Arts Desk » fort knox five

Don’t Be Bored: The Roots Play Two Nights at Fillmore

Ally Schweitzer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:47:21 +0000

Don’t read too many reviews, positive or otherwise, of The Roots’ drug-dealer study undun. With its backward-is-beautiful narrative structure and its overall flintiness, it’s not built for the current hype cycle, and it’s more likely to inspire a Bill T. Jones dance treatment than a million street imitators. Sit with it. It’s more than just a flipped script. And when the hip-hop crew does two nights at the Fillmore, go for the show-band jams and the Golden-Era glow, because undun’s Sufjan Stevens suites and Black Thought exhalations probably won’t be the centerpiece. It’ll be a conscious party, like it’s always been, with ?uestlove on the kit and a big cast of characters in front of him, throbbing for at least two hours, probably more. Things do fall apart, but not this band, not right now. The Roots perform at 8 p.m. tonight and Friday at Fillmore Silver Spring. $45. (Joe Warminsky)

MORE MUSIC

No woman, no cry: The Wailers are at State Theatre tonight with Outernational. Doors at 7 p.m.; $25.

Local rockers (Stop Worrying and) Love the Bomb—called "nihilistic pop-punk"—headline Black Cat's backstage with opening acts The Electricutions and Highway Cross. 8 p.m. $8.

And Fort Knox Five brings the party to U Hall with Krafty Kuts and Proxxy & Lantern. 10 p.m. $10.

Don’t Be Bored: Reelfest DC, AIDS Wolf

Ally Schweitzer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:15:28 +0000

Amateur Hour shows at Reelfest DC.

Just in case D.C. didn’t have enough film festivals, along comes Reelfest DC, the latest long weekend of hopeful amateurs and would-be local cinematic darlings. Launched as an outgrowth of a similarly named festival in Boston, Reelfest offers a mishmash of features and shorts obscure enough to at least merit a passing glance. Its organizers have put particular stock in Amateur Hour, a film by Sam Moussavi in which two guys pull a heist to finance their cinematic debut (which technically makes it a novice novice novice film, assuming all heist flicks are about making movies), and Northern Comfort, starring the mumblecore queen Greta Gerwig. Also showing is restauranteur Eric Hilton’s paranoid masterpiece Babylon Central. Come scared, leave angry. The festival runs to Nov. 14 at the Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts, 1055 Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Schedule and ticket information at reelfestdc.com. (Benjamin R. Freed)

MUSIC

Pick your rock-music flavor: The Sea & Cake at Black Cat or AIDS Wolf at Comet Ping Pong. Tough, huh? How's this: If you're already wearing a tasteful Gap mock-neck, go with Sea & Cake; if you've got on a torn-up T-shirt with crusty snot and ketchup stuck between the ribbing, try AIDS Wolf.

Other options: On the backstage at Cat, Medications is playing with Cleveland's Cloud Nothings, whose frontman was interviewed on Arts Desk yesterday. 8 p.m. $10. There's even more energy to be found at the 9:30 Club, where the always robust, Michael J. West-approved Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue takes the stage after a set by Fort Knox Five. 7 p.m. $25. Then, right around the corner, Afropop ensemble Elikeh plays Bohemian Caverns at 8 p.m. $10. Or maybe—just maybe—you're booked tonight, because you've got tickets to Sting at DAR Constitution Hall.

BOOKS

I regret to inform you that Joan Didion's talk at Avalon Theatre tonight is sold out. But you should still read her probably wonderful, gutting new memoir, Blue Nights.

Head-Roc’s Mouth: “Funk 4 the Dream”

Head-Roc — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:40:13 +0000

The one and only Afrika Bambaataa will be arriving in Chocolate City to “Planet Rock” funk it up for the “Funk 4 Peace” concert being held at U Street Music Hall this Sunday. The undisputed grandmaster and godfather of hip-hop culture will perform live and direct with D.C.’s international culture break-beat funk stars, Fort Knox Five, at a show hosted by internationally known and respected D.C. hip-hop icon Asheru, along with the equally touted and beloved funky soul crooner Mustafa Akbar. Rounding out the bill is DJ Jahsonic of the Soul Controllers, the eclectic and electric Rex Riddem, and the visually stunning Video Killers production squad. On its own, that is quite a heavy lineup of venerable D.C. indie musicians; add Afrika Bambaataa to the mix, and you’ve got the makings of a magical night of electo, future shock, old-school hip-hop funk fellowship—and all for a $10 ticket!

Bambaataa has been working repeatedly with Fort Knox Five over the past five years , releasing brand new material within that same period. Their latest collaboration is a joint called “Shift” that features the vocal stylings of Mustafa Akbar and is receiving good reviews from the electro-funk dance music community. (Check out the video).

Asheru and Mustafa Akbar have been burning it up on tour with Fort Knox Five for some time now and, if I’m not mistaken, this is the first full production show in D.C. proper where they will rock in this configuration—where each front man, working together, fronts a band other than their own. Everything is gonna be different from what we years-long fans of the acts will expect.

I did mention the very small fact (I'm being funny) that Afrika Bambaataa is a living god and chief deity of hip-hop culture, right? Honestly, if you know your history and what The Dream is all about, then you may want to get your tickets early so you can be apart of celebrating “Funk 4 the Dream!”

“Funk 4 the Dream” takes place this Sunday at U Street Music Hall. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. $10.

*A portion of proceeds from this event, in commemoration of Dr. King’s dream, will benefit the arts incubation and nurturing organization Bloombars, which provides critically needed creative outlet space for Chocolate City artists—with a special commitment to the residents of Columbia Heights.

Shudder to Tweet

Aaron Leitko — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:47:29 +0000

Sampling the thought streams of D.C. musicians past and present.

Rob Myers (Fort Knox Five, Thievery Corporation):

-Selecting tracks w/ Raskin for the FK5 set in Bmore @ Solstice. 60 min of hits! On the mic: Asheru, Mustafa, Rootz & Z, it's hard to choose!

-2:40am Frank Mitchell behind the wheel of 1 of 60 extant US Lamborghini "Nera"s in front of ESL after See-I. Whaaa?! http://yfrog.com/3na3aj

-Bryan Ferry selects FK5's Dodge City Rockers for his latest Beatport chart. Now circle is complete! http://bit.ly/bQdAyH (via @sidbarcelona)

Travis Morrison:

-"Don't practice. If you practice, it happens there, and I want it to happen here." Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock

-is in a relationship with Janet Jackson's greatest hits and it's DEFINITELY complicated.

Edie Sedgwick:

-Why are they called "baby names?" They should just be called "names."

-Playin' poker with Marlon Brando circa "Don Juan de Marco." He's really in his fat phase...

Kingpen Slim:

-This that picturesque snow but it ain't hurting nothing my windsheild wipers brushed it off like *yawn*

-watching old biggie interviews in between ready to die and life after death to soak in the greatness

Weekend Music Round-Up

Hilary Crowe — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:00:55 +0000

Friday

Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra. Blues Alley. $25.
L.A. Guns w/ Mis-Fit, Tilt, Sinner’s Trail, Bitter Pill. Jaxx. $18/$20. +21.
Sheryl Crow, Ari Hest. Filene Center at Wolf Trap. $30-$48.
TheoryCast, ReVeL, Fight The Bear, Conshafter. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. All ages.
DC Summer Extravaganza w/ Tittsworth, Nadastrom, Will Eastman, Bobby Jae & Ken Lazee, Dmerit. 9:30 club. $10. All ages.
Canda, Bobbie Allen, Mila Levine, Michelle Murray, Treevibes, Lulu Fall, Vox Pop, Lux Operon, Peter S. Pinocci, Liberated Muse, Rob Wolcott. Artomatic. (For more info, see our Artomatic Manual)

Saturday

40th Annual Smoke-In: Human Rights (HR of the Bad Brains), See-I, Christos, Telesma, The Package, The Omsteaders, J.B. Bevereley and The Wayward Drifters, and DJ Bedroom. 23rd and Constitution Avenue NW. Free.
National Symphony Orchestra: “A Capitol Fourth.” US Capitol, West Lawn. Free.
DJ Regal, Fort Knox Five, All Good Funk Alliance. Black Cat. $10. All ages.
Independence Day Noon:30 Release Party w/ The Laughing Man, Achtung Panda, Ghost Light, DJ Natty Boom. Velvet Lounge. $3-$8. +21.
DJ Dk. Cafe Saint Ex.
NoiseHouse, BLOODSHOT, HeeBeeGeeBees, Jeremy Steinhaus, Machines of Living Death, Anil Rock, Copper Rose & Bone, Julie O., Fat Roberta, Princess of Controversy, C.O.M.P., Mother Courage, The Very Small, Mambo Sauce, Zip The Uncanny, Vmasta & Cortez, Glasgow Tunnel, The FiF. Artomatic.

Sunday

Blues Jam with the Idle Americans. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
Jay Reatard, TV Smith. Black Cat. $12. All ages.
The Scare, Energy, Fallen From The Sky, Ante Up, Debaser. Velvet Lounge. $8. +18.
St. Croix Virgin Islands Reggae Tour 2009 w/ Batch, Ras Attitude, Empress Ima, Jah Empress. IOTA Club & Cafe. $12. +21.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Only Men Aloud! Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free.
Triple Staccs, Mzery Loves Company, Mary Battiata & LITTLE PINK, RC Rex & the Progressionals, SAW Showcase, Seth Barna, House of Echo, Rob Wolcott, Dark Electric Showcase II, Sesshin No-Fi, Sarah Fridrich. Artomatic.

"A Capitol Fourth" 2007 photo by boboroshi, Creative Commons Attribution License.