney, CEO of Chocolate Mint and longtime friend of
"Freeway" Rick Ross.
Electronic dance music/house
The District of Columbia has been home to a booming
House music scene. Driven by weekly parties such as
Buzz (DC), internationally recognized acts like
Deep Dish, underground talent including DJ Sam “The Man” Burns, and DJ duos like East Coast Boogiemen (Ken Christensen and Juan Zapata), and Beautiful Swimmers. Venues include Echo Stage, Flash,
U Street Music Hall, and
Eighteenth Street Lounge
Eighteenth Street Lounge Music (ESL Music) is an independent record label based in Washington, D.C. founded by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton in 1996. The duo, as Thievery Corporation, heads the label's roster of artists.
Roster
ESL Music's current a ...
. House music parties regularly take place at clubs and warehouses across the District. Past venues include
Nation (nightclub) (formerly the Capital Ballroom), Red (nightclub), Club Five (Thomas Blondet was residents on Saturdays. Local and influential House music DJ Sam “The Man” Burns held a regular House club night on Sundays at Eighteenth Street Lounge up until his passing in 2020.
Another electronic-dance music subgenre that was born in the District of Columbia is
Moombahton
Moombahton (, ) is an electronic dance music genre, derived from house music and reggaeton, that was created by American DJ and producer Dave Nada in Washington, D.C., in 2009. Nada coined the name as a portmanteau of "Moombah" (a track by Su ...
. The style of music was created by local D.J.
Dave Nada
David Villegas, better known professionally as Dave Nada, is an Ecuadorian-American DJ and producer credited with creating the fusion-genre Moombahton. He is a member of the production and DJ duo Nadastrom and co-founder of Hermanito Label along ...
(member of the duo Nadastrom alongside producer Matt Nordstrom) who accidentally created a new and unique EDM sound at a party in Fall 2009, by slowing down the tempo of an Electro House song and placing a
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
beat on top of the house track. His invention sparked an underground EDM movement not only in the District of Columbia but also worldwide, all through the early 2010s. In addition to Nadastrom, well known Moombahton producers include
Munchi,
Dillon Francis
Dillon Hart Francis (born October 5, 1987), also known by the stage name DJ Hanzel, is an American electronic music producer and DJ.
Early life
Francis was born in Los AngelesAhmed, Insanul (March 13, 2012Who Is Dillon Francis?Complex. Retri ...
, and
Bro Safari
Nicholas Weiller, better known by his stage name Bro Safari, also known as Knick, is an American moombahton, trap music (EDM), trap, and dubstep producer.
Biography
Weiller was born in Rome, Italy, into a family with three brothers and one sist ...
.
The District of Columbia is also the home to the group
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bo ...
, who are well known in the electronic music community for their fusion of
downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may b ...
and
trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
with
lounge music and Brazilian music such as
bossa nova. They founded the label
Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, which is also based in Washington, D.C.
Local recording artists
Fort Knox Five
Fort Knox Five is a Washington, D.C.-based musical group consisting of Steve Raskin, Jon Horvath, Rob Myers and Sid Barcelona. The musical collective releases music through their self-run label, Fort Knox Recordings. Their music style mixes el ...
have found success with a string of releases on their own label, Fort Knox Recordings, many notable remixes and their full-length album ''
Radio Free DC''.
Yoko K. is an electronic musician based in Washington, D.C. Her self-produced debut album ''012906'' (Asahra Music, 2006) was nominated for Best Album in Electronica by the 6th Annual Independent Music Awards. The first single cut, "searching", was acclaimed by Adam Harrington (''Whisperin' & Hollerin, UK) to be "truly the work of a visionary" and received Grand Prize in the Electronic Jazz category by the Artists Forum Electronic Music Competition (2006). She was an Artist in Residence at the
Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland in 2011.
The District of Columbia, is also the home of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and synthesist Jeff Bragg, whose work spans over four decades, beginning with his residency as director of the University of Virginia's electronic music studio in the mid-1970s.
Anaud Strong is a premier dance-house, soul, r&b-funk, gospel international recording artist, remixer, singer-songwriter, producer and digital dj, born and raised in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Strong has been influential in the continuation and the pioneering of the early garage house, electronic dance music, underground dance, and art scene since the 90s to the present through various districtwide events and philanthropic efforts within the related community. The dance music collective and EP Anaud Strong Project ''Into The Future...The Deep House Experience RECHARGED!'' was nominated in the 24th Annual Wammies 2009–2010 in 4 categories for best Electronica Vocalist, Performance Artist, Electronica Artist/Producer (STUDIO), and electronica recording for "Into The Future". New 2015 Release and collaboration with US international artist, producer-remixer, prolific songwriter
Anaud Strong team up with producer, dj,
Splashfunk &
Laera
The Bene Gesserit are a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is described as an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental co ...
for their newest breakthrough soulful dance EDM release, sound on Italian label the LAERA TEAM. An inspirational club, radio, global dancefloor anthem and future classic from the US and Italy's finest composers. In 2018 with the release of the international soulful house anthem "BRAND NEW" by Anaud Strong + Darian Crouse aka Entity with the production and remix commissioned and released on New York label, VEKSLER Records. Also released in 2018, is the epic collaboration and release with DC dj, producer and label owner of Rhythm & Culture Recordings and resident dj dc premier Eighteenth Street Lounge, Thomas Blondet feat. Anaud Strong "LET IT SHINE". An inspirational, critically acclaimed, soulful house track being featured and supported in various dj mix shows global and by the legendary dj producer Kenny Dope (Masters at Work).
Electro-industrial band
Chemlab
Chemlab is an American industrial rock band formed in Washington D.C. in 1989 by Dylan Thomas More, Joe Frank, and Jared Louche (then known as Hendrickson). Influenced by the pioneers of the industrial genre, such as Throbbing Gristle, Chemla ...
formed in the District of Columbia, in 1989. Up until this point, frontman Jared Louche had been a part of the District of Columbia hardcore scene (see below).
Artists from District of Columbia area's premiere dark electronic label Octofoil Records, to include Maduro, Retrogramme, and Notecrusher, have appeared on numerous compilations around the world and have been featured on BBC. Octofoil has been defunct since 2014.
A cappella
The District of Columbia has a very vibrant ''a cappella'' scene.
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American three-time Grammy Award–nominated troupe who express their history as black women through song, dance, and sign language. Originally a four-p ...
, which formed in 1973 and focuses on music rooted in African American culture, has shared a Grammy Award and received multiple Grammy nominations for its children's albums.
Afro Blue
"Afro Blue" is a jazz standard composed by Mongo Santamaría.
Santamaria version
Mongo Santamaria recorded his composition "Afro Blue" in 1959 when playing with the Cal Tjader Sextet. The first recorded performance was on April 20, 1959, at th ...
, an ''a cappella'' vocal jazz ensemble based at
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
, received significant national attention when it placed fourth on
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
of the television show
The Sing Off
''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...
in 2011. There are several ″vocal bands″ in the area, while ensembles like
The Capital Hearings bridge the lines between the choral tradition, vocal jazz, and contemporary ''a cappella''.
Mod and soul
The Ambitions, led by former Checkered Cabs singer Caz Gardiner, are at the forefront of the mod/soul type bands drawing their inspiration from late 60s soul bands to 1970s British mod revivalists.
Garage revival
As of late, DC has been home to a growing scene of musicians who take inspiration from the primal stomp of the 1960s garage rock movement. Eschewing the more esoteric stylings of their art-school peers, bands like Soul Lip, the Hall Monitors, the breakUps, the Have Mercys, the Points, Shark Week, The Fed, and
Fellowcraft mine a more primitive vein of rock 'n' roll, finding inspiration in fuzzed-out chords and grooves.
The Wammies
The Washington Area Music Awards, also known as the Wammies, was founded in 1985 by Michael Jaworek and Mike Schreibman and has been committed to raising the profile of the Washington area's diverse music community.
In 2019
The MusicianShipundertook the critical task of preserving th
Wammie Awards In an effort to celebrate, honor, and uplift creative heroes across the DMV area, The MusicianShip reintroduced and reinvigorated this storied community event, upholding its values, while infusing it with meaningful innovations and a contemporary flare that includes, and enriches, a diverse audience of art enthusiasts. Th
2020 Virtual Wammieswere hosted on July 13-July 17 and honore
winnersacross 57 musical and general interest categories.
Performance venues
![Verizon Center wide](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Verizon_Center_wide.jpg)
The Washington area has many venues large and small for music performances.
Capital One Arena
Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. It has been largely considered to be a commercial success ...
hosts many major concerts. The
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
is home to the
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Perform ...
and the
National Symphony Orchestra.
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (originally known as the Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts and simply known as Wolf Trap) is a performing arts center located on of national park land in unincorporated Fairfax Count ...
in Vienna, Virginia hosts many performances and the
Wolf Trap Opera Company
The Wolf Trap Opera Company (sometimes abbreviated WTOC) was founded in 1971 as part of the program of the Wolf Trap Foundation located near the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Fairfax County, Virginia. The company is a residen ...
. The
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. In 2010, Merriweather was named the second best amphitheater in the Uni ...
in
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages.
Columbia began with ...
and
Nissan Pavilion
Jiffy Lube Live (originally known as the Nissan Pavilion) in Bristow, Virginia, is an outdoor amphitheater in suburban Prince William County, about 35 miles west of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Live Nation, the amphitheater can seat 25, ...
in
Bristow, Virginia
Bristow is an unincorporated community of Prince William County in Northern Virginia about from Washington, D.C. In 2014, Bristow's postal area population was 29,346, a 287% increase since 2000; however, the Bristow community is formally incl ...
also host many national touring musical acts.
Notable licensed venues in the District of Columbia include and have included:
*
Act IV (venue) (DC Nightclub) Upper Wisconsin Ave, Georgetown Classic Rock
*
Asylum
Asylum may refer to:
Types of asylum
* Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome
* Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute
* Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea
...
(From 1991) –
Adams Morgan /
U Street – alternative rock, electronic
* The
Atlas Performing Arts Center –
H Street – musical theater, light opera
*
The Bayou
The Bayou was a music venue and nightclub located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The club occupied an old building at 3135 K Street, NW, in Georgetown, under the Whitehurst Freeway for forty-six years. The club opened in September 1953 on the ...
(1953–1998) –
Georgetown – classic rock, metal
* Beneath It All –
Georgetown, under the Crazyhorse, small venue with acoustic and softer rock
*
Black Cat (From 1993) –
U Street – alternative rock, international, various, post-hardcore
*
Blues Alley
Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz nightclub in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Musicians who have performed at Blues Alley include John Abercrombie, Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Tony Bennett, Rory Block, Ruby Braff, G ...
(From 1965) –
Georgetown – jazz, blues
*
Bohemian Caverns (1926–1968) (From 1990s) –
U Street – jazz, blues
* The Cave, (DC Nightclub) Behind
My Mother's Place in the alley, 18th St
*
Cafe Lautrec/Toulouse-Lautrec Mural / Cafe Toulouse (1980s-c.2004) –
Adams Morgan – jazz, bossa nova
*
The Cellar Door
The Cellar Door was a 163-seat music club located at 34th & M Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. from 1964 through January 7, 1982. It occupied the location of a former music club called The Shadows.
One of the premie ...
(1960s–1980s) –
Georgetown – folk, classic rock, blues rock
*
DAR Constitution Hall
DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall located at 1776 D Street NW, near the White House in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Me ...
(From 1929) –
Foggy Bottom
Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th- and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., located west of the White House and downtown Washington, in the Northwest quadrant. It is bounded roughly by 17th Street NW to the east, Rock C ...
– large concert hall
*
Corpse Fortress (1986–2011) – various genres
*
The Crazy Horse
The Crazy Horse is a cabaret venue on the Rue de Phénicie in Beirut, Lebanon. Named after the Parisian cabaret Crazy Horse, it was an infamous nightclub during the 1960s and 1970s when it was both a bar and a brothel, and considered the most outra ...
(DC Nightclub) M St, Georgetown Classic Rock
*
DC9 (From 2004) –
U Street – various genres, mid-size venue
*
dc space (1980s) – initials meant to stand for "District Creative" as well as its locale, a small club primarily devoted to
punk rock and
free jazz
Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...
concerts
*
Electric Maid (From 2001) –
Takoma – folk, post-hardcore, various genres
*
Black Cat, Washington, D.C., nightclub, Food for Thought (1973–2000), folk, various genres
*
Fort Reno Park
Fort Reno Park is an urban park in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. It is named after Fort Reno, one of the only locations in the District of Columbia to see combat during the American Civil War. The park was establishe ...
(From 1967) –
Upper Northwest, various genres, go-go, post-hardcore (outdoor)
*
Fran O'brien's, Across the alley from the Cave, which was behind
My Mother's Place, 18th & M, NW.
*
The Hamilton Live, (Since 2011, DC Music Venue) 600 14th St NW (block from The White House)
*
The Keg
The Keg is a Canadian-owned chain of steakhouse restaurants and bars located in Canada and the United States. The original "The Keg and Cleaver" restaurant was founded by George Tidball, in 1971, at a location in North Vancouver, British Colu ...
, (DC Nightclub) Upper Wisconsin Ave, about 1/2 block from "Good Guys" Georgetown Classic Rock
*
Lincoln Theatre (1922–1968, reopened 1994) –
U Street – concert hall
*
Madam's Organ (From 1992) –
Adams Morgan – various genres, blues, swing
*
My Mother's Place, (DC Nightclub) 18th & M St NW Classic Rock
*
Nation / The Capital Ballroom - (1995-2006) - 1015 Half Street SE - electronic music
*
New Mac's, (DC Nightclub), M St, Georgetown, across 34th St from
Cellar Door, Classic Rock,
The Mugwumps, later called
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...
, started here.
*
9:30 Club (1980–present) – originally at 930 F St. NW, since 1996 at
U Street Corridor
The U Street Corridor, sometimes called Cardozo/Shaw or Cardozo, is a commercial and residential district in Northwest Washington, D.C., most of which also constitutes the Greater U Street Historic District. It is centered along a nine-block s ...
, alternative rock, major venue
*
One Step Down (1960s–2000) –
Foggy Bottom
Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th- and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., located west of the White House and downtown Washington, in the Northwest quadrant. It is bounded roughly by 17th Street NW to the east, Rock C ...
– jazz, blues
*
The Pall Mall, (DC Nightclub) Couple doors down from the Crazyhorse, frequented by the "Washington Redskins"
*
The Rabbits Foot, (DC Nightclub) Upper Wisconsin Ave, just above Georgetown
*
The Red & the Black (From 2006) –
H Street – rock, hardcore
*Red (nightclub)
*
Republic Gardens (1920s–1960s, reopened 1996) (1996–2007) –
U Street – jazz, blues, dance hall
*
Rock N Roll Hotel (From 2006) –
H Street – rock, various genres
*
Show Bar and the Palace of Wonders (From 2006) –
H Street – various genres, burlesque
*
Songbyrd Music House, (Washington, D.C., nightclub) (2015–present)
dams Morgan– various genres, mid-size venue
*
State of the Union (1991-c.2001) –
U Street – alternative rock, electronic dance
*
"New" Vegas Lounge (From 1950s) –
Logan Circle – motown, blues, R&B
*
Velvet Lounge The Velvet Lounge was a nightclub in the South Loop of Chicago. It started as a jazz club and was called the "dusty epicenter of the Midwest's free form jazz scene." It was located at 2128 1/2 S. Indiana Avenue before moving to 67 E. Cermak when th ...
–
U Street – punk rock, electronic, various genres
*
Warehouse Next Door (1998–2009, merged with theater) –
Downtown – various genres
*
Warner Theatre (multiuse 1924–1989, concert venue from 1989) –
Downtown – large concert hall
*
The Wax Museum 4th and E st. SW, Washington, DC, National Acts,
Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael A ...
etc. open 1982 – 1984.
* The Corpse Fortress – A Co-Op house Venue formally in the Silver Spring Area, since shut down due to structural concerns, an iconic spot for 2000's Punk and Hardcore bands
* The Metro Cafe – Live Music Venue – Late 1990 – 2001 at 1522 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
References
External links
DC Music Live: resource for live music happening in the DMVDC Music Atlas
{{District of Columbia
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...